, 1860-12-14
THE, BURCH DlFORCE CASE
The CloAlnE Argument OF John Van
AFnan Esq., Tor Khs Complainant.

The clos1nE Arxument Of John Van
Anan Esq., for xhs Complainant.
EIGHTEENTH. DAY OF the TRIAL.
tRsported Expressly for Il. Tribune BY william
Blair Lord Of New York;
[cont1nusd from Tue,day's 7yib,me.1
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The Court resumed lis session at two o'clock
MR. van A1uAx continued his a,sument a.
Now there is letter written on the esth of
January, 1850 ten days and more after she left
Chicago; written not to her husband. but Ia
her friend, Mn Thomas Durch; that woman
whom they arraisn here as spy aud t1v 10
make you believe is hostile to Mrs. Burch.
Aud why! Simply because she stood here on
the stand and swore that she had received that
letter: nothing else, nothing else whatever
Mrs. Thomas Burch-you lrcolicct the lady,
hc1 lace beaminE with goodness, will, piety,
Of her years cannot he found in any country.
!aic Of more exemplary piety, Of greater use
fulness, OF greater virtue, does not illustrate
the virtues Of the scr to which she belongs.
Yet she, too, must be traduced and villifled :
her name must be attacked, and her reputation
tarnished, If possible, to subserye the purnoscs
Of this defense. What Is that lettery
"Wretched and fallen as / um. I cannot let
you tor one moment think that / have cycr
Sonnlvcd Ut or wished the ruin Of yonr daughter
Fannie Beg MI. BnrcL not to think 90 any
longer ! have given him lust cause to think
there is nothing 700 vile for INC to counter.
ance,"
beg you to think of that. N hare r1vcr
my husband good cause to think tint there is
nothing too Sllc for me to do or countenancc.
he believes that have counIved ut an ATTEMPT
to ruin your daughter Fannie. lie believes
1usts Of the Villain who Ind selne,d me md M
make me the instrument Of an ntte1nnt tn min MN
my huebaud's neice that was in her house. i
have given linn good cause to believe SO,
Now can human language express deeperscn.
timeut Of selfabascmcnt, OF self lfloathing, than
Is here expresscds What must she hare done
to Justify her husband in believing her tie
wretch which she Says he had the right to be-
liexe heI?' - haye given him good cause to
have: have girsn i en- him so.d cause ,o believe it, The
Rurch, and dcalt upon him the hardest Of epi: e
1hets. They have heaped upon bis head every
bnIre nj CoIman6 that ne did s,epect Mrs bnrch Of
% ne,n @ ,naaerent er IT, to fae welfare Of his neee.
;'"g as4 wuas @ ooee AlS, nMieA say ABOUT II! "Iic
blanc lin for Il sSs i@plores him not 1et to not @
licve 1t, but she admits that she bad rlyen lsn,
good cause to oelieveit And hadhe mot good ,i
cause to believe II, when he WAS told In the
INT plaes that she had deliberately stood Iy
a4d seen s, stuast takc nneTttes with this young
6een internretcc IN hnf one ~.1 ~ ecs cbaaa nave
y design @ on ons s M pa1 saeh bat as ed9 M3
Burch had seen 1t and langhcde And not onIv
}st had gone to tia. erl mud implo1ed er not "a
ie. sct nsr ansie " M5 BHTch snaw It to keep
ask Won was she not rt IN nas satin1 ro q, tha1
had good rcasonto believe her capable Of doing M
ANYTHING?
that II they ilaye any love q admiration u, to
liked admiration ies< ia ehnn1d sr ~. tt'enas ana
been an ontcast md xana,a1 noT }t nov haye
most say, a beeear Ny ruin was commence
BY exciting my jealousy resardine ny Safea hpsbana
and then, see it now, f!attcTy did tia wori )
,,,n, Ias &C. s st. s 4;
,n,nf Shs :sys 2 s:r vsiortns fon csnuot Ea i%a1
ousy End to stfer ne " y nos nxca y e1Ss my teal
~ IL .fa a4an e NJ Vfsatans q. Fl ~
saya -ie b. c1eittor nv fe;one s Shs
s9eii iae cfis a1ai To sann ;-nv r,o g
o smeo nave bcen ,oo q Il 5ey Te.'
Ihsys Fl he !9 ercat II s,e no rsssfo ss"StS
cou nos Hye ana scr ns sesms q though
cd been 70 great no yon Mrs nrc ~ tbias fse1Ee i
,.ve S1d.y tSo and nsYs fa t%e tor
.s1ye ii III s ~ fnar eE sDt sns II
ss p1sE ga may be t's
supposed dc somsass :" pos.sll.sy I'll Gis
aG.er epfs tls6 r. 1tns zn Az
.r nanesa q NJ. @ sre ts humnns OF ha condus
sd q ad aSn nfs Gra T. sss s vi
L
l ass sd 10 - aaSe e nat ssteSa oaa and ada y her
ssS2sl5S iss + sd
thsl iii If tese Ssrr pfte III Sa hrassn
-. ,s SoS srs believed
:sss!a;s@ : ss r. .: sss ssf' nh
Xon ey.s u ynnr 'ls nnt nov expect to meet man
nr max GeG 1exS .s .ai NJ. sn5 "5soc ssmrc1ed @
e.. II G @s Ut s 1 Il ga sss
s:sys SsS r. Ss. saass. Z ] :sss
n, y nsa oo
da eE see eaee &C. You'd sss, ,ia
shouEhs 81 s9y ~.n 70 s1 .ss T.
me 1nd 5et yoa ~ 70 b. maae te snes be
sappio .oos tls pnTac:s i s.al!ityine sniy
yo4rsalvss put taG eommunlty a a5onna xdh foa are
70 % mhoe 70 ~ .n .hn.s fuus aeS1oose Ao1 oa-
1oss e ar M nnt ott.5a ss rn
hundreds of miles Away Tts,trn Et;ont hts knowisage
Il sheo eters xers ss H. SaE2 tat Ill ' 9ss
1esfecty innocent I'd thnt NJ ~ B15ch u she gui,ty
wretch r." s,net ssa & Eft G
ne sas nfe z 'ssss "a
Thtse lette!1 VAL pe Iehm lne Naita .ses: ynp Nl
1eA0 thtrn thfo~co Jour 'eH, "no .uca you VIII Fso
. ,.t.cr ur,.n ,r nr p,t,erson IN .n,wc,
70 The oot nt feec'Fe1 uoHs IT; EnEGn:
MES shonsu ~, ~ aa9uA1cE 70 ,n,ysrI nho
70 yon Wefe MmnoIo s s s1on @ ~ NV naG
nths 81 1 aIstres. vhich h1s iirn nnou you viii such
crashing wsiCht ! csnnnt r. " Tond fosEst r. ra;-
toE1l anecnoa wn,sH navs ~ ~ w sns
CD eneflsn you ass r., s =, Wy ~
sao oe5easfa @ ~ & 1"a y T. tnv @ -ctina m rnsnst
NO event cotlo nhse mose uusI.Y Go4ioannra !ny y
thnnkn 1 ~ ~ M - ~ hcs cn,id nnIv % r.TTr @ vnn @
reality <atue Nnlae ~ ny uea eoa1 UP Sa!as ~
In eArncss prayer Y sne meLcf stsE pAcut est aHc
determined 70 write you before rretisfn4 JOY. letter
Of January 2tu NMcn eamT =. hna e tue t; a M Hs..
LIDO not slow nyseN u Ie tor I mnmcnt taa! Eou r.
no longer 70 pe nnmpssEG auaoHE ts Sttr .a
perform the duty which owe 10 !ou ~ youf GnE1suan
fhend ard p4SoE that my paHy Ir ~ notE t nupsHS M
th4& God VIII &c 1nstCl!Es - ~ A!ow u. -
not aAy one wofn tHat Eouia hsCtu ~ t!e
cruelty deceiSed aud hetIayea ~ one o. me most ns1
3u1 Ax+nA OF inc Ercat acsSEo.3Ts II o,,.. ,,,. WIN,
Ton Sec = LAT construction bs- 1atFtson poA upe''
her letter
know fon ~ ,s artni .nts ~ H. Erest ds
Sogs gg ~ Il Know a. you Iuox yon duly
the nrs. steps 70 TIC rata oI Evil ao tlst as }ou @