The New York herald., 1874-09-01

he had no connection with this Journal They
make no apology to their readers for doing SO.
The question OF Mr.. Beecher's character Is one
OF profound interest to the whole American peo-
pie; but to great constituency OF those who
nave followed and loved him 1t has an importance
which is simply VITAL For this journal to leave
| IL untouched, under present circumstances, would
be TO sacrince transcendent interests TO scruple
The cloud Of evil stories and vile gossip which
mas covered the land, like one OF the plaques Of
| merits of the question at issue. When men in
future years shall look back on this turmoil much
| that now fills our ears and eyes will be totally Or-
gotten Certain great iacts OF personal character
Will stand forth and De plainly read IN the cool
iight oi history. II Is the part OF men who desire
dsentangle themselves from the vast mass or
irrelevant matter and look attentivey at what Is
Henry Ward Beecher Ia arraigned before the
world as llbertine and hypocrte. He Is charged
wife and his own pupil in religion: with having
lived IN adultery with her for months; with hav-
ing covered his guilt by years of falsenood. and at
last by slanderous charges against the man he
mad wronged ana the man VINO had saved him
from exposure. In other words, IL Is charged that
and that, having constantly on his lips the Gospel
OF sanity purity and holiness, ne has been living
IN treachery TO every obligation OF religion and or
The proof OF this charge consists In the personal
allegations of MIR. Tiiton and Mr.. MoultOn-Mrs
Itons alleged con nession OF adultery rests wholly
on Mr.. TiltOn's and Mr.. M0ulton's word-and IN
the implications oil certain letters OF Mr. Beechers
to which he assigns wholly different meaning
The wei 9ht OF this proof we shall presently con-
% slder. Before dong SO It is right to consider
waas must be Dy the On the
character cha Of The accused: mir. filton,s
whole character Is rotten. He alleges not merely
single onence, such as might consist with general
tons covers not only nsgrant SIM but it, deSera
ton, persistence, and such aegravations OF
meanness i and hypocrisy as, II the accusation be
fanny.
And who is the man against whom such charge
has lived in the sight OF the American people. No
public man OF our time has stood In q greater
blaze Of publicity. his liie.worK as an orator has
kept him under the constant scrutiny or great
public. No man mas poured himself forth in q
more constant and profuse stream Of sermons,
closely watched by friends and foes, and no man
has more freely revealed his own interior life 10
all who choose TO read. With the true OratOrlcal
temperament ardent, open, self-disclosing, Mr..
Beecher mas had IN q peculiar degree the power
and the disposition to take his hearers into his
confidence as TO the workings OF his own nina ana
feelings Thus through the force or nature and
OF circumstances, he has lived for more than a
few have ever done-even his private cOnversa-
tions and most trivial remarks being caught up
and repeated by the newspaper press constantly,
daily, to an extent almost Incredible.
And what has been the character OF public
ministry thus known and read OF all men' IF we
were TO select single characteristic as most
prominent and most certain 1t would be
tn the helping ,.dnss men TO- higher e We
nor the soundness Of his theology. But we say
and We appeal to the whole community to bear
his his %os s eHde to- maR
no0ler purer. more unsensh better citlzens, bet.
ter IN all the relations OF lie. II the testimony
could be taken OF the men and women wnOm he
has helped out OF weakness ana sin and despon-
dency, 1t would be such record as the world has
seldom read: Thousands and tens Of thousands
has taught them to put beneath their feet their
worse selves-tner animalism, their pride, their
sefshness; and through his ministry they have
been helped into lives or purity. sesacrlnce ana
conservation to God and man. Reading these
they owe their highest earthly debt TO Henry
Ward Beecher. And, looking at his work in It's
more public aspect, we appeal TO every intelligent
and candid observer. Has he not been the Aelper
OF that which Is good? Has not his influence been
great force steadily exer:ed in aid OF PATRIOTISM
social reform, OF every good cause9 His whole
work. wrought IN the eyes OF the whole people, for
forty years. has been morally benencent. Be his
genius greater or less than men have thought, be
hts thinking shallow or profound, mis- theology bet
ter or worse, this Is sure; he has been above all
things moral helper olmen. DO such waters now
from corrupt fountalnP
Here the article makes inquiry into Mr..
Beecher's work "durlng the last lour years-years
In which, according to Mr.. Tilton's statement, he
has been convicted villain in daily dread OF
public exposure. seeking to cover up one baseness
by another" with the intent to show now
full its results have been "or instruc-
ton and comfort. of closest sympathy with
human wants and troubles, OF power to lift
men into strength and peace and hope" After
ward it deals with the testimony ofrered In the
case against Mr.. Beecher, and decides that the
evidence OF neither Tllon, Moulton nor Mrs. Tlton
has value, Tor each has on his or her "own ad-
mission, or on ample and incontrovertibie proof,
told two wholly different stories OF the whole mat
ter-Mr. Beecner alone has said always the same
thing"
Finally the article convicts Mr.. Beecher OF lack
OF wisdom that IS astounding to most people, and
saysln substance that, because many OF these peo.
pie are unable to believe shat Mr.. Beecher could
be led, or could lead himself into such
state OF unreason, they force them
selves to accept the exaggerated gushing
rhetoric Of his letters as evidence against
him. But Mr.. Beecher admits that he blundered;
and the writer in the Chrstian Union asks, "Is It
more likely that Mr.. Beecher Is a liar and pro1i-
gate than that he bundered as he says he didf
We see but one possible answer to that question,
on the part OF any Intelligent and candid judge.
But 1t Is worth while to consider how his mistakes
accord with his general character"