The Western advance., 1874-07-04
THE BEECIIF;Ie-Y YILTOV SEA AyDAL,

lie puDlic appetite Tor scandal IS
having another glut by the ro-opening
Of the Beecher-Tilton affair. Beecher
and his friends remain calm and con-
fident, while Tilton's friends are COM
ing forward and saying that he has been
foully wrongcd by Beecher's friends
and that they will stand by him. The
general confidence in Beeclier is some
what shaken by the publication of
portion Of letter purporting to have
been written by him to Tllton, as fol-
lows:
'Brooklyn, Jan. list. 1911 ask The0.
Tilton's forgiveness, and humble my
self before him, as do before my God.
lie would have been a better man in
my circumstances than have been. I
can ask nothing except that he will
remember all the other breasts that
would ache. will not plead for my
self even wish that I was dead.
(Signed) II. W. BEECHER."
General b. +. Tracy, a prominent
Brooklyn lawyer, who is thoroughly
acquainted with che case, has made the
following statement, which is the most
satisfactory Of anything we have seen
on the subject:
I'm his communication to DIR. Bacon,
Mr.. Tilton does not tell what Mr..
1eGcher's offense is, but he clearly
shows what it is not. he shows that
it is not an Uffense for which one gen-
tleman could not apologize to another,
and not have the apology accepted.
Mr.. Tilton says explicitly that upon the
receipt of information which led him to
make the charge, he sought Mr.. Beecher
and obtained from him an explanation
which he regarded as an apology. The
past would never have disturbed their
relations, but for the manner in which
Plymouth Church had treated his case
during the Congregational Council.
Mr.. TiltOn never charged Mr.. Beecher
with criminal intercourse with Mrs.
Tilton. Mr.. Triton charge is just this:
Some four years ago, Mr.. TiltOn claims
to have received information which led
him to charge Mr.. Beecher with having
made disllon0rable suggestion to his
wife. This is the extent of the charge,
and the only charge Mr.. Tilton has ever
made against Mr.. Beecher. It is we'll
known to the members of Mr.. Beecher's
church and others, that Mrs. TiltOn
has repeatedly and emphatically denied
it.
The opening and propagation Of this
scandal is due mainly to that moral
vulture, Victoria Woodruff. 1t seems
impossible to escape the conclusion
that the great Plymouth Preacher has
been guilty of an indiscretion, but not
Of any actual mis<leed. There are mil
lions of Christian men and women in
both America and Europe, who will
say" "Neither do condemn thee, sin no
more" To lose Beecher, would be to
suffer the loss Of the greatest Christian
leader Of the age. Beecher is the one
preacher of his time whose sermons a re
read with nearly as much avidity as
they are listened to showing that it is
not tho personal magnetism of the man
hut the intrinsic value of his utterances
that gives him his hold upon the Chris
tian world. Those whom he has lifted
up and comforted are counted by mil
lions. His struggle for the freedom of
the slave has been the least of his efforts
in the cause Of freedom. for he has bro
ken the chains from the COnsciences Of
a vast host of the Christian
world, and helped men to rise into that
'*glorious. liberty of the children of
God" into which the Master raised him
almost at the beginning of his wonder
full career. And although the Wood
hulls may point out spot on tho sun,
the sun will continue to shine. giving
light and warmth to millions of men.