American Rebellion Author:Henry Ward Beecher Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: EDINBUKGH.-OCTOBER 14, 1863. GEEAT MEETING IN THE FREE CHURCH ASSEMBLY HALL. Last night, one of the most crowded meetings that ever took place in this city... more », was held in the Free Church Assembly Hall, in order to hear the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. Long before the hour fixed for the meeting, all the entrances to the Hall were besieged by large masses ot people ; and the rush for places was so great that a few minutes after the opening of the doors every available seat was taken possession o!. Crowds of people still continued to pour into the Hall, and the passages became crammed. As the time arrived for the entrance of the chairman and Mr. Beecher, it became a serious question how they were to gain admission to the Hall. All doubt was set at rest on the matter by loud cries arising from the east doorway that Mr. Beecher could not obtain an entrance. A great effort was made to gain a passage for the rev. gentleman, who, after some .time, managed to reach the chair, and was received with loud and prolonged cheers. Some of the gentlemen for whom seats had been reserved on the platform also gained admission?- some by the passage, and others by climbing to the Moderator's gallery and walking along the ledge?but it was discovered that the chairman, Mr. Duncan M'Laren, was still amissing. After- the lapse of a few minutes, however, Mr. M'Laren and four French gentlemen, including M. Gamier Pages, also got in ; and the proceedings of the meeting commenced. Amongst those on the platform and that could be noticed in the dense crowd in the Hall, were Professor Rogers, Glasgow University ; Revs. W. Arnot, Dr. W. L. Alexander, and G: D. Cullen; Thos. Nelson, Esq., G. H. Stott, Esq., Thos. Ireland, Esq., Dr. Grosvenor, New York; Revs. Dr. Andrew Thomson, Mr. Ogilvie, Mr. Henderson, Mr. Graha...« less