The Portland daily press., 1874-06-25
The TiltOn-Beecher Scandal.
TiltOM Publishes "A Long Article in
the Golden Age.
STARTLING DISCLOSURES HINTED
aE ATT
Remarkable EpistIes of TiIton and
.t1 Beecher.

NEW YORK. June 2i-Theodore Tilton pub
fishes a seven column letter in the Golden Age
of this week addressed to Rev. Leonard Bacon,
ex-moderator of the Brooklyn Council, which
Is calculated to make an extraordinary sensa-
ton. - -A~f>@ ~ - u 49,
NJ Tilton says he had been for fifteen years
member of Plymouth Church, aud had be-
come meanwhile an intimate friend of the
pastor. The knowledge came to me in 1870
that he had committed against me, an offence
which, l forbear to name or characterize.
Prompted by my self-respect, | immed lately
and forever ceased my attendance or his MINIS
try. l informed him of this determination as
early as January 1871, in the resence of
mutual friend, Francis ID. Moulton. The rules
of Plymouth Church offered me q choice be-
tween two methods of retirement one to ask
formal letter of dismissal, the other to dismiss
myself less formally by prolonged absence. /
chose the latter. Several powerful reasons
prompted me to this alternative.
The pastor communicated to me in writing
an apology signed by his nam9 He also APP
pealed to me to protect HIM from bringing re-
proach to the cause of religion. He alleged
that an exposure would forbid him to reascepd
the pulpit.is These and other similar reasons L
! had no right or disposition to disregard.
AT length my absence from the church. an
absence the cause of which not three mer,bers
OF the congregation beside the pastor knew, be-
gan to excite comment in private circles. After
many caldmnous whisperings, near aud tar a
weekly paper in New York in November, 1872,
published a wicked and horrid scandal, pub
lieation which some persons in the church g
norantly attributed in It's origin to me. Where
rs had previously spent many months of con-
stant and unremittng endeavor to suppress it
an endeayor in which, with an earnest motive
but foolish judgment made many i'll directed
sacrifices in my reputation.
In May, 1873, occurred the surreptitious pub
lieation, tTipartite agreement, signed by H. c.
Bowen, H. w. Beecher and myself; an agree
laent which, so far as / was concerned had for
its object to pledge me to silence against using
or circulating charges which Mr.. Bowen had
made against Mr. Beecher.
Tilton then relates at some length the steps
taken by Mr.. West to cite him before Plymouth
Church on charge of circulating scandal
against the pastor The charges formally
brought. few weeks after, though nominally
against himself, were really against the pastor.
He cheerfully co-operated in defeating West,
and wrote letter declining to accept "a copy of
the charges addressed to him as member on
the ground that he had four years previously
ceased connection with the church.
For this letter he received the pastors
prompt and hearty thanks. An understanding
was then had between Mr., Beecher and him
self that Vests indictment was to be disposed
of by simple resolution that he (Tilton) had
four years previously termi mated his member
ship. This was to put Vests case quietly out
of court without scandal. To Tilton's surprise
and Indignation he subsequently, learned that
the report would declare that, whereas, he
had been charged with slanderiug the pastor
and been cited to meet the charge, and had
pleaded non membership, therefore resolved,
&C., and upon appearing in person at the
meeting, helwas told by the report that he had
been served with the charges andrequested to
answer them, whereas the truth is he was re-
| qnested not to answer them. He consequently
| arose in the meeting and said in Mr. Beech
| er's presence, that if he had slaudered him he
| would answer for it to his face, and Mr..
| Beecher replied in an equally public manner
that he had no charge to make. Next follows
| the history of the Congregational Council, ac-
mpaned by letters from ymious persons and
| criticism upon the acts and languages of that
| body s.-s- .~r
| Triton continues: Il solemnly aver and no
| man shall gaInsay me that the reason why
| Plymouth Church avoided an investigation into
| the scandal with which / vas charged, was
| not, because |, but another man, had brought
| dlshonor on the Christian name; and yet the
other person, a clergyman permitted his church
| to brand me before the council with an accuSa-
| ton, which, had been in his place and he ia
| mine, would voluntarily have borne for my
self instead of causing another. ga
| will add in another Instance, by quotation
| from letter which had occasion to address to
Mr.. Beecher, dated May LIST, 1874:
| Henry Ward Beecher:
| Sir,--Mr. f. b. Carpenter mentions to me
! your aying to him that under certain conditions
| Involving certain disavowals by me, a sum OF
meney would or conid DE raised 10 sead me,
VIA my family, to Europe for a term of years.
| The statement compels me state explicitly
that so long as life and selfrespect continue to
! exist together in my breast, l shall be declared
from receiving either directly or indirectly, any
| pecuniary or other favor at your hant s. The
reason for this feeling on my art. you know so
well that will spare you the statement of it.
! Yours truly, Pr 81
| THEODORE TLToN.
| After some further remarks, Triton SAYS: l
am at last forced to the disagreeable necessity
| of publishing the following:
Brooklyn, Jan. l, ISL ask Theodore TIL
tons forgiveness and humble myself before
him as do before my God. He would have
beena better man in my circumstances than
have been. | can ask nothing except that he
| will remember all the other breasts that would
ache, l will not plead for myself. even wish
that 1 were dead. III. w. BEECHER.