Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-09-04

then, though released from all obligations
of secrecy by both parties, declined to tes-
tify on grounds of honorable dolicacy, but
at the same time told most of what he said
he knew-and this most damaging TO
Beechcr- to the reporter of the Chicago
Tribune for publication in that paper, Til
ton at the same time furnishing his wife's
letters to tho same journal, to show how
happy his married life used TO be before IL
was ruined by his pastor. more revolt
ing tale, so far as these two are concerned,
is not to he found in the literature of crime.
The main question of interest for the
public, however, is of course the POSSIBLE
~ of accounting for Beecher's mental ago
ny, ~ described by himself in his letters,
hy the circumstances of the case AS he re-
count, them. We do not think this ould
have been possible il the letters had stood
rs Titon produced them, and there had
been no others in existence; but the addi-
lions Mr.. Bgecher makes show clearly
enough that the offence he had IN his mind
was much less grave than the ono with
which lac was charged, aud that hc never
got over the decentralization caused by
learning that Mrs. Tlton, the "beloyed
Christian woman" rs he described her, had
not only confessed that she had Civ On him
too much affection, but that he had sought
to suducc her This clearly unnamed
him, anh we think had "A great deal more
to do with his subsequent misery Than he
admits. lie = now evidently anxious to
make il appear. aud doubtless honestly be.
lieVes, that what prcyed most on him was
his having helped to ruin Triton by de-
nuuncing him to Bowen, his employer
But, odd aud weak ~ lie appears in the
transaction, the fear uf this last fact becoin-
ing known can hardly have reduced him to
despair
TO make his conduct appear rational is
no part Of our present business. Nor need
We add one word to the condemnation
which he himself passes on il in hi state
mcnt to thccommttee. lie speaks of him
self, ae far a, regards his dealings with Til
ton aud Moulton, rs severely as any one
else could desire to speak. But then, lie
| evidently fails to see, what most other
thinking people see, that the calamity
which has overtaken him, and bids fair to
cloud his declining years is the not unnat-
ural result of his philosophy Of life. He
acknowledges that he acted in some sort AS
a father to Tilton amer this man had lell
college, and he was mainly instrumental
| in pushing him into prominence. But IN
| doing this he showed the same laTentable
| lack OF judgment and discrimination which
has in u higher degree marked his course
in his late troubles, and has SURROUNDED
! him with the nuisOme and unclean crowd
OF busybodies who have figured in the
scandal We will add that it was not
until Mr.. Bcecher had rushed down to the
A.tur House with the impetuosty Of a
youth OF twenty, and married couple
who did not belong to his church aud had
no legitimate claim ON him, one of whom
was diving from wound inflicted by u
jealous husband, and the other Of whom
was, II lawfully, not truly divorced, that
TltOu began the publication of those
strange articles in the Independent
which fore~halowed his present ruin.
They appeared Immediately after the Rich
ardson tragedy, and in fact they grew out
Of il.
Mr.. Beccher has long
held theory, and has, We believe, honest
~ tried to live up TO it, that it is mans du-
ly, a. he expresses it, "to look ut the world
a. God looks at it," or in other words, to
govern himself in his dealings with his
fellows 10y iuferenccs Of his own Ms to the
manner in which God would act under
similar circumstances. As his God il
wholly love, and il no respecter Of persons
attempts 10 initiate him result simply in
the deliberate aud systematic suppression
of all discrimination touching character
aud conduct, and the cultivation of a pure
ly emotional theology, made up, not OF
opinions, but Of signs and tears, and aspir-
atoms, aud unlimited good nature. As
God loves and fDrgives the sinner, why
should not WEI We do not think We ex-
aggerale when we say that Mr.. Beecher has
tried this system fully and faithfully in
brooklyn, and we do not fear to add that
the events Of the last three months were
not necessary TO satisfy people of its fail
ure. 1t makes a state of society in which
the selfrespect of the honest, the manly
and pure minded is lowered or destroyed
and in which that Of the foul, the unscrup-
ulous, the shallow and tricky is raised ana
strengthened; and in which the good and
indifferent, by pooling" their character
as the railroad men say, produce mass Of
corruption, indecency, and yulgarity which
has TO he periodically washed away 10y
some such tempest as we are now witness
ing.