Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-22

er against all other persons save only your
self. | was ready to give him this letter.
because he said with pain that my letter II
your hands, dated December 20, had struck
him dead and ended his usefulness. You
and | are pledged to do our best to avoid
publicity. God grant speedy end to all
further anxiety. AfectiOnately,
ELIZABETH.
On next day, namely, December 3, 1871,
Moulton, ON being informed by Tilton oil
the above-named transaction by Beecher,
called on him (Beecher) at his residence
and told him that reconciliation seemed
suddenly made impossible by
Beeeher's NefariOus Act
in procuring letter which Mrs. TiIton had
thus been improperly persuaded to make
falsely. Beecher promptly, through MOll-
ton, returned the. letter to Tilton, with an
expression of shame and sorrow, for having
procured it in the manner he did. The
letter was as follows:
December 80, 1S70.-Wearied with i'm
pOrtunity and weakened by sickness, gave
a letter duplicating my friend III. w.
Beecher, under assurances that that would
remove all difficulties between me and my
husband. That letter | now revoke.
was persuaded to it, almost forced, when L
was in a weakened state of mind. regret
it and recall all its statements.
L. II. TILTON.
l desire TO say explicitly that Beecher
has never offered any improper solicitation,
but always treated Inc in a manner beeom-
ing gentleman.
ELIZABETH K. THToN.
AT the time of Beecher's returning, the
above document to Tilton through MOul-
ton, Beecher requested Moulton to call at
his residence on Columbia street on the
next day which he did on the evening of
January l, 1871. A long interview ensued,
in which Beecher expressed 10 MoultOn
great cOntritiOn and TemOrse for his previ-
Gus criminality with Mrs. TiltOn taking TO
himself shame for having misused the sa-
cred office of clergyman, expressing de-
termination to
Xiii Himself i'm Case Of Exposure,
and begging Moulton to receive from Beech
er an apology TO be conveyed TO Tilton in
hopes that such apology would secure his
forgiveness. The apology which Beecher
dictated to MOultOn was as follows:
In trust with f. ID. Moulton-My dear
friend AIOulton, l ask through you Theo-
uOlG 1llNOlS lOlSiNcilcSS, ttilu
myself before him as | do before my God.
He would have been a better man in my
circumstances than l have been. l can ask
nothing, except that he will remember all
the other breasts that would ache. l would
not plead for myself. even
Wish that L were Dead,
but others must live to suffer. 1 will die
before any one but l myself shall be cul
pated. All my thoughts are running out
toward my friends and toward the poor
child living there and praying with her
folded bands. She is guiltless, sinned
against, bearing the transgressiOn of an
other, Her forgiveness l have. l humbly
pray God TO put it in the heart of her hus-
band to forgive them. L have trusted this
TO MOultOn in confidence.
HENRY WARD BEEcHER.
In the above document the last sentence
and signature are in the handwriting of
Rev. Henry Ward Beccher.
IL. That MIS-. TiltOn gr6te the following
letter to a friend at ia Livingstone street,
Brooklyn, Jan. 5, 1871:
Dear Friend: A cruel conspiracy has
been formed against my husband in which
my mother and Mrs. Beecher have been
chief actors. Yours truly,
ELIZABETH TmTON.
A Cruel Cons Piracy-TiIIOn-s Mother.
inEsaW.
y. That in the following mouth MOul-
ton wishing TO bind TiltOn and Beecher by
mutual expressions Of good spirit ELECTED
from them the following correspondence:
Brooklyn, FEB. Z, 1ST4.-My dear friend:
In several conversations with you, You have
asked about my feelings towards Beecher,
and yesterday You said the time had come
when you would like to receive from me
an expression of this kind in writing.
say therefore very cheerfuliy that nOtWith-
standing the great suffering which he has
caused to Elizabeth and myself, bear him
shall do him no wrong; shall dis
every project by whomsoever
for any
Exposure Of His Secrets
10 the public, and if know myself at all,
shall endeavOr TO act toward Mr.. Beechpr
as l would have him in similar circum-
stances act toward me. ought 10 add that
your own good offices in this case have led
me to higher moral feelings than l might
otherwise have reached. Ever YOURS.
THEODORE THTON.
To Frank MOulton.
On the same DAY Beecher wrote to Moul-
ton the following:
FEB. :, 1STl.-My Dear Friend Moulton:
L am glad TO send YOU book, etc. Many, |
many friends has God raised up to me. but |
to no one of them has lie ever given the OBJ |
pOTtunity and the wisdom to serve me as |
you have. You have also proved TheO- !
dOre's friend and EliZabeth's. Does God |
look down from heaven on three unhappier |
creatures that more need friend than these? |
Is it not an intimatiOn of Gods intent OF |
mercy to all that each one of these has in /
YOU a true and proud friend? But only i'm |
you are these united. Would TO God, who |
Orders all hearts, that by His kind media
alton, Theodore, Elizabeth and | could be |
Made Friends Again.
Theodore will have the hardest task in
such a case, but has he not proved himself |
capable of the nOblest things. / wonder if |
Elizabeth knows how generously he has
carried himself toward me. Of course L |
IAN never speak with her again without her
permission and do not know that even
hen it would be best. III. w. BEECHER.
Mr.. MOulton on the same day asked
TiltOn if he would permit Beecher to ad-
iress a letter to Mrs. TiltOn, and Tilton re-
Dlied in the affirmative, whereUpOn
Beecher wrote as follows:
BROOKLYN, FEB. Z, 1ST1.-My Dear Mrs.
Elton: When | saw you last, l did not
Expect ever TO see you again, or to be alive
many days. God was kinder to me than
we're my own thoughts. The friend whom
God sent to me, MOultoD, has proved above
III friends that l ever had, able and willing
o help in
This Terrible Emergency
If my life. His hand it was that tied up
he storm that was ready to burst on on
reads. You have no friend, Theodore ex-
epted, who has it in his power to serve
-ou so vitality, and who will do it with
uch delicacy and honor. 1t does my sore
leart good to see in Moulton an unfeigned
aspect and honor for you. II would kill
ne if l thought otherwise. He will be as
rue friend to your honor and happiness
S brother could be to sister. In him
We have common friend. You and
nay meet in him. The past is ended, but
Is there no Future,
10 wiser, higher, holier future? Nav not
his friend stand as a priest in the new
of reconciliation, and mediate
md bless Theodore and my most unhappy
elf. Do not let my eaTnestness fail of IT,
ud you believe in my Judgement. have
mt myself wholly and gladly in MonHon's |
lands, and there / must meet YOU. This is
ent with TheOdOre'S consent, but he has
lot read IL Will Won rpturn II 70 me- nv