Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-08-07
THE SUM AND SUBSTANCE OF THE GREAT
SCANDAL

Amongst all the contradictions and perplexi-
ties OF the Brooklyn Scandal one point at least
has been made reasonably clear-that the curl
ously feeble character of Mrs. Tilton has been
the whole cause of the trouble We can say this
in any case-whether the weakness really went
to the length averred by her husband, or whether
she was simply such an incompetent as her own
statement and her examination before the COM
mittee show her to be. 1t would not surprise any
one now to learn that the whole sum and sub
stance of the charge is comprised in the extraor-
dinary mental condition of this woman as shown
in the DR.. Storrs episode, else that from begin
ing to end it was mere hallucination. 1t must be
admitted that the voluminous statements drawn
from Mrs. Tilton concerning the unhappiness Of
her married life, and the violence of her husband
bear very little on the question Of her own and
Mr.. Beecher's offence. The Storrs incident
seems, at this stage, to clear the view immense
ly. If she confessed this lie to DR.. Storrs why
should she have not have confessed the same
lie to her husband? Undoubtedly she did
so. Why she did so, knowing it to be
a lie, is one of the most excruciating
problems ever put to persons of ordinary sense,
but we must compel ourselves to dismiss its con-
sideration for the present, which only concerns
the verdict upon Mr.. Beecher. If it is lie--un-
conscious, forced upon her by her husbands
monomania, or however else-the main charge
falls. Practically it has fallen.
But what else How to explain Mr.. Beech
er's letters, his "apology," his remorse? By
supposing, as it has now grown morally certain
to be the fact that Mrs. Tilton loved Beecher
She says Beecher was more to her thau
her husband. 1t is not difficult, sfte1
what we have learned of her ulu.a
romantic and sentimentql. disposition, to i'm.
agine that she allowed herself to be CT, Led
away in this forbidden direction. Beecher's
wrong doing was that he encouraged this love.
How far he shared it is not Gel tan but he saw the
uncongenialty Of husband and wife, he felt that
the woman loved him, aud he took pleasure in
the fact. Mrs. Tilton will be shown to have ex-
pressed this passion in pronounced and uncom
promising fashion Mou'ton has letsers t, ''iat
effect, We may depend After while
Beecher awoke, the women awoke
the husbands suspicious were aroused
and his uneasy brain set about all ma 1nel
of wild aud extravgant imaginings. Tho
rest has just been detailed by Mrs. Tilton in hel
cross examination. The case should be no Ion
ger mystery to persons of discel 1ment. Ever!
word in Mr.. Beecker's grief-s 'icken letters may
be thus explained. He knew too well the mise
~ caused by this encouragement of the affec
tions Of maj. ed woman /; he knew of the will
runlors - the consequences of the unhealth,
mental condition of husband and wife
which already commenced to darken 80
cie.y he knew what convulsioI
the upheavsl of Plymouth Pulpit woul,
occasion mot a word he used is too strong, OF
review of all the circumstances under thi
'ght This is the story winch Mr.. Moulton i
now writing, and which he will read to the com
m'ttee tomorrow night.
The centre Of all is Mrs. Tilton Not Beechei
not the husband, not the free-lovsrs, or an,
other of the innumerable crowd OF performer
who have been cast in this sensatona' drams
which may yet be tragedy but woman VIII
meaning to do right has occasioned the greatet
tumult ever known in American society, an
who Nithout-we honestly believe-intendin n
ever to harm any one, came very near destro,
ing one of our greatest citizens, if indeed, al
has not seriously crippled his usefulness fo
ever