Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-06-12
The Beecher Scandal.

New YoRK, May 30.-The custo-
dian Of the covenant entered intC
April % 1877, oy Henry Ward
| Beecher, Theo. Tilt"a and Henry
| c. Bowen, makes that instrument
public this morning, assigning as o
reason therefor tho fact that Bowen
has of late repeatedly declared that
he had never disavowed his charges
against Mr.. Beecher, but that he pet
insisted upon their truth.
The disavowal to which is attach
ed the above named signatures opens
thus
1--WE three men, earnestly desir-
ing to remove the causes of offence
existing between us, real or faneied,
and to make christian reparation
for injuries dono or supposed to be
done and to efface the disturbed
past and to promote concord, good
will and love for the future, do de-
clare and covenant"
III. G. Bowen then disavows all
charges and imputations attributed
to him as made by him against
Beecher, and declares, without re-
serve, that he knows nothing which
should prevent him from extending
to Beecher his most cordial friend
ship, confidence and Christian fell
lowship, regretting sincerely that
he ever made any imputations or
charges unfavorabe to the Chris
tian character of Beecher, and prom
ising in the future never to recur to
them by word or decd
Theodore Tilton avows that be
will never again repeat, by word of
mouth, or otherwise, any Of the all
legations, imputations or inuendOes
contained in his letter to Bowen, in
which the latter is cited as the auth
or of said allegations. &c., against
the moral and Christian character of
Beecher.
Mr.. Beecher, on his part, puts the
past forever out of sight and men,
Dry, and says:
81 deeply regret the the causes of
suspician jealousy and arrangement
which have come between us. 1t is
JOY to me to have my old regard
for Henry G. Bowen and Theo. Til
ton restored, and it is happiness to
me to resume the old relations of
love and respect and reliance to ex-
change with both of them. If /
have said anything injurious to the
reputation of either, or detracted
from their standing and fame as
Christian gentlemen and members
of my church, | revoke it all, and
heartily covenant to repair and rein
state them to the extent of my pow
err"
The custodian ofthe covenant says;
'The public can understand the brave
silence which the crest preacher has
kept under the protracted storm Of
SANDER. He has covenanted to bury
the past and to maintain peace and
brotherhood. The document is given
to the world to stop and convict the
principal slanderer against truth and
public decency.
1t is said that Henry Ward Beecher
had seen so much annoyed by the
sharp criticism is some of the daily
journal on the action of THEODORE
Tilton as witness to the famous re-
raction of Bowen's charges, that he
tas resolved to come to Titon's de-
fence. After consulting with sew eral
friends he prepared the following
statement generating Tilton from
all blame in connection with the tor
rible scandal with which his name
was associated. Mr. Clafin was, it is
said, instrumental en- bringing about
the retraction which bears the sigma
lures Of Beecher, Bowen and Tilton.
The retraction, it is said, was drawn
up by Samuel Wilkinson, business
partner of Mr.. Beecher, and after it
was signed the document was ha n
ded to Cladin for safe keeping. Will
kinson, however, had made copy
and gave it to the press.
The following is the card which was
published in the Brooklyn Eagle:
DEAR SIR.-I have maintained sic
lence respecting the ISLANDERS which
have for some time past followed me.
| should not speak now, but for the
sake of relieving another of the uno
just imputations-the document
which was recently published bear
ing my name with others, and was
published without consultation either
with me or with Mr.. Tilton nor with
any authorization from US. If that
docum ert should lead the public to
regard Mr.. Tilton as the author OF
the calumnies to which ii alludes, it
will do him great injustice, and | am
unwilling that he should seem to be
responsible for injurious statements
whose force was derived wholly from
others. II. w. BEECHER.