Ellsworth American., 1874-08-20
The BROOKLYN Scandal.

Looked at in any light the Beecher-
Tilton affair is bad business. What ever
be the direct effect OF public sentiment up.
on the fortunes AMI influence of either of
the prominent actors 1t is quite certain
that out of it all many regulations hereto
fore good must suffer. The sunshine that
has been let into The centre of what was
ten years ago very marked and brilliant
Intellectual circle in the city of Brooklyn
discloses little or nothing that is good and
ennobling but much that Is mean foolish
and wicked. Letting alone the central
figures for the moment all the others make
sorry show. He must be rash man
who to-day would covet anything nearer
than street nodding a acquaintance with
the Moulton Carpenter, Bowens and
Hookers OF this now broken but once
closely connected band OF frce-talkiug
housekeeping oNtra-emoiional men and
women who for years had access to the
minds and hearts of the American people
through the lecture-room, the press and
pulpit.
1t was a circle that dealt largely in fine
words and the phrases which seem TO
have passed current In every day talk
are OF that elevated cast a. to human
friendships and the communion between
lone white soul and another that to read
about it ali puts the ordinary common
place mortal into very low concit OF
himself Such mortal finds that the
steady observance OF plain rules of life
that require domesiicity. frugslity, truth
telling wife and husband-lovins and other
such homely virtues is a very dull busi-
ness compared with the sublimiiel code
under which the Brooklyn enthusiasts
lived. The melancholy thing about it is
that when these people get confronted
with difficulties that no high talk can
overcome they are seen 10 be no whit bet
ter than the rest OF Us. Mr.. Bowen has
to be driven by one dearly beloved bo-
som friend to pay over TO another equal
ly dearly beloved bosom friend money.
- - r" ;,,s''- owes for services render
ell Mr.. Frank a.0-.-
through as man whose friendship was
able and to-day he is found unable TO tell
a straight story, the scorn of the man who
once most relied upon him, the hunted of
newspaper reporters and the one almost
universally distrusted by the public when
ever he has told any story whatever. But
he was Frank" and Dear Frank all
through the days when the Brooklyn cir
Gle was at its best. And these two men
whom We have named were by no means
the most dangerous as friends. OF Tho
dOre Titon all speech or writing is su-
perfluous. American life for half CEN
tuary presents no such utter wreck. TAX
ing either of he many twistei ! and involv
ed stories that lie before Us and il is plain
sunk irrecoverably.
Aud little outside of the heart of this cir
cle is Mrs. Hooker who believes that there
are marriages dictated OF Heaven before
which earthly marriages fade and dissolve
and still farther out but clearly within the
rim appears Victoria Woodhnll who puts In
practice all that Mrs. Hooker accepts in
theory. II was a bad lot for the great
American preacher TO fall among.
Il is not TO the credit of his intellect
that he did not find il out earlier. He
must be holden as making up part of the
company. How much his earlier and bet
ter inculcations were weakened and rooted
out by such associations, il is not for any
tha. h. h.
met around his and others hearth fires a
leading spirit, nobody who knows his ar
dent nature can doubt. Just what lowering
of the moral nature took place. and what,
sin was committed, every careful man
mast doubt.
Mr.. Beechers statement is before the
public aud there are few men or women
who ever read the newspapers, who have
not carefully perused it. 1t is sad touch
ing pathetic story. We wish Ii had been
more direct. more explicit in its details of
facts, and above all more free from the
exaggerated phrasolOgy which has SO
told against the author of the letters which
Tilton published in his first attack. But
with all these drawbacks the mar ration
draws upon our deepest sympathies. In
places there is almost the pass ionate re
frain of the great psalmist, all along
through it We discover a big soul strug.
CLING out of the depths. Accepting the
ground-works OF the statement. all that we
have said about the associates whom Mr.. |
Beecher has passed too much Of his life |
among, is feeble comment indeed. There /
was no good to come from such AN init
macy to . man. who claimed to preach
Orthodox Csngregationalism to q great
aud trusting church and parish.