The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-11
BEECHER'S DEFENCE.
The Richardson and Mcfarland Drama
from the Standpoint Of Plymouth
Pulpit-Mr. Beecher's Explains
ton Delivered at the Church
Lecture Room Last Night.

me weekly evening lecture was held lar night n
Plymouth church Brooklyn. The ordin? nv service
including the Lecture Room Talk" was conducted
and given by the Rev. Henry Ward Be echer. In an
nouncing at its close that 1t the night for the
annual meeting of the members Mr.. Beecher took
occasion TO speak Of the prospe rous condition OF
Plymouth church and that that night .fonnd both
people and pastor on higher spiritual plane"
Upon this gentleman connected with The church
got up and said thar 1t was but proper ana Just that
. public matter in which their pastor had been
recently prominently connected should receive
attention at once, IN order That the cnurcn shond
occupy no longer the hall-hearted ana un-
certain position assigned to 1t almost unanimously
by the public In regard TO the Richardson tragedy.
lie believed that when the facts were thoroughly
known Mr.. Beecher would be justified by the public
In his action. Considering the limited Information
he had received. and also his want OF knowledge In
certain matters In connection with this affair, he
was inclined to think that Mr.. Beecher had acted
he might nave been expected to Act under crcum-
stances that required charitable and merciful
Bideration
Upon this gentleman taxing hts seat other persons
got up in succession and expressed similar sentl-
ments There We're however a few dissentents who
spoke out and said that Mr.. Beecher had made
mistake, and that the reputation OF the church,
they were afraid, had permanently suffered There
was little light diminishing on both Sides which
Mr.. Beecher watched ana listened to calmly
and dedan1y enough. but with manifest
nervousness that was shown In the lifting
ever ana anon Of the hymn book, She
playing In his fingers with little scrap
OF paper, and sly twinkle in the eye as some OF
the speakers ioundred about when trying to polish
off L NJ nrt
dnct. AT length Mr.. Beecher arose and stepped to
the front OF the platform and prepared himself for
de iverance. There was crowded congregation for
the lecture hall was wen filed, and there was IN au
ODle hush or expectation.
MI. Beecher said he was waited upon by Mrs CAL
hOun, who was gifted and eloquent writer fos the
Tribune.
A gentleman here interposed and said that Mrs.
Cdlhouns late husband was deputy collector and
man Of great respectabiiity
Mr. Beecher resumed-Mrs. Calhoun showed him
anole from Mr.. Greeley which commended ner 70
Mr.. Beecher but did not ask him Mr.. Beecher to
perform the marriage. In conversation she said
that she had known Mrs. Mcfarland and believed
her to be woman OF responsibility aud that tue
divorce from her husband was legal one. She also
knew nothing that would hinder proper MARRIAGE
Mr. Beecher went on to say mat he had not heard OF
the first shooting by Mr.. Mcfarland Of Richardson
Men occupied as he was occupied and absorbed IN
his Ministerial and literary work had not time for
extensive reading OF newspapers and therefore it
was not surprising that he should be ignorant OF
that which was now matter OF history. The first
time that he remembered hearing anything about
Mr.. Richardson and Mrs. Mcfarland was when he
was shown letter long time ago by Mr.
Henry Camp the leader OF the choir. that had
passed between Mrs. Mcfarland ana Richardson
lie saw at glance 1t was love letter, and he did
that which he should do II there were million such
letters before him and no hum eye to see him
put 1t away and not read 1t. Mr.. Camp had, how
ever, properly thought II his duty to show 1t to Mr.
Beecher because he felt very strongly against Rich
Rrdsons conduct towards Mrs. Mcfarland, and
thought Mr.. Beecher would not have written so
commenuatory note about Richardson's book did
he know his character as well as Mr.. Camp seemed
TO know 1T. That book ReYonH the MiSaSSiDrifi-
had delighted MIN, and OF his own tree will he mad
written the letter 10 Mr. Richardson about that book
which had been published, but not until Mr.. Rich
ardson had written to HIN ana asked his permission.
That permission lie promptly and caeeriully gave
MT Richardson he had never seen until the night OF
that marriage.
On that evening he had been spending two or
three hours with Father Hyacinthe at Mr.. Frotning-
hams house, and While there he was called TO the
Aston House. There he found corridor full Of
friends and weeping group around the bed. The
surgeons told HIM that Mr.. Richardson was under
the influence OF opates, and that after their effect
was over he would gradually sink and
de = Mr. rockingham, at whose church
Mr.. Richardson was an occasional attendant
and went there whenever he was IN the
city. was present. Mr.. rockingham offered
ceremony, and IN doing so simply acted as q magls
trate-not in the se1i-orthodox fashion OF amagis-
trate and minister merged into one onice. When
Two parties came TO him for marriage he could not
summon Witnesses he could not act as Judge but
pimpy conhne himself 10 that wlch was purely
maglster1ai. At the time of the marriage al the
Astor House he did not understand that
the laws Of New YORK declared nun and
void q divorce obtained I'm Indiana Had
he known that Richardson had acted as serpent
had stolen away the affections and partner In life OF
Mr.: Mcfarland, he would sooner have cut or his
right hand hundred times than have performed the
ceremony. once couple had come to his house TO
be married, aud he was about 10 unite them In the
marriage bonds, when police olficer came In aud
told him that he was about TO marry the young lady
To notorious offender, and thought 1t was pro.
bable that she had been begulled from her
home la Philadelphia. The officer thought she
ought 10 be made aware OF the fact. Mr. Beecher
tod her what the oilcer had said and she replied.
teri MI. Beecher said he supposed she did and.
therefore he married them. (At this Mr.. Beecher
inquired whether fourteen and twelve are not the
ages at which persons could be legally married,
aud their several responses were in the Affirmative
lie then said II the parties were OF a legal age for
marriage and presented themselves before him and
required him 10 marry them, his duty In that regard
was Simply mag1sterial one. and he was bound
~ iulfii 1t. He had looked through the civil code
OF the state and he had been unable TO discover any
definition OF the duties OF minister in respect 10
marriage. II seemed to him that there was no de-
lined law about 1t IN the revised code. After the
marriage and before the funeral OF Mr.. Richardson
he had asked responsible party as TO
ga MN, Of ,na e the divorce snd vas oUa
correct lie inquired also OF another person whether
sac divorce had been obtained on more than legal
grounds ana 1t was stated in reply that 1t was
granted, not only upon legal, but also upon moral
grounds. me question had been asked during this
discussion why Mrs. Mcfarland had not sought the
divorce from her husband In the state OF New York
lie nad been told IN reply to this that Mrs. McFar-
land had resided In Indiana eighteen months
and that she nad gone there TO seek the divorce to
save her children from the stain and annoyance
which the seeking Of that divorce In that state
would bring upon them. Mr.. Beecher said that nc
felt he an honest man. There was another
motive that actuated him III this affair which ne
would just put before them. When he came 10 be
the pastor of Plymouth church 1t NOT Tor the
purpose OF self seeking or for obtaining popu-
larity. When he came there he was .ankie
deep" he was ''knee deep,n he was "tblgh
deep" he was shoulder deep,n anu he was over
the head In the slavery question. Then when ne
Thought the time was reached, he wrote his Cieve
land letter. He was NOT sorry for the writing OF
tngt letter at the time: neither was he sorry now
According TO the present style OF judging him by
pubic writers he had only made four or live mis-.
taxes in his life. He was one OF those men who
when cause appealed to his sympathy and TO his
heart he was drawn almost lrrislstiDly 10 It, From
the very manner IN wnIch Mr.. Calhoun presented
the matter TO him IL seemed TO him thai
be was needed TO defend tue cause OF the weaA
against the strong. There something TO bt
aud thai IeuuIIel siruIla