The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-08-18
BEECHER's PLEA.

/ luccudIt tuO llot., al . " ClOchs
BEECHER'S PLEA.
HE AGAIN DENIES THE CHARGE-AND
CLAIMS THAT TILToN HAS MALIcIoUsLY
CAUSED THE TROUBLE AND CUNNIN6I.Y
DEVISED 4 NET FOR HIM-MoULToN a
/ MARRIOTT.
The following is Mr.. Beecher's statement:
GENTLEMEN or THE COMMITTEE: In a state.
ment addressed TO the public on the I'D of July
S az, ave "a, an &C s So,Pl Gu @ slu
Tilton against me. That denial now repeat
and reaftirm. also stated in that communiea-
/ ton that should appear before your committee
with a more detailed statement and explanation
OF the facts In the case. -Four years ago Tneo-
dOre IIlion fell from one OF the proudeSt edito-
rial chairs In America, where he represented the
cause of religion, humanity and prosperity, and
ciaie and representative OF Victoria Woodruff
and friend of her strange cause, By his fol-
| ton, in occupation and in resources
| The interior history, of which am now to give
brief outline, is a history of his attempt 10 so
employ me as TO reinstate him in business res
| tOEe his reputation and place him again upon
sal history, TO the fun meaning of which have
but recently awakened. Entangled in a wilder
ness of complications, followed until lately
1 false theory and delusive hope believing that
the friend who assured me OF his de ermination
and ability TO control the passionate vagaries of
Mr11ton, to restore his household, to rebuild his
! fortunes and 10 vindicate me, would be equal
| TO that promise. His selt-confeSSed failure has
made clear TO, to me- what tora I long time
narration does not represent single stand
/ point, only as regards my opinion of Theodore
him in his earlier career, shows my ia1nenta-
tiOns and sorrowful but hopeful affection for
him during the period of his initial wanderings
from truth and virtue. 1t describes
my 1a, repentance en oyer the evils be,
1 lieve myself the cause; my peTsevering,
friendly and despairing efforts to save him and his
I diShODOrahlp. and growing conviction that
his perpetual follies and blunderS rendered his
recovery impossible can now see that he is
Guilty,
A SELFISH AND RECKLESS sCHEMER,
pursuing plan of mingled good and hatred
and weaving about me network of suspicious
and MISUNDERSTANDING, plots and lies, to which
my own innocent words and acts. nay, even
my thoughts of kindness towards him,
have been made to contribute. These successive
views of him must be kept in view to explain
my course through the last four years. That 1
was blind so long to the real motive OF intrigue
going on around me, was due partly to my own
overwhelming public engagements and partly
10 my complete surrender OF this affair and all
papers and questions connected with 1t into the
dent that he could manage it success fully. suf-
fered much, but inquired little. Mr. Moulton
was chary TO me of Mr.. Tiltons condolences to
him, reporting TO me occasionally in general
way Mr.. Tilton's words and outbreaks
Ol pdSslOn only as elements OF the
trouble which he was able to control,
and as additional proofs of the wisdom of leav-
ing ii to him. His command of the situation
as was in incessant ca res and duties, and only
too glad to be relieved from considering the de-
tails and wretched complications, the origin
and the fact of which remain, in spite of all
friendly intervention, perpetual burden TO my
soul: would not read in the papers about 1t.
for a long period my confidant and my
only channel of information. From time to
"A. Ia
tons that Mr.. Tllton was acting the part of an
enemy, but the suspicious were rapidly allayed
moods, and by assurances OF Mr.. Moulton, who
ascribed the circumstances to misunderstand-
ing or TO malice on the part of others. IL is plain
to me now thatit was not until Tilton had fallen
into disgrace and lost his salary that he thought
IL necessary TO assail me with charges which he
pretended to have had in mind for six months.
The domestic offense which ne alleged was
very quickly and easily put aside, but yet in
such way as to keep my feelings stirred up in
order that L might, through my
friends be used TO extract from Mr.. Bowen $3.50.
the amount of claim in dispute between them.
The check for
THAT SUM IN HAND,
Tilton signed an agreement of peace and con-
cord, not drawn by me. but accepted by me as
sincere. The Golden Age had been started; he
had the capital to carry 1t on for awhile; he was
sure that he was to head great social revela-
ton With returning prosperity. he had, ap-
parently, no griefs which could not be covered
by his signature TO the articles of peace. Yet the
changes in that covenant were made by him |
before signing 1t, and represented to me as
necessary merely to relieve HIM from the |
imputatIon OF having originated a story |
that his complete restoration TO public |
standing and household happiness was a re-
paration Justly required of me, and the only one |
which could make. But, with peculiar genius
se and dcn a S.p in n'e
such instance IL was his policy TO bring coercion |
to bear upon my honor, my concience and my |
frication at my expense Theodore Triton knew
me well. He has said again and again to his |
friends .nat II aneH wished 70 lam any n ,6e
sympathetic side of my nature. To this he has |
addressed himself steadily for four years, using
lease without scruple my attachment to
my friends, my family, 70 his own household,
and to even my OLD auction Ior himself, and
has circulated certain old shameless ISLANDERS
about They were really made, as now ap
pear, TO leave him free for future operations on
me and against me. SO long as he thought he
was ON the road to q new success, his conduct
toward me friendly as he knew how to
magnanimity and his patronizing manner were
tribes, at which l could afford TO smile
and which bore with the greatest humility
upon me, as explained in the followin MARIA
tive, that had beeen cause OF overwhelming
solved TO look on him favorably and hope
fully as possibly, and ignorant of his deeper
malice, | lab0red earnestly, then desperate y,
for his salvation. For four years have been
trying TO feed the Unsuitable egotism to make
to restore prosperity and public confidence To
one who in the midst of, my efforts in his be-
half, patronized disreputable people and
doctrines, refused when besought
him to separate himself from these
and ascribed to my agency the increasing ruin
which he was persistently bringing on himself
and which was doing my utmost TO avert. 1t
was hard to do anything for such man: 1
might as well have tried to fill seive with
water In the later stages of the history he actu-
ally melted and created difficulty. apparently
for no other purpose than 10 drive me 10 fresh
exertiOns. L refused to indorse his " ild views
and associates. The best could do was to speak
well OF him. mentioned those good qualities
which still believe him to possess in his higher
moods, and keeping silence concerning the
had been greatly exaggerated by public report
could not think him so bad as my friends !
trusted TO the genius of good which thought
still lived in him.to Mr., Moulton's apparent