Foot and Horseback； and 1500 in the Steerage。
（REPLY）
SAN FRANCISCO； June 30th
TO THE 1；500 AND OTHERS；It seems to me that your course is entirely
unprecedented。 Heretofore； when lecturers； singers； actors； and other
frauds have said they were about to leave town； you have always been the
very first people to come out in a card beseeching them to hold on for
just one night more； and inflict just one more performance on the public；
but as soon as I want to take a farewell benefit you come after me； with
a card signed by the whole community and the board of aldermen； praying
me not to do it。 But it isn't of any use。 You cannot move me from my
fell purpose。 I will torment the people if I want to。 I have a better
right to do it than these strange lecturers and orators that come here
from abroad。 It only costs the public a dollar apiece； and if they can't
stand it what do they stay here for？ Am I to go away and let them have
peace and quiet for a year and a half； and then come back and only
lecture them twice？ What do you take me for？
No； gentlemen； ask of me anything else and I will do it cheerfully； but
do not ask me not to afflict the people。 I wish to tell them all I know
about VENICE。 I wish to tell them about the City of the Seathat most
venerable； most brilliant； and proudest Republic the world has ever seen。
I wish to hint at what it achieved in twelve hundred years； and what it
lost in two hundred。 I wish to furnish a deal of pleasant information；
somewhat highly spiced； but still palatable； digestible； and eminently
fitted for the intellectual stomach。 My last lecture was not as fine as
I thought it was； but I have submitted this discourse to several able
critics； and they have pronounced it good。 Now； therefore； why should I
withhold it？
Let me talk only just this once； and I will sail positively on the 6th of
July； and stay away until I return from Chinatwo years。
Yours truly； MARK TWAIN。
（FURTHER REMONSTRANCE）
SAN FRANCISCO； June 30th。
MR。 MARK TWAIN；Learning with profound regret that you have concluded to
postpone your departure until the 6th July； and learning also； with
unspeakable grief； that you propose to read from your forthcoming book；
or lecture again before you go； at the New Mercantile Library； we hasten
to beg of you that you will not do it。 Curb this spirit of lawless
violence； and emigrate at once。 Have the vessel's bill for your passage
sent to us。 We will pay it。
Your friends；
Pacific Board of Brokers ＇and
other financial and social
institutions＇
SAN FRANCISCO； June 30th。
MR。 MARK TWAINDEAR SIR；Will you start now； without any unnecessary
delay？
Yours truly；
Proprietors of the Alta；
Bulletin； Times； Call； Examiner
＇and other San Francisco
publications＇。
SAN FRANCISCO； June 30th。
MR。 MARK TWAINDEAR SIR；Do not delay your departure。 You can come
back and lecture another time。 In the language of the worldlyyou can
〃cut and come again。〃
Your friends；
THE CLERGY。
SAN FRANCISCO； June 3oth。
MR。 MARK TWAINDEAR SIR；You had better go。
Yours；
THE CHIEF OF POLICE。
（REPLY）
SAN FRANCISCO； June 30th。
GENTLEMEN；Restrain your emotions； you observe that they cannot avail。
Read：
NEW MERCANTILE LIBRARY
Bush Street
Thursday Evening； July 2； 1868
One Night Only
FAREWELL LECTURE
of
MARK TWAIN
Subject：
The Oldest of the Republics
VENICE
PAST AND PRESENT
Box…Office open Wednesday and Thursday
No extra charge for reserved seats
ADMISSION 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 ONE DOLLAR
Doors open at 7 Orgies to commence at 8 P。 M。
The public displays and ceremonies projected to give fitting eclat
to this occasion have been unavoidably delayed until the 4th。 The
lecture will be delivered certainly on the 2d； and the event will be
celebrated two days afterward by a discharge of artillery on the
4th； a procession of citizens； the reading of the Declaration of
Independence； and by a gorgeous display of fireworks from Russian
Hill in the evening； which I have ordered at my sole expense； the
cost amounting to eighty thousand dollars。
AT NEW MERCANTILE LIBRARY
Bush Street
Thursday Evening； July 2； 1868
APPENDIX I
MARK TWAIN'S CHAMPIONSHIP OF THOMAS K。 BEECHER
（See Chapter lxxiv）
There was a religious turmoil in Elmira in 1869； a disturbance among the
ministers； due to the success of Thomas K。 Beecher in a series of
meetings he was conducting in the Opera House。 Mr。 Beecher's teachings
had never been very orthodox or doctrinal； but up to this time they had
been seemingly unobjectionable to his brother clergymen； who fraternized
with him and joined with him in the Monday meetings of the Ministerial
Union of Elmira； when each Monday a sermon was read by one of the
members。 The situation presently changed。 Mr。 Beecher was preaching his
doubtful theology to large and nightly increasing audiences； and it was
time to check the exodus。 The Ministerial Union of Elmira not only
declined to recognize and abet the Opera House gatherings； but they
requested him to withdraw from their Monday meetings； on the ground that
his teachings were pernicious。 Mr。 Beecher said nothing of the matter；
and it was not made public until a notice of it appeared in a religious
paper。 Naturally such a course did not meet with the approval of the
Langdon family； and awoke the scorn of a man who so detested bigotry in
any form as Mark Twain。 He was a stranger in the place； and not
justified to speak over his own signature； but he wrote an article and
read it to members of the Langdon family and to Dr。 and Mrs。 Taylor；
their intimate friends； who were spending an evening in the Langdon home。
It was universally approved； and the next morning appeared in the Elmira
Advertiser； over the signature of 〃S'cat。〃 It created a stir； of course。
The article follows：
MR。 BEECHER AND THE CLERGY
〃The Ministerial Union of Elmira； N。 Y。； at a recent meeting passed
resolutions disapproving the teachings of Rev。 T。 K。 Beecher； declining
to co…operate with him in his Sunday evening services at the Opera House；
and requesting him to withdraw from their Monday morning meeting。 This
has resulted in his withdrawal； and thus the pastors are relieved from
further responsibility as to his action。〃N。 Y。 Evangelist。
Poor Beecher！ All this time he could do whatever he pleased that was
wrong； and then be perfectly serene and comfortable over it； because the
Ministerial Union of Elmira was responsible to God for it。 He could lie
if he wanted to； and those ministers had to answer for it； he could
promote discord in the church of Christ； and those parties had to make it
right with the Deity as best they could； he could teach false doctrines
to empty opera houses； and those sorrowing lambs of the Ministerial Union
had to get out their sackcloth and ashes and stand responsible for it。
He had such a comfortable thing of it！ But he went too far。 In an evil
hour he slaughtered the simple geese that laid the golden egg of
responsibility for him； and now they will uncover their customary
complacency； and lift up their customary cackle in his behalf no more。
And so； at last； he finds himself in the novel position of being
responsible to God for his acts； instead of to the Ministerial Union of
Elmira。 To say that this is appalling is to state it with a degree of
mildness which amounts to insipidity。
We cannot justly estimate this calamity； without first reviewing certain
facts that conspired to bring it about。 Mr。 Beecher was and is in the
habit of preaching to a full congregation in the Independent
Congregational Church； in this city。 The meeting…house was not large
enough to accommodate all the people who desired admittance。 Mr。 Beecher
regularly attended the meetings of the Ministerial Union of Elmira every
Monday morning； and they received him into their fellowship； and never
ob