, 1874-08-14
THE EILT0N LETTERS.

ot>Aps 1AA4A tA1Af Mtk4 tNU ASH'tu AlftAsHt sAp |
Southern whiteB will hold tho balance Of power. |
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THE r1LToN LETTERS.
Tho marital correspondence between Theodore
and Elizabeth Triton during tn years. from 1866
to 1870. Which waB published In tho Inst iaBuc Of
TIE tribune, constitutes complete vindtca- |
ton OF Air. Triton from vory serlots charge
which waB mado against him, and thiH vindica- |
tion is all tho more remarkable and satisfactory
tlat 1t comes from tho accusor herself. Woro It
not for this, and tho fact that thoy haye strong
boaring upon tho csse Us botwoon Mr.. Triton md
Mr. Doeohor botl directly and Indirectly, their
appearance III print would cauao faeftng ot
pain, III a violation of conIldonces which should
only DO divulgol under tho pressure Of oxtraor-
diuary circumstances. Tho necessity Which
induced AIr. Tilton to furnish them for pub
1tcation, however, will strlko every render.
They aro part Of tho record Of the
oaso. Mrs.. Tiltou In hor 'statomont
nude direct chargc against hor husband
and ono which was not only very damaging to
him Is tnan aud husband, but ono which, ii
truo might palllate tho alienation OF hor atfec-
toua from him and their transfer to Alr. Deechor.
Thoro WAS but ono way to dtsprove this charge,
aud that was to publish tho entire correspond
o,,oo Which covered tho time dariug which, eho
alleged that thoao abuscs existed. Mr. Tilton'B
counsel haa not only dono tl,ls, but, with por-
feet impa,tialisy, ho has also furnished
Tilton's own letters. 60 thas tho context
may be complete. and tho reader may
Judge for himso1f Us to the truth Of tho
! chnrges. Thoy will cause aomo pain
but 1t viii not ariao from tho revelation OF house,
hold sanctitics 20 much as from the fact tint
this constant and fervid protostation OF lovo,
this ovornowng profusion Of ontloarments, tlis
torrent Of Rhapsody, stranger and stronger tilan
| anything in tho rages ct poetry and romance
seems to DO only gorgeous veil which covers I,
falao face, tho gliding OF rottonnoss, tho voneor-
lug of hypocrisy. The rudest jar which tho lot
tors will mako upon tho sensitive render is Tho
| familiar and common nannor in which eyery-
| thing connected with religion md with God il
woven into this domestic drama, which now
| sconls to DO tho worry fiction Of despair.
| The charge which Mrs. Tilton made against
| her husband was. tint during these years sho
wns tho victim Of constant mud grosB nbuso OIL
his part. Theae lottora absolutely annthilato tho
charge, and mako ono of two conclusions irro-
Bistible: either that Mrs. Tilton's charge is
malicious fa1sehool ooncooted by tue lawyers. or
that she isiusano and docs not know what words
n,can WHOM Bho writes them. II sle is insane,
| thou no part OF 4or statement is outltled to
o1.o
then the faAity Of this charge throws suspicion
upon the crcdbilty OF all tho other chargos in
hor atateusont It iH uncomfortable thnt tho
charge ia true. These lottorB have ront and
shiyered 1t from top to bottom Out Of hor own
mouth the wituoss has convicted horsolf. To
any Of these different forms Of abuao al
1egod bv hor there Is but ono al1usion
in ill these letters, aud thas is mado By
AIr. Tilton himself. In lottor written
from Akron, o., Jan. IT, 1860, he gently chilos
l.er Tor wtat hc considers extravaganza In buy
ing droases for tho children, but, al tho same
tIn.e clides himself With equal severity for Ills
! own extravaganza. He lnakcs u frank statement
of his finances to her, tells her ho has made
VOW not to buy another unnecossary article dur
ing the year, ana urges her to DO tho same. In
another lottor ho sayB: 'Of course ] wish you
to oconomtzo us much as possible till I got rid
Of tho burden Of carrying house on my back.
But do mol wis!, your economy either to pinch
your daily purse or to worry your daily peace"
II this is abuse. then it is abuse that Is prac-
ticcd in eyory well-ofdorod household, and ought
to DO practieetl in nil households,
Wo llnye no knowledge of tho unwritton coll
vorsatons between Ir. md Mrs. Tiltou with TO-
gard to 3lr. Deccher. Tho lostors do not fur
nlsh us much additional light, but what wo do
have iB important. Ono of the principal charges
III lor ssutemont WIS concerning hls usano
Jealousy Of Mr. Doecher aud tho abuse to which
slle was subjected on this account. Ihts toos
not appear III Ills letters. In tho whole category
Of hiB letters there is but one important alusion
to Dcecher, aud this OF euch uatl,ro that 1t IL
difficult to determine whether it is written iu
playful bedinago or in Batire. Writing from
Dubuque, H., Tilton says: "If you Gun
get anybody to pour tea for you, aud
to tako sauce from tho servants and
to rocoiyo pastoral Wits, ahail expoot
to meet you under tho roof Of robert Hatlcld."
II tlis jealousy were aual an overweoning pas-
a|on with him, influencing bis whole lifo, 1t ia
strauge at leust that wo find no trace Of It
! in their lottora. 1u Mrs. Tilton'a lctters, on
j tho other hand, tho case Is different. There
aro constant expressions Of tho attach
n,ont betweou herself and her pastor, and,
although there IL nothing which might lie con-
strued to mean criminal intimacy (thoy Do not
, come down to the timo OF tho confession made
, to hor Ausband), there is enough to slov tito
struggle wbiull was going on in hor mini be-
, tween her attachment for Alr. Deochor anil her
, convictions Of duty. At ono tin,o she
, says: II think I 1aya liyad q ri.lor,
, happier Iifo since I have known lin "
r (Doochor). Again; II do loyo lin rory