New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-29

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early stage of the inquiry. repudiated the
Committee, and resolved to discharge the rest
of his slop-bucket through the newspapers.
When the prosecutor declined to submit any
more evidence protesting, however, that he
held plenty, the investigation perforcc
came to an end.
The verdict is what all the world knew it would
be, nay, knew it must be. That Mr.. Beecher
did not commit adultery with Mrs. Tilton /;
that he did not commit any unchaste or i'm
proper act with Mrs. TiltOn, nor make any
improper remark, proffer, or solicitation to
her; that he has greatly erred in judgment in
his endeavOrs to suppress the long-impendlDg
scandal, but has done nothing which ought to
impair our perfect confidence in his Christian
character and integrity-these are the findings
which flow almost irresistibly from such tes-
tmony as the Committee was able to pro-
cure. Mr.. MoultOn, the only witness who
was said to have been present at Mr..
Beecher's alleged confession, plumply re-
fused to give any evidence ct oil.
Mr.. Carpenter, who had busted himself with
the scandal for no earthly purpose that any
one can discover except to indulge love of
gossip and of meddling, declined to appear
when he was wanted. There was absolutely
nothing for the Committee to go upon except
the bare word of Mr.. TiltOn and Mr.. Beechers
extraordinary letters. The word of the ac-
cuser of course counts for nothing against the
word of the accused, and when Tilton brought
this damning charge he was bound to support
it by corroborative testimony. He had none
whatever to produce except the letters.
These may be suspicious, but they are
not convincing. They are susceptible OF
an Interpretation consistent with MIR. Beech
er's innocence, and it is one of the most
familiar rules of evidence that in determining
charges OF this kind, facts, writings, or admis-
sions must be cited which point unmistaka-
bly, to the guilt of the accused, and are not
reconcilable with any theory of innocence.
Such is tho reasoning of the Committee. and
every lawyer must admit its correctness.
Not only has Mr.. Titon failed to make out
his case, but he has himself furnished evil
dence which in the judgment of the Com
mittee clearly proves the falsity of his accu-
satlon. For three years and halt he has been
babbling about Mr.. Bcechers Oifense, and it
is proved that up to the time of the meeting
be not adultery but an improper proposal.
BY now suddenly changing the Indictment
and under the pressure OF desperate fortunes
and ruined repute alleging the graver offense
which does not appear to have been III MS
mind before, he discredits his own word.
This is point upon which The TRIBUNE has
already laid some stress, and we have also
shown how Titon, in the course Of his So
called cross-examnatiOn, destroyed the sig
nifcance OF Mr.. Beecher's Apology.
lie says that the day after 1t was procured he was In
Moulton's and there met Mr.. Beecher, when the
following scene occurred "He Beecher burst out In an
expression OF great to me- and said he hoped the
communication which he had sent me by Mr.. Mouiton
was satisfactory to me- He then and there told Mr.
Monlton he had done wrong not 30 much as some
Others had reerring his wife, who had made state
ments to Mr. Bowen that ought TO be unmaie). ana no
there volunteered write letter TO Mr. Bowen con-
corning the facts which he had misstatcd"
If TiltOn's Interpretation of this Apology is
the right one we must suppose the penltent
preacher to be saying one of two things;
either that Mrs. BeccIIer was the chief culprit
in her husbands adultery, or that she did
greater wrong to TiIton by the statements
she made to Bowen than Mr.. Beecher did by
seducing Mr.. Tilton's wife.
But while we believe the verdict of the
Committee to be entirely justified by the facts
in evidence, and share in the confident hope
of the great majority of decent Christian men
that the eminent pastor of Plymouth Church
will live to see the last cloud that dIms his
fame dspelled, we cannot conceal from our
selves the fact that the triumphant vindca-
ton which his friends have looked for SO long
is still deferred. There are rumors of letters
vet to be produced, and new " statements OF
appalling length and nastiness upon which the
accusers are working night and day. They
were invited to present their proofs TO
!. committee of the Church. They ac-
cepted a, the invitation. What they adj
yanced 4 as proof did not sustain
the charge, and after the verdict they assure
us they have much stronger proof which they
purpOsely kept back, and so they will try the
case over again in the streets. No language,
it seems to us, can be too severe to stigma
tie such a proceeding. But whatever the mo-
tiyes that have prompted it, we say let us
have the new statements as soon as possible.
Weary and Disguised as we all are with the
whole wretched business, we have gone too far
to recede. If there is any letter in his do
nestle archives which Mr.. Theodore Tilton
has not yet given to the newspapers,
by all means let him print it now. If
there is any secret in Mr.. Beecher's relations
with the Tilton family not yet disclosed, any
circumstance which he has not felt at Liberty
to mention, pray let us know it at once.
Tear open all the wounded breasts, defile the
hearth stones again, rake over the ashes of
the dead, if any regulations have escaped
pull them to pieces with all possible dispatch ;
let us get at the bottom of this story, and
have done with it forever.