The first national event in which the church took a definite part, so far as I remember, was the question as to whether Kansas should be a free or a slave state. Settlers were rushing in from all parts of the country, and the North was favouring those who were opposed to slavery, while the South sought to strengthen the slave-holding element. The result was a constant clashing, resulting in what came to be known as the Border Ruffian War, in which John Brown first appeared as a national figure. In the difficulty of provisioning such a new country, all sorts of supplies were rushed in, including ammunition and Bibles. Mr. Beecher told his congregation that just then a Sharps rifle was as good a missionary to send as a Bible. Accordingly the church purchased and boxed up several cases of rifles and Bibles and sent them out. These rifles were afterwards called Beecher Bibles. The events that followed, leading up to the War of the Rebellion, were all part of Plymouth Church life. It seemed sometimes as if Mr. Beecher was everywhere and nothing could be done without him. At the time when Senator Brooks in the United States Senate made his unprovoked attack on Charles Sumner, the whole country was wild with indignation. Meetings were held on every hand to protest against the outrage. Every item of news from Mr. Sumner's bedside was watched for with intense solicitude, and for a time it seemed as if the fate of war or peace hung upon the life of the Senator. Among the meetings was one called to take place in front of City Hall, Brooklyn, and, as so often was the case, Mr. Beecher was the speaker. The Square was packed, and as he came out on the steps of the City Hall to speak a great cheer went up, a cheer not merely of sympathy for Mr. Sumner, but of faith in and regard for the speaker. Mr. Beecher, with his marvellous power, raised his voice so that it could be heard all over the Square, and for an hour he held the audience spellbound with his arraignment of the slave power of the South, and the wrongs it was committing, while he affirmed his conviction that the conflict would result in a storm of civil war. It was a wonderful illustration of the inspiration that made him great.