Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-07-30
THE BEECHER.TILTON SCANDAL.

The Beecher-Tilton scandal has been agai1
revived, and for the past month has afforded
an unusually savory dish for the gossips ant
scandal l-mongers, not only of Plymouth church
but the affair has assumed national proper
tions, and is today the principal topics all owe
the land This is but natural, when it is re
membered that the accused occupies the fore
most position of any pulpit orator in Ameri
ca, and excepting, perhaps Spurgeon, of any
divine in the world. Mr.. Beecher is man O
commanding abilities, public speaker of al
most matchless eloquence and power, and has
welded influence wherever the English Ian
guuge is read; and his fall, if fall he may
will do great harm to morals, manners ano
religion throughout the land.
The case, in BRIEF is simply charge o.
adultery with the wife of Theodore Tilton
The charge has been mysteriously and covert
ly made heretofore; but third parties have
interceded and managed to keep it itsmothcred
Mr.. Beccher all the while maintaining what
he and his friends were pleased to call a dig
niGed silence. Mr.. Tilton, however, from
some cause, revived the charges a few week;
ago, and Mr.. Beecher promptly asked com
mittee of investigation, consisting of members
of his church, to be appointed for the purpose
Of sitting the matter to the bottom.
That committee is now at work. Tiltor
has made his statement, verified by his oath
charging criminal intimacy between Mrs. Til
ton and Mr.. Bcecher, in support of which he
adduces extracts Of letters from his wife, hel
written confession and other epistolary docu
ments, besides other evidences, which he say:
came under his own observation.
Mr.. Beecher has made brief statement, in
which he sweepingly denies every charge
which Tilton prefers against him and Mrs
Tilton. He says that when complications
arose between Mr.. and Mrs Tilton, severa
years ago, he hastily advised separation as the
easiest solution Of the trouble, which counsel
he afterward regretted, and for which he
apologized to TiIton, and it is this apology
which was made in writing, that Mr.. Tiltor
distorts into all apology for criminal offense
against the sanctity of the marriage tie-a
crime, the contemplation of which never en-
tered his mind. Me- Beecher promises more
extended statement, which he says he will make
after the committee shall have concluded theil
investigation.
Mrs Tilton has also made a lengthy writer
statement, which has been placed in the hand:
of the committee. She denies solemnly anc
emphatically the charges laid upon her by
her husband, and asserts that he has pervert
ed extracts from her letters, and that Other
statements he publishes purportng to have
been made by her in writing, or to which she
signed her name, were extorted from hel
when on a bed of sickness. She alleges thai
Tilton has ever been envious of Beecher!
fame, and has for years made the threat tina
'the God of battles was in him." and he would
crush Beecher if he had to sacrifice every
thing, even to character, wife and children, tt
accomplish the purpose.
Altogether the case is an ugly one; but the
sentiment of the northern press, which is mos
directly interested, is decidedly against Tilton
and the charitable construction Of insanity il
placed upon his acts. AS the matter stands
however, it is simply a question of veracity
between the accuser and the accused, on which
public opinion will ever continue divided.