New-York tribune., 1874-08-14
Of the marriage relation were undergoing constant


change in the direction of free love-
In the latter part of July, 1870 Mrs. hilton was
SICK and at her request visited her nhe ecenou
much depressed. but gave me no hint Vi any
trouble having reference 10 me. cheereu
her as best could and PRAYED with her Just before
leaving This was our last interview before trouple
broke ont in the family. l describe 1t because IL
was the last and its character has bearing upon"
later mart of nv story. Concerning all my other
visits It is sufficient to say that at no iRterreW UNI"
erer took place betceea Mrs. iilton and myseV o'd
o,,sb,po occur ,rbich ui0ht not hare occurred icih
perfect propriciy bei,ceen brother and sister, oeWeeH
a father and cLid or betCoen man Of honor ana "e
,rife of his dearest frend; nor did anything ever
happen which she or | sought TO conceal hoh heI
husband.
Soma wears before any open trouble between Mr.
Tilton and myself his doctrines as set fo1th III the
leaders of The Independent aroused storm OF lndlg-
nation among the representative CongregationalSts
in the West and the paper was still very largely
supposed TO be my organ, was written to on the
subject In reply, indignantly disclaimed all re-
sponsibility for the views expressed by Mr. liton.
My brother Edward, then living in Illinois, was
prominent in the remonstrance addressed to Mr..
Bowen concerning the course of his paper under Mr.
Tlltons management. 1t was understood that Mr..
Bowen agreed that, in consequence of proceedings
arising out of this TemOnStrance, TO remove Mr hilton
or suppress his peculiar views but instead OF that,
Theodore seemed frIner in the saddle than before,
and his loose notions of marriage and divorce began
t. be shaIowci editOrally. This led to the start
ing of The ldrance in Chicago TO supesede 1he In
G,ycrdegt in the Northwest, and Mr.. Bowen was
made TO feel that Mr. Tton's management was serl-
ou,Iv inilring the business, and Mr.. Tilton may
have lei, ihs; bis position was being undermnedb by
oppouents Of his views with whom he subsequently
pretended 10 believe was in league. Vague init
nation, OF his feeling hard toward me ascribed
10 til, m.,cosception. l had in reality taken no
sep % harm him.
HI ADVISES SEPARATION.
After Nlr. Tilron's return from the West in Decem-
b,r.ls.3. a Young Girl whom Mrs Tilton had taken
into the family. educated, and treated like an own
child h.r testimony. l understand, Is before the
Committee, was sent to me with an urgent
relue,t tI3t | would visit Mrs. Titon
at her mothers. She said that Mrs Tilton had left
her home and gone to her mothers In consequence
of ill-trcatmcnt of her husband. She then gave an
account Of what she had seen of cruelty and abuse
on the par, Of the husband that shocked me; and
vet more when with dOwncaSt look she said that Mt
Tilton had visited her chamber in the night and
sought her consent to his wishes l Immediately
visited MIR. Tton at her mothers, and received an
account Of her home life, and of the despotiSm Of
her husband, and of the management of woman
whom he had made hOuSekecper, which seemed like
a nightmare dream. The question was whether
she should 90 back, or separate forever
from her husband. | asked permission to bring my
wife TO see them whose judgment IN all domestic
relations / thought better than my own; and ac-
cordingy a second visit was made. The result of
the interview was that my wife was extremely in
dignant toward Mr. Titon, and declared that
consideration on earth would induce her to remain
an hour with a man who had treated her with
hundredth part of such insult and cruelty. felt as
strongly she did, but heStated, as always do at
giving advice in favor of a separation 1t was
agreed that my wife should give her final advice at
another visit. The next day, when ready to CO. she
wished a final word; but there company, and
the children present, and so L wrote on
scrap of paper, Il incline to think that your
view is right, and that separation and sfttlement
Of support will be wisest, and that in hI' present
desperate state her presence near him is far more
likely to produce hatred than her absence"
Mrs Titou did not tell me that my presence had
anything 20 do with this trouble. did she let me
know that or the July previous he had eXtOrted
from her confession of excessive affection for me.
On the evening of Dee. 27 1870, Mr.. Bowen, on his
way home called at my house and handed me let
ter from Mr. Tilton. # was, as nearly Is can re
member in the following terms:
HENRY WAEp BEECHER: For reasons which you
that you Withdraw from the pulpit ana quit Brooklyn as
residence. THEODORE ILToN.
INTERFERENCE IN BUSINESS MATTERS.
read il over twice. and turned to Bowen and
SAD: This man is crazy; this is sheer insanity
and other like words. Mr.. Bowen professed to be
Ignorant Of tle contents and l handed him the let
fer 10 read. We at once fell into a conversation
about Nh Tlton. He gave me some account of the
reasons why he had reduced him from the editor
shin of The Indepepdent TO the subordinate position
of contributor namely that Mr.. TiltOns religious
and social views were running the paper. But he
said that as soon as it was known that he had so far
broken with IitOn, there came pouring IN upon HIM
sonany stories of Mr.. 1iltons private life and hab-
its that he was overwhelmed, and that he was now
considering whetherh he could consistently retain nm
on The BrO0klyn Union. or as chef contributor to
The IndependeRt He narrated the story OF the affair
at Winsted Conn, some like stories from the
NOrth-West and charges brought against Mr. Hilton
in his own office. Without doubt he believed these
allegations and so did l. The other facts previously
stated to me seemed a full corroboratlon. We con-
versed for some time, Mr.. Bowen wishing my
opinion 1t was frankly given. i did not see how
he could maintain his relations with Mr. Tton.
The substance of the full conversation was
that Tiltons inordnate vanity his fatal facility in
laundering for which he had genius) and osten-
tatious independence in his own opinions and
general mpracticableness would keep The Union at
disagreement with the political party for whose
service il was published and now, added to all this
these revelations of these promiscuOuS immOrahtes
vould make his connection with either paper fatal
TO its interests. ] spoke strongly and emphatcaIy
under the great provOcatOn of his Threatening tome
and the revelation had just had concerning his
domestic affairs