Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-07-25
j. Il. ODER. Editor.
FROSTBURG, MD, July %, 1874.


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We have hitherto omitted mention of the
Bccchcr-Tilton imhroglio, leaving the mys-
terry which has cloulcd the case to the sur
misses of those inclined to gossip and give
currency to their initrenccs But these
have attracted such general interest that to
say nothing is to ignore the leading topic of
the day. Especially is this the case since
Mr. Tilton's sworn statement so plainly and
painfully involves Mr. Bcccher Establish
ed, they must ostracze his name forever
from the high relations he has held to the
church and society. Implying so much, it
is nearly impossible to blind ourselves to
details which must crclong turn the scale Of
reputation one way or the other.
The following from the Baltimore SIN is
a synopsis of Mr.. Tiiton's statement:
The sum ana substance is, that Mr..
Bcecher taking advantage of his position
and influence as pastor, led Mr.. Tiltons
wife into guilt with himself, and that after
she had made full confession to her htls,
band, Nj. Beeehcr to escape exposure and
ruin SO wrought upon her mind again as
TO cause her to revoke that confession and
that now she has openly deserted her home
and arrays herself with Mr. Bcechcr and
his friends in Il conspiracy to overthrow
the crcdiblity and good reputc Of Mr..
TiltOn as a man and a citizen. The story
as told by Mr. Tilton is a terribly painful
one, but as Mr.. Beeclcr and Mrs. Ti.on
are yet to be heard in their own defense
the case is not to be finally judged The
attitude of Mr.. Tlton however, is at last
clearly given, and the charges which he
brings against Mr.. Beechcr are unmistaka-
bly, plain"
Taking Mr.. Tiltons developments as
mainly correct, they destroy a ministerial
character which has stood foremost in this
or any other land. Mr. Bcechcr's influence
has BEEN long felt far outside the pale of
Plymouth Church through the reproduction
of his wonderful uttcrances by the press
Thousands of christians Of all names have
thus been encouraged by his counscls, fed by
his faith, enlarged by his libcrality and con
solel by his hope. His words, flashing with
intellect and glowing with comfort, have
been watched and waited for as the
mamma which fell from heaven to the Isra-
elites, and stored as the very bread Of life.
During priesthood 50 fruitful of good in
parish SO wide, it were well nigh incrcdi-
bic it should be dcbascd and bclicd by the
greatest of namelcss social crimes that a
light so bencficent should draw the pail of
darkness about itself while yet on the me-
ridian of its luminous career that on the
altar of the church great cxcmplar of its
faith should build the fires of unhallowcd
lust that through the rent fragments Of
his reverend garments the wcarcr must in
cvtabiy be exposed to the world as a naked
child of the devils
10th to believe all this, it is equally diff
cult to pronounce it false after the disclo-
sure we have, unless Mr. Tilton possesses
the inordinatc hardihood to accept inf;amv
for himself and children He has hravcd
much IN this exposure is it possible he
could have put his daring to the severcrtcst
ofeoyeIlnG4 name and family with undying
ohloquy?
Perhaps the most torciblc and profitable
lesson to be drawn from lhis sad ccclcsiasti-
cal dilemma is the suggestion of vigilance
over the intimacies of families with individ-
uals whose profession ought to I've ample
guarantee of safety. 1t is certain we can
not be ovcr-carctul where life long shame
and sorrow are the fruits of laNity. Instead
of good Intentions il may be said hell is
paved with condolences. Each are liable
DO miscarry into crime for which, as society
is constituted, there is no adequate rcpara-
ton in this world, if the guilty should hap
PLY pass forgiven into the next.
We annex the synopsis of a letter from
Mr.. Bcechcr under date of the 22d inst
which has had the effect to modify the fears
occasioncd by Mr. Tilton's statement
This statement is not in the form of a
detailed examination of Mr.. Tilten's allega-
tons, but is rather general defense of the
reputation of Mrs Titon in connection
with his own. He declares that from
childhood she has been under his eye, and
since reaching Womanhood she has had
his sincere admiration and atfection-thnt
he cherishes for her Il pure feeling such as
gentleman might honorably offer to a
CllflSllan woman ana WnlCn she might re-
ceive and rcciprocate without scruple In
a word, he rejects every imputation reflect
ing upon her honor or his own He leaves
his own vindication, however, to the COM
mittee, who are to sift the matter to the
bottom, and 20 whom he will submit full
statement" Baltimore SIM, esd
WE could afford to pass the paroXysm OF
rage which finds editorial vent in the last
issue of the Piedmont independent, because
we are content with the thoroughncss with
which we have already resented its attack
and established the correctness of our
course. Ia connection with this matter we
are, therefore, half ashamed to refer to that
paper again. But the violence and malig-
nifty of this last assault seems to require
slight attention, lest some might infer an
abandonment, on our part not only of a
just defence, but selt-respect itself
The conspicuous feature of the Independ-
em's tactics has been to divert attention
from the real ISSUE for which there is NO
excuse but the pitiful want of tcnable po-
sition. The sole recourse, them has been
the inglorious Juggling in of irrelevant mat.
ter i'll terms neither courteous nor smart fol-