The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-01-07
DEECzEEg aELF.VKgDECA
FION.

TION.
When Hcory Ward Becchcr stood NJ
in the Astor House, on Friday, December
Sd. TO speak words which be knew would
be reported aud published by many Of
our journals throughout the country, and
read by millions Of persons, he spoke
carefully aud considerably. 1t had be-
come necessary for him to speak in self.
vindieation, Tor he had been arraigned
for disregarding the doctrine Of Christ
aud in his desperation, il seems that Ee
spoke slapderously, maIigpan,ly aud
wiekcdIy.
Daniel Mcfarland was lying IN bis
cell IN prison. His wife had inst been
married by Mr. Beecher TO another man.
wbo then lay dead before him, and whose
funeral service he was performing. The
color Of authority under which Sir.
5eeher assumed to perform the second
marriage ceremony was what is called a
divorce, granted by a court in Indiana,
under the tree aud essy system Of divorce,
which prevails in that State.
There il one Scriptural ground of
divorce. and for that, if i. had existed.
Mrs. Mcfarland might have obtained a
divorce from the bopds of taatrimony here
at home, in her own State and where she
lived. This ground Is adultery on the
part of her husband The fact that she
lid not attempt to get divorce her.,
that she never alleged this reason, which
would havc yiudicated the separation in
tue eyes Of Cbrisiendsm, 10 her peti.
tien Tor divorce, shows that il did not
exist. And jet. under oil the response
biiiy resting upon him as i popular
preacher, under all the so.emnity of the
occaslon, an occasion on which, as he we'll
knew. nc was addressing the whole coun-
try. Mr.. Geccher had the hardihood 10
say. NC quote from the Neac York Til
bu,,e's report:
When death was drawing near, and
was called 10 unite him to her who now
.iis desolatc, overwhelmed with multiplied
SORROWS, went with alacrity. believed
that she vas both legally aud morally
justified in separation from brutal hus-
band, who, 10 excessive and outrageous
personal abu.e, had, lso. furnished that
| justifics it 10 the eyes of all Chris,eEdom.
Aud the facts aud truth are held to be
not the less real and morally iustifyiny
because she. Tor her child's sake and for
her own, shrunk from the odious task Of
revealing and proving the extreme reasons
moving her, and obtained u divorce on
representation OF part only of the
reasons that, existed for such 4 separa.
iion
Now let US see, not unscrupulous and
louimou,hcd denunciation. but by sworn,
solemn, truthful, unrefutcd testimony.
what manner 81 man he is proved to be,
of whom Henry Ward Beecher SAYS that
he was & brutal husband" aud what
manner of woman she has proved to be,
10 whom Mr. Beecher attributes the ex-
treme delicacy and forbearance of with
holding the worst that she could say
against her husband.
First, of the man. John D. Billings,
a lawyer, in whose Office Mcfarland oc-
cupied desk, testified to McFarland's
temperate habits, and said, :. lie is man
of strict integrity, and a gentleman of
Mrs Mason, the landlady with whom
Mr.. and Mrs. Mcfarland boarded, up to
the time of her clopcment with Mr..
Richardson, testifies under oath as follows:
Mr. Mcfarland was very domestic.
lie was never out of the house evenings.
lie was constantly devoted to teaching
his little boy, Percy. never saw a father
more devoted. | never knew him while
he was at my house use any intoxicating
drink. He always treated his wife with
great kindness he was perfect slave to
he. He was perfectly wrapped up in
bis wife. She always told ME that her
husband was very kind to her, | never
heard her say anything but good of him,
aud that she did often"
And of Mrs. Mcfarland on tho other
hand, this same lady, who had every op.
por,unity 10 know them both thoroughly,
testified as follows:
let room to Mr.. Richardson at
Mrs. McFarland's urgent request She
was frequently out at night visiting while
Mr., Mcfarland stayed at home teaching
his boy"
And Samuel Sinclair, the publisher of
the Ne,U York Tribune, whose testimony
is entirely above suspicion, testifes under
oath that when Richardson and Mrs. Me-
Farland were staying at his house, before
she obtained a divorce, or even applied
for one, they slept in adjoining rooms,
connected by two openings; there were
no doors to these openings. Aud awaitor
in the house of Mr.. Sinclair's, while they
occupied the house of Mr.. Sinclair testi-
fed thaAMr. Richardson and Mrs McFar-
land, whilestaying at Mr.. Sinclair's oocu.
pied thcsame room. He swore as fol-
lows:
. Mrs. Mcfarland was in the middle