Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1874-11-12
NEW YORK.
our MIp.wEEk LErrER.

TIE BEEcHEa CAUSES cKLEBREs = JUDICIAL ne
OPENING OF THE 1RKAT scANDAL-rRK STATE
AND STRENGTH OF THE TWO PARTIEs-AaaREs-
sIvE TACTICS OF THE BEECHKR BIDE-Two sUc-
CEssKs SCORED FOR T1LroN.
Special Correspondents of he Commercial
New YORK, Nov. 10, 1874.
This week, the Beecher Scandal reopens in |
Brooklyn and all over the world The season
prom ses to be lively,f not brilliant The news
papers Of these clustered cities viii! be occupied
for several days in the week. and for many entire
weeks of the winter, with the strenuous legal
conflicts between counsel and the vast eSpanse
Of testimony, in which both sides will struggle
with Titanic might for all that makes life dear,
II not for life itself
Plymouth Church is vast power Financially
and personally; and both these powers are utter
~ bound up and involved in each other IA one.
Moreover they reach out their affiliations IN ev-
cry direction, upward and downward, throughout
political parties, throughout the circles of godli,
ness and ungodliness, through rings"of political
and money making intrigue, and thorough associ-
atoms OF noble Christian benevoence. Represen-
tative men Of local politics and jobbeiy, like I
Kinsella Of the Eagle, and Kingsley of the East
River Bridge, stand shoulder to shoulder with
clergymen, professors and presidents of colleges,
city missionaries, hosts OF pious women and
praying men, dashing lawyers, office holders,
millionaires like Cailin. the rival OF A. II. Stew
art Sage, Cleveland, Wilkesoa and others in
volved in the fortunes Of the Plymouth shook
concern" (known as j. b. Ford n Co.. stock as
sociation) the "IIife of Christ, and the Christian
Union. All these interests, and many more than
meet the eye, wrestle for dear life in the pend
ing conflict. If power, in the form Of money,
character, talent, influence, office, business, pa
tronage everything is OF any avail in tins coun-
| try to secure desired judicial result this case
| cannot fail to show the fact.
On the other hand the beginning is very feeble
| in Theodore Tilton, poor fellow self-deatroyed
before his battle, by his own incor siatency and
| folly, to say no worse Francis ID. Moulton
comes to his side, and even becomes involved
| with him in struggle for more than life-a man
| he, Of power, in himself, in wealth. and in do
| voted and wealthy friends Back Of them BOTH
| stand silently, giving no sign but the awful sign
of negative position in such a conflict. very
| largo proportion Of tho churches and ministers
| Of Brooklyn and also large proportion, but
not a. large would be in the case OF any other
\ Clergyman accused than Mr. Beocher of the
| men of the world, in Brooklyn. Such men Ms
Dr. Storrs and Buddington men infinitely above
| the imputation Of a want of sympathy with one
of their brethren in trouble, and very generally
their class Of solid, sagacous, and conservative
men, within and without the churches are relnc-
family unable to Join in the demand for Mr.
Beecher's vndication and the punishment OF his
accusers and with very close mouths await the
course OF the law and the issue of the battle.
In n word there is Nh immense moral force,
from the beginning Of the mock trial by the Ply
mouth Committee, in position which cannot be
called partial towards Mr.. Beecher, and which
sustains parties, counsel, and judges with all
needful countenance in dealing with the great
interests at stake as il they were not, and with
the great men as il they were no more thar
the least OF their fellow citizens. II the indis-
cretiona by which parties have involved them
selves are not such a. to destroy the testimon,
which should bring out the truth, there will ap
| oil
and prejudice sufficiently overbalancing on ethe
, side to defeat the ends of justice.
1t is a fashion with some people here, VIII
seem to abhor nothing very much but what il il
bad taste, to refer to this momentous and mem
orable case only in terms OF disgust and con
a tempt, as something it is very reprehensible il
' the public to talk about, read about, or thin
!, about. The N. Y. Times, in this spirit of stupi'
moral affectation, suppressed whole pages of til
| most important matter given to the public las
summer, and left its readers to resort to othe
p journals for the chief news of the day. II ]
n could afford it, probably they could But il til
case is Enthusiastically revolving, its substanc
is to the last degree important. 1t is to til
common perception of the momentous bearing
Of Mr.. Beecher's character for good or evil, an
II not to a vulgar pruriency for scandal, that til
universal interest in the matter is to be ascrbet
have taken it, accordingly, for the part of
= discriminating journalist or morast, to conced
to the case the position which the common sens
OF all classes of people has assig1 ed it.
Yesterday occurred the second of = series O
| legal encounters which ii destined to stretch OF
d and grow more and more strenuous for II col
| siderable time. The first was on the demand q
. the defendant in clifton agains Beecher," for
. "bill of particulars of the acts and damages a
!; legged. The order asked was denied by Jude
Nelson, and so the first success was with Tilton
!, counsel. The defense then appealed to the gel
u era term of the same court AS the other ju,
ges were present, and known to be personal
concurrng in the decision though not of
!, cially concerned, this was thought Transporter
i tactics of delay Pending and subject
d called accordingly yesterday. Ex-Judges Mo-
t. ris, Fullerton and Beach, Tilton's counse
% claimed to have their case proceeded with, viii
At Sherman formerly confidential adviser al
70 agent in most of the famous prOceGdiu,
y of Fisk and Gould in Erie matters, in the dal
re of Judge Barnard) and Gen. b. 7. Tracy, (lawyt
y Of Brooklyn and counsel for Mr. Beeclier in I'll
so-called investigation last summary resste
the demand and insisted on stay Of proceed
ings until their appeal should finally be dete
mined. This position was the key of the INN,
date strategy of the defense. The appeal WI
10 to be carried to the Court Of Appeals and til
" case delayed for months, and in the meanwhile
l. the Indictment of Moulton, Tilton's main wit
Y ness for the incidental libel on Edna Dea
Proctor, was to be pressed on in hot haste b
l. District Attorney Winslow, who III one of til
ID Beechers devoted partizans, and his conviction
ID which ls counted sure thing, it was eXpecte
II The struggle was sharp and vigorous, al
ID brought out the keen feeling and unfavorab
s. opinion which the two sides have for each 9th,
81 strongly. The second success also rested wi,
Iilton. The argument Oh the appeal was 81
down for tomorrow "wednesday and the tri
of the case for Friday
70 Evidently the counsel for Mr.. Beecher in Il
~ conduct of the case are no match for the powe
40 ful legal array on the side of Mr.. Tito
'e although III the final argument the elouuen
and prestige of MIR. EyuIIs are to be in Mr. ltaap
u ers service.
~ ~ The District Attorney forthwith pressed fl
NJ immediate trial of Moulton's case, but in this W
~ resisted and special plea on his behalf was p
H. in, to-day. Monlton's answers to Miss Proctor
civil suit is that he published what he did
self defense, and under necessity, IN good fai
It. as he received and believed it, from Mr.. Beec
tie er carefully avoiding to publish anything til
H. should connect the name of Miss Proctor wi
as the story and claims that il he has hbeled Ii
lit he has right to prove the senuineness of his
H. formation and facts in mitigation OF damage
IL as showing good faith and absence of malice.