Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-08-22
The ri, mouth Inquiry.

MouLTcN's STATEMENT PUBLIsHED-THE REPORT
OF THE CHURCH COMMITTEE REsERyED FOR NEXT
WEEK.
The much talked of statement of F. d. Moul-
ton was published in the Graphic yesterday sf-
tern oon, and s long document, but presents
nothing new, of any consequence, in the history
of the case.
The report of the Investigating Committee
WAS not presented to Plymouth Church last even
ing. The Committee claimed that 1t was still
unfinished, and that certain members required
more time to examine the evidence. The church
was crowded, aud an exceedingly animated
prayer-meeting was held.
The statement of Moulton is regarded by Mr..
Beechers friends as very weak We append
part of the remarks of the New York Tribune
upon it
"Nr Francis D. Moulton has at last given to
the public the statement which he refused to
give to the Committee. 1t is the product of long
labor and consultation with lawyers, and it is put
forth with an air OF solemnity which seems to
p lrtend ruin and desnlation. What might have
been its effect had it appeared month ago we
will not stop to conjecture; but coming 30 late,
and under circumstances 30 grave,y suspicious,
it will requ re q very cautious examination. Ger
tainly 1t is very far from ju.tifying the fears OF
Mr.. Beecher's friends or the prophesies OF his
enemies. The witness who WAS supposed to
hold the key of the situation leaves the posture
of affairs substantially unchanged. Those who
r..
believe in it still. Those who waited for further
developments must be content to wait q while
longer. It i'll evident that the. assalants dis
charged their worst missiles at the opening of
the engagement.
" Mr. Monlton cites very few additional docu-
ments of any Importance, and none that are half
80 damaging on their face as the letters already
| published. He quotes one or two which tend to
confirm the theory that Tiltons original charge
against Mr. Beecher was not adultery, but i'm
proper solicitation. He makes 1t as clear as day
| that Tlton's sensitiveness oil the subject OF hls
wlfss honor rose and fell with his pecuniary for
| tunes began when he lost his engagements on
| The I,,dependent and Bro klyn Union slept
while the s6 900 paid by MIR. Beecher to the Got
| den AGE held out and became ungovernable
when the money was all gone and Mr.. Beechei
| (as he himself says) refused to furnish any more
II the public still cherish any delusion al to Mrs
Tiltons value witness on either side, it val
| doubtless be dispeed by Mr. Moultons citations
| from her contradictory letters.
"Moulton tells the story of his connection
with the case substantially as it has been told
before. MANY of the Incidents are repeated
almost exactly as Mr.. Beecher described them
ouly with few half perceptibe touches Moul-
| ton gives them much darker coloring. He
4 declares however that on the occasion of thu
dictation of the famous apology Mr. Beechel
frankly confessed the crime of adultery. H'
declares that Mrs. Tilton made him simila
| confession.
| 'Inere ls no otnei tehtiiiiouf ol tio man i1
sue. We have simply the word OF MIR. Moulton
fortified by no documents more satisfactor,
than those that have already been published ant
discussed We have heard great deal latel.
about other letters in Mr. Moulton's possession
letters of passion, letters of designation, letter
which bore the unmlstakable traces of guilt il
every line Z; but if he holds any such damning ev
idence, he has kept it in his desk there is NJ
trace Of it in this huge statement into which h
empties the accumulation OF filth, meanness. AM
hypocrisy whereof he has been the custodian
Surely, after all this delay, all this man@uverinl
that the accusers have done their worst TIL
issue, then, is between the word of Mr.. Beeche
OH the one hand and the word of MIR. Monitor
on the other"