The Hawaiian gazette., 1874-10-07

believed to cary his devotion to The dramato at-
tendance behind the scenes and opersonai acquaibt
! ance with The popular actresses Of the day. The
stories which were brought 70 DR. Beecher, and on
which he advised Mr. Tiltons dismissal, were com
mon taR in Brooklyn and New York. Andthe rest
of the world was charitable enough to believe
them untrue it does not to this day
Mr. Titon's ambition had been 10 be the leader
/ OF a new movement in church and state, party
whose social principles involved the dissolution Of
the household. religion without church, Bible,
/ or a Christ And be did not abandon the ambition
when the editorial chair Of the Independent was
taken from him. The Golden Age became the
prophet Of the new Uniformed organism. Mr.
Moulton became the treasurer of the new paper
4 fellow student OF Mr.. Tiitou's, man OF analo-
/ gous mold, like him born sensatonalist, like him
always histrionic, like him, as leading citizen
described him to only yesterday, always on the
boards" he gave Mr. Tilton the assurance that
whatever funds were wanted for the Golden Age
should be forthcoming. And on that assurance it
was started.
But from first to last the Golden Age was failure
Experiment proved that it was not Mr.. TiltOu that
had kept up the Independent but the Independent
that had kept up Mr.. Tilion. Under other editors
the Independent maintained It's course, shorn Of
its old strength but giant still. The Golden Ags
launched only to find itself upon ;he shoals from
which nothing could extricate 1t. The appeal to
the sprituasis the cajolery of the antichurch and
anti Christian portion of the community, the sharp
satire on religious work and religious Institutions
and the mild hammered silence respecting lieentous
ness and intemperance the scarcely concealed adyo-
cacv Of freelove, the impetuous devotion TO the
Greeley cause and finally the novel, all failures,
and the Golden Ags was golden only because Of the
gold it swallowed up, never because of golden eggs
it laid. Meanwhile the Christian Union, assumed
now by Mr.. Beecher, " whose work was finished,
and whose place was to be taken by youngermen,"
ran up in three years from three thousand to
hundred aud twenty Thousand circulation.
He that knows Theodore TiltOu, and how with
him vanity has always been mania, can understand
how embittering TO him would be such an expected
issue He who knows Mr.. Beecher, and how i'll.
success and misfortune always appeal to his kinder
nature understand the charity, which, TO those
who do not know IT, seems like fear and irresolutou,
and moral weakness, aud even the sign of guilt II
was just like Mr.. Beeeher to interpose himself be-
tween Theodore Tilton and the consequences of his
own folly, and trust by love and patience to win him
back to purity and truth. He believes that love is
omuipotent. He has tried his philosophy and it
has failed.
1t was just like Mr. Beecher to make large allow
for the embittered sprit-embitered by failure
aud disappointed ambition and to trust that If
Theodore could only be pulled through into deep
waters all would be well with him and his nobler %
nature would assert itself And 1t was just like
Tilton aud Moulton to play upon Mr.. Beecher's
hope and trust, and let him pull them through.
There are three elements in Mr.. Beechcr's nature
which his friends understand, but which the world
does not WELL which account Tor a course that in
a colder, shrewder man would have been strange
indeed
He is almost the most trustful man l ever knew
His knowledge of human nature is never set to
watch over his own personal interests He never
dstrusted Theodore Tiltou till the publication Of
the letter OF DR.. Bacon in the Golden Age aud
dstrusted Mr. Moulton till Mr. Moultons refusal to
give him his papers. This trustfulness is char
acteristc OF great and guileless nature. In his
earlier ministry, aud until experience and prudent
wife had taught him better, he was a prey to beg
gars. When 1 edited his sermons" (Harper's
Edition), he entrusted to me all that had been pub.
lished up to that date, his only copies, over 500
And in answer to a letter urging his revision of
the work, have, somewhere amongmy letters, one
from him. replying in his fashion that he makes over
to me all and singular his in fee simple, to
have and TO hold, and TO do with as l choOse-Only
save him from the printers. or course they are not
mine but his and after his death they belong his
literary executors. They remain in my attic because
that is as safe place as his own. But l can well
understand, and all who know him, how he
should entrust all his papers in this business to Mr..
Moulton, and how he should be struck dumb with
establishment at the refusal return them to him.
Add 10 these the exceeding pitilulness of his
ture. He always is on the side Of the week-in-
stinctvely. 1t was this instinct, when the battle
was over, that made his heart yearn to the South,
and long for her redemption, aud inclined him to
separate from them who, with policy wiser, perhaps,
but less generous certainly, would relax advau-.
tage gained in war till ell was secure. I" I never"
said he to me once heard DR.. Finney get the stu
ners down in that tremendous way of his, and ham
mer them with the eternal justice Of God, that did
not long to cry out to him, Let them up, Finuey,
ohl let them upl' Theodore Tilton was down,
and Theodore Tiltou was to him as a son. adopted
by him; trained and brought up BY him; lifted up
by his own Influence TO a noble place. And now all
was squanGered. The place was gone. Reputation
was gone The family was no longer a refuge
Character clean gone The Golden Age was
failure, financially and every way Mr.. Beeeher's
whole heart went out TO this bankrupt It was just
like him to accuse himself of the ruin for which
Tilton alone was responsible. It was just like
him to stand for years in the gap, trying to save
what beyond all hope Of salvation. It was just
like him to excuse the embitiered jealousy Of the
disappointed man, aud hope to redeem him from not
only earthly ruin, but shattered soul, by bringing
him out into prosperity again. It was just Ike him
to pay money, time after time, and finally in one
sum- eco to set the fallen friend up again. Aud it
just like him fire at the arst threat OF black
mail, to dare the worst when no longer bis good |
nature, but his fears were threatened aud demand
searching inqusition OF all that could be said
had been said against him.
II his course was weak, it was the weakness OF
charity too large and too unsuspectng- II 1t was |
fear, it was fear for others-ior friend he fan would
save, for woman crazed by her own wrongs whom |
he would protect from the madness OF her own hus-
band
1t is because these qualities in Mr.. Tilton aud Mr.
Beecher arc wen known, and in Mr.. Moultou rea-
sonably well known, that the verdict OF Brooklyn /
aud New York is almost without dissenting voice.
that Mr. Beecher has barely escaped the most infa I
nous conspiracy ever cOntrived against great and