The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-09-03
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NlNDICATED.

scandal was read ut Plymouth Church
last Friday to the largest concourse
of people over gathered within the
walls of that great building. The re-
port reviews the testimony received,
and points out the weakness Of that
introduced to sustain the vacillating
charges of the prosecution. Special
prominence is given to the fact that
until very recently the charge against
Mr.. Beecher was only Improper So
licitation y that this was all that was
included in the retraction given by
Mrs. Tilton to Mr.. Beecher on the
evening Of December so, 1870; and
that this was all that was charged in
Tilton's famous ''true story" which he
was in the habit of reading to news
paper men and everybody else he could
get to listen to it, and at the very
time, as he now says, he was guarding
the terrible secret from the outside
world for CHS pure wife's sake"
On this point the Committee peril
nently remarks: 1.-The further fact
that Mr.. Tilton treated the matter
during four years as an otfense which
could be properly apologized for and
forgiven is wholly inconsistent with
the charge in its present form. MIR.
Tilton, in his written statement, COM
plains that Mr.. Beecher abused his
(rilton's) forgiveness 1t is be-
lieved no case Of adultery on record
can be produced where an injured
husband upon learning of his wife's
infdelity kept the fact to himself for
six months, and then, after private
complaint to the offending party, re-
ceives and accepts an apology for the
offense, and declares it forgiven-and
this followed by g restoration of the
corrtesies of friendship"
The Committee call attention to
the remarkable feet that while Moul-
ton carefully kept every other docu-
ment or letter or even scrap Of paper
pertaining to the case, he has failed to
produce Mrs. Ii! toms confession-the
most important paper Of all, as being
the one upon which the whole case
hinges. He declared in his. statement
that he had pledged Mr.. Beecher that
he would put the confession and the
retraction together and "defend both
with his life for the benefit Of both
parties" He now states that he af-
forwards, at the request Of Tilton,
delivered this confession to Mr.. TIL
ton himself, to be destroyed,-to pro-
tect, as was claimed, Mrs. Tilton from
an exposure which she has since suf-
fered at the hands Of him who pro-
fessed this great solicitude. This con-
fession, (Which Mrs. Tilton says was
extorted from her by her husband
while she was lying il), both she and
Mr.. Beecher say charged nothing
more than an improper solicitation"
Had it charged more, who believes
that it would not now be in existence,
and paraded in both Tilton's and
Moulton's statements
Attention is also called to the fact
that when, June LIST, 1878, Mr..
Beecher wrote to MIR. Moulton, II
shall write for the public statement
that will bear the light of the Judg-
ment Day." Mr.. Moulton replied the
same day, eff the truth must be spo-
ken, let it be. I knoeu you can stand
If the qrhole case qvm published to-~ao'-
roep."
Many other strong points, tending
to show the weakness of the pros
ecution, and its dishonest spirit, are
brought out in the report. In con-
clusion the Committee find, from all
the evidence they could obtain, that
Mr.. Beecher has never committed
adultery or any unchaste or improper
act with Mrs. Tilton, nor made i'm
proper profer or solicitation to her;
that he has committed errors Of judg-
ment; and that they 'fnd nothing
whatever in the evidence that should
impair the perfect confidence Of Plym-
outh Church or the world in the
Christian character Of Henry Ward
3eecher."
The reading Of the report called
forth the greatest manifestations of
enthusiasm. Just before the conclu-
sion Of the reading, Moulton. who had
pushed his way to the front, took a
seat with the reporters. While Prof.
Raymond was speaking on the report
and reviewing pretty severely the
course of Tilton end Moulton, the
latter called out twice, "You gre
li:rp This blaokguard exhibition
had the effect Of creating great ex-
,itemcnt: end for :. time Moulton was
in DANCES OF pereenal chestisement
but was protected by the police. The
report was adopted by a, rising vote,
which was unanimous with the ex-
ception of Moulton, who rose in the
negative. The following resolutions
were adopted by the Church with the
same remarkable unanimity:
Resolred, That the evidence laid before
the Examining Committee not only does not
| afford any foundation for putting the
pastor of this church, the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher, on trial, but on the contrary, es-
tablishes to the perfect satisfaction of his
church, his entire innocence and absolute
nn,soDol nuritv with resnect tn all the