The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-14

OPENING THE CASE.
The case -. the prosecution WIS opened
by DR.. Morrill,. one of the Doric columns OF
The congregation, who said although he de-
sired to have The charges against the defen-
dant thoroughl, sized, he believed that Mr
beecher had acted as he might have
been eXpec; cd to act under circumstances
that required charitable and merciful con-
slderatlon. The accusations against the de-
fendant, however, were serious, and should
receive immediate attention, 50 that Plv-
mouth church should no longer occupy the
hall-hearted and uncertain position assigned
1t by the public in regard to the Richardsop
marriage.
NONE OF Mr.. BEECHERs BUSINESS.
DR.. Morrill, was followed by a lawyer
named sherman, who took occasion to say
That the defendant was perfect judge Ct
moral conduct. because his whole life HAD
been one Of purity; but the speaker would
not look at the case under consideration so
much in moral point Of view rs in legal.
He would speak a. a lawyer, and as such
would say that Mr. Beecher had no right TO
90 behind the fact of this woman having
been divorced. As to whether she was
properly divorced or not, that was not his
business. If there had been impropriety in
granting the divorce, the fault lay with the
court that granted it. Mr.. Beecher could
not be constituted the judge of the
court proceedings, and all that he was bound
to know was that the woman had been
granted 2 divorce, and then it was made his
plain duty as magistrate to marry her.
Councilman Sherman closed the remarks,
which were very extended, by an earnest
appeal to all present to give expression to
their sentiments on this occasion. If there
were any persons, as has been asserted, who
condemned the course Of their pastor, now
was the time to speak, or else forever after
hold their peace. Perhaps the defendant
would take the stand and give them his ac-
count of the circumstances which led to
this marriage and to his arraignmcnt on the
present occasion.
STATEMENT OF THE DEPENDANT.
Mr.. Beechcr said he was called upon by
Mrs. Calhoun, one of the Tribune writers,
who presented 4 letter of introduction from
Mr.. Greeley. who did rot request him. in
the note, to perform the marriage. Mrs.
Calhoun said she knew Mrs. Mcfarland,
and believed her to be Il woman Of respect
ability. and that her divorce from her hls-
band was legal one. She also said She
knew of no objection to the performance of
the marriage ceremony. Mr.. Beechcr sald
that in performing the ceremony he simply
acted rs magistratc-not in the semi
orthodox fashion of magistrate and mi
mister merged into one office. When two
parties came to him for marriage he could
not summon witnesses, he could not
act as Judge, hut simply contine him
self to that which was purely maSls-
teria. At the time of the marriage at the
Astor House he did not understand that
the laws Of New York declared null and
void divorce obtained in Indiana. Had
he known that Richardson had acted as q
serpent, had stolen away the affections
and partner in life OF Mr.. Mcfarland, he
would sooner have cut of his right hand a
hundred times than have performed the
ceremony. Once couple had come to his
house to be married, and he was about to
unite them in the marriage bonds, when
police officer came in and told him that he
was about TO marry the young lady to a
notorious offender, and thought it was
probable that she had been beglliled
from her home in Philadelphia. The
officer thought she ought to be made
aware of the fact. Mr.. Beecher told
her what the officer had said, and she re-
piled: "Wcll, l guess | know what /
want" Mr.. Beecher said he supposed she
did, and therefore he married them. Mr..
Beechcr said that he felt he was an honest
man. lie was one of those men who, when
a cause appealed to his sympathy and to his
heart. he was drawn almost lrreslstlblv to
it. From the very manner i'll which Mrs.
Calhoun presented the matter TO him. it
seemed to him that he was needed to de-
fend the cause of the weak against the
strong. There was somethingto be done that
risked great amount Of unpopularity, and
that required that some one strong enoughto
bear it should throw himself into the breach.
Such cause, such IN appeal, and such state
of circumstances, raised within him all that
appeals to that which is combatiye and ten
der within him. Ills idea of minister was
not man who never had spot on his col
lar, spot on his CUTS, or upon his bosom.
He expected To come out of this fight muddy
and spotted. He thought he had IL heart
like his great Master, and feeling like that,
he had not felt guilty in what he had done.
Knowing what he had done, the question
he now asked himself was, Would he do it
araiu? In answer to that, rs the Dutchman
once said, eff my foresight was as good as
nv hndsight, l should do great many
things better than | do"
LET US MAKE THE BEST OF IT.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Beecher's state
ment, Captain Duncan said that be excused
the defendant for what he had done because
he acted from the best of motives ; but he
could not regard the act rs proper one,
and he wished MIR. Beecher had not per-
formed the ceremony. The thing, however,
was done, and the best way was to make
the best of it and put the best face on it that
was possible, and say it was mistake OF
the heart rather than OF the head.
THE ACCUSED WANTS NO HALFWAY DEFENCE.
Mr.. Beecher said he did not want any
halfway defence. He wanted no excuse !;
for either he had done right or wrong. If
wrong. there was nc excuse for him. Zap
plause in court.)
A CHANCE FOR ALL TO SPEAK.
Mr.. Halliday said that he was glad that the
subject was being thoroughly ventilated.
He agreed with Brother Sherman that now
was the time to have the subject set at rest
forever, and he hoped that all who opposed
Mr.. Reecher would say so now boldly, that
those who kept silent might be counted as
agreeing with his defenders.
THE PROSECUTION REINFORCED.
This brought up Mr.. Benedict. Leading
of the church, who SAID tllat ne
had NOT intended to say one word, but II IL
wos understood that all who kept silent APP
nroved of fhe defendants conduct, lie coud
NOT Keen still under such an imputatlon.
he had intended to speak to Mr. Beechef
privately. hut he would now say that ne,
for one. did not approve OF his conduct,
and never should: and the only ground
II BON which it could be excused was Ihat OF
ignorance of the law of, the State OF New
+ York making Indiana divorces OF no q - &C. &c.
count. He then said to Mr.. Beecher: ou
were ignorant of the law, were you not'
sir?"
THE DEFENDANT c0NFEssEs 1aNo RANCE
, Mr.. Beeeher replied that he was Ignorant.
He said he had learned more OF the laws l,s, Ie,
Iatino to marriage during the last ieW weeks
1,s,F yy,h hfQ tifn