The interior journal., 1874-08-21

when, With downcas, look, she ssId that
Mr. Tilton had visited her chamber NJ nieht
sought her consent TO his wishes. ] immcdi.
ntoly visited Mrs Til,on a, her mothers rcs-
idcnrc, and tcccived IN account Of her home
l,fe, and Of the despotism Of her husband,
and Of the management Of q woman, whom
he had made housckcepcr, which seems like
q nightmare dream. The question was
whether she would 20 back or separate for
ever FROM her husband. ! asked permission
20 bring my wife 10 see them, whose iudg.
mrnt in all domestic relations ! thought
better than my own, aai accordingly n Sec
ond visit was made.
The result Of the interview was that my
wife was extremely indignant toward Mr..
Tilton, and declared that no consideration
on earth would induce her 20 remain an
hour with man who had treated her with
a hundrcdth part of such insult and cruelty.
] felt ~ strongly as she did, hut hesitated,
as always do In giving advice in favor Of q
separation. II was agreed that my wife
should give her final advice at another
visit the next day. When ready to 90 she
wished final word, hut there was company
and the children were present, and MS I
wrote on scrap Of paper, 81 incline to
think that your view Is right, and that sep.
aration and settlement Of a support will he
wiscst, aud that in his present desperate
state, his presence near her Is more likely
to produce hatred than his absence" Mrs.
Tilton did not tell me that her presence had
anything to do with this trouble, nor did
shc.let me know that on the July previous
he had extorted from her q confession Of
excessive affection for me.
On the evening Of DcceIrber 81, 1870, Mr..
Bowen on his way home, called at NV house
and handed me letter from Mr.. Tilton.
II was as nearly as ! can rcmer,ber in the
following terms:
"HENRI WAND BrsrHrR-For reasons which you
explicitly know, ani witch forhcsr to state de-
mani that you withdraw nom the pulpit, aud quit
"THropoRr TrtroS."
read il over twice, and turned TO Bowen
and said, "This man is crazy this is sheer
insanity" and other like words. Mr. Bowen
professed to be ignorant Of the contents and
handed him the letter to read
lie at once fell into conversation about
Tilton. lie gave me some account Of reasons
why he had reduced him from the editorship
OF the Independent to the subordinate posi-
tion Of contributor, viz 4: That Mr.. Tiltcn's
religious and social views were running the
paper, but he said that as soon as il was
known that he had so far broken with Til
ton, there came pouring In upon him so
many stories Of Tlton's private life and
habits that he was overwhelmed, aud that he
was now considering whether he could con-
sistently retain him on the Brooklyn Union,
or as chief contributor to the fadcpcno,n
lie narrated the story Of the affair at VIM
sted, CT some like stories from the North
west, and the charges brought against Titon
in his own office. Without doubt he believed
these allegations, and so did I. The other
facts previously stated to me seemed full
corroboration.
We conversed some time. Mr. Bowen
wishing my opinion. Ii was frankly given.
did not see how he could maintain the
former relations with Mr.. Tilton. The sub
stance of the full conversation was that
Titon's inordinate vanity, his fatal facility
for blundering, for which he had genius,
Of the ostcnta,ious independence in his own
opinions, and general inpractcableness,
would keep the Onion at a disagreement
with the political party for whose service
II was published, and now, added to all the
revelations of these promlscuous immorali-
ties, would make his connection with either
paper fatal to its interests. ! spoke strong
ly and emphatically under the great provo
cation Of his threatening to me, aud the
revelations had just had concerning his
domestic affairs
Mr.. Bowen derided the letter of Tilton,
which he had brought to me, and said ear
ncstly, that il trouble came of il, | might
rely on his friendship.
| learned afterwartl, that, in the further
quarrel ending in Tiltons peremptory cx-
pulsion from Bowen's service, this conver-
sation was told to Mr.. Tilton. believe that
Mr.. Bowen had an interview and received
some further information about Mr.. Tilton
from my wife, to whom | had referred him
Although have no doubt that Mr.. Tilton
would have lost his place at any rate, | have,
also, no doubt that my influence was deci-
sive, and preciptated his final overthrow
When came to think il all over, felt very
unhappy at the contemplation of Mr.. Til
tons impending disaster. had loved him
much, and at one time he seemed like a son
to me. My influence had come Just nj the
time Of his first unfolding and had much to
do with his early development. had aided
him externally to bring him before the pub.
lie. We had been together in the great con-
troversies of the day, until afterward our
social intercourse had been intimate,
II is true, that his nature always exagger-
ated his own excellencies. When he was a
boy he looked up to me with afiectionate
admiration. After some years he felt him
self my equal, and was very companionable ;
aud when he had outgrown me, and reached
the position of the first man of the age, he
was still Kind and patronizing. ] had al
ways smiled at these weaknesses of vanity,
and had believed that a larger experience,
with some knocks among strong men, and by
sorrows that temper the soul, he would vet
fulfill a useful and brilliant career but now
all looked dark. lie was TO be east forth
from his eminent position, and his affairs did
not promise that sympathy and strength
which make ones house, as mine has been
in times of adversely, refuge from the
storm and n tower of defense. Beside a
generous suffering, ! should have had n sci.
fish reason for such, ii had dreamed that !
was about 10 become the instrument by
which Mr.. Tilton meant to fight his way
back to the prosperity which he had for
feitcd.
II now appears that on the Goth Of Decem-
ber, 1870, Mr. Tilton having learned that
replied to his threatening letter by express
ing such an opinion of him as To set Mr.
Bowen finally against him, and bring him
face TO face with immediate ruin, eXtorted
from his wife, then suffering from a severe
illness, a document eliminating me, and pre-
pared an elaborate attack upon me. On
Tuesday evening, December, 1870, about
o'clock, Francis ID. Moulton called at my
house, and with intense earnestness said, ~
wish you to go with me 10 see Mr.. TiltOn."
replied that could not then, as | was Just
going To my prayermeeting. With the most
positive manner, he said +" You must GO
somebody else will take care of the meeting"
went with him, not knowing what trouble
had agitated him, but vaguely thinking
threatening letter On the way | asked
what was the reason of this visit to which
he replied that Mr. Tilton would inform me,
or words to that effect. ON entering his
house Mr.. Moulton locked the door, saving
something about not being interrupted.
lie requested me to go into the front
chamber over the parlor | was under the
impression that Mr., Tilton was going to pour
out upon me his anger for colleaguing with
Bowen, and for the advice of separation
given 10 his wife. wished Mr.. MoultOn to
be with me as a witness, but he insisted that
should go by myself. Mr.. Tilton received
me coldly but calmly.
After word or two standing in front of
me with a memorandum in his hand, he he.
gan an Grafton, in an uniriendly spirit, that
had sought his downfall, and spread in.
furious rumors about him, was using my
place and influence 10 undermine him, had
advised Mr.. Bowen 10 dismiss him, aud much
more that can't remember, and he then de-
clared that had injured him in his family
relations, had joined with his motherin-law
in producing disoord ia his house, had adj
vised separation, had alienated his wife's
affections from him. had led her In love me
more than any living being, had corrupted
her moral nature, and taught her 10 be in.
sincere, lying, and hypocritical, and ended
by charging that had made improper pro-
a. l..