Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-07-24
A Husbands Perfidy Exposed
Thcodore's Reputation for Veracity
Deprecated.

New York, %. The following is the state
ment of Mrs. Elizabeth X. Tilton:
To pick up anew the sorrows of the last ten
years, the stings and pains 1 had daily
schooled myself to bury and forgive, makes
this imperative duty as called forth by the
malicious statements of my husband, the sad
est act of my life. Beside, my thoughts of
following the matter contradicts this act of
my pen, and sense Of a perversion of my
life Of faith almost compels me now to stand
aside till God himself delivers. Yet see in
this wanton act an urgent call and privilege
from which shrink not to reply in detail to
the twenty-five articles of arraignment.
shall not attempt it at present, yet if called
upon to testify to each and all of them, l shall
not hesitate to Go so. Suffice it for my pur-
pose now that reply to one or two of the
most glowing charges.
Touching the feigned sorrow of my hus-
bands compulsory revelations, solemnly
avow that long before the Woodruff putlica-
ton l knew him, by nsnuation and direct
statement, to have repeated TO my very near
relative and friend the substance of these ac
cusations which shock the moral sense of the
entire community this day. Many times
when hearing that certain persons had spoken
ill of him, he has sent me to chide them for
so doing and then and there l learned he
had been before me with his calumnes against
myself, so that was speeches.. This reit-
Grafton in his statement that he had persis-
tently striven to hide these so-called facts, is
utterly false. His hatred to Mr.. Beecher has
existed these many years, and the determine
ton to ruin Mr.. Beecher has been the one
aim of his life.
Again the peridy with which the hottest
love wife ever offered, has been recklessly
discovered in this publication reaches well
nigh to sscrilege, aud added to this the en-
deavor, like the early scandal of Mrs. Wood
hull, to make my own words condemn me,
has no parallel. Most conspicuously, my
letter quoted the reading of Griffith Gaunt."
Had Mr.. Tlton read the pure character of
Catharine, he would have seen that lifted
myself beside it as near as any human may
effect an ideal. But it was the incidents Of
fiction surrounding it to which l referred.
Hers was no sin of criminal act or thought.
A like confession" with hers had made to
Mr.. Tilton in telling of my love to my friend
and pastor one year before, and now add
that Notwithstanding all misrepresentation
and anguish Of soul,I owe to my acquaintance
and friendship with Mr. Beecher as to no
other human instrument that encouragement
in my mental life and growth toward the di.
vine nature, which enables me to walk daily
in lively hope of the life beyond.
The shameless charges in articles I, s, and
. are fesrfully false in each and every par
ticular. The letter referred to in Mr.. Tilton's
10th paragraph was obtained from me by i'm
pertunty and by representations that it was
necessary for him to use in his pending diff
cultles with Mr.. Bowen. / was then sick
nigh unto death, having suffered miscar.
riage only four days before. l signed what
ever lie required without knowing or under
standing its import. The paper have never
seen, and do not know what statement it con-
tanned. In charge number eighteen letter
of mine addressed to Mr.. Francis Moulton,
quoted to prove that never desired sepera.
ton, or was advised by Mr.. or Mrs. Beecher,
to leave my husband, reply the letter was
of Mr.. Tilton's own concerning which he in.
duced me to copy and sign as my own, an act
which, in my weakness and mistaken thought
to help him, have done too often during
these unhappy years. The implication that
the harmony of the home was unbroken
until Mr.. Beecher entered it as our
frequen. guest and friend, is lamentable
satire upon the household where he himself
years before laid the corner stone of free-love
and desecrated it's affairs up to the time of my
departure, so that the atmosphere was not
only Goddess but impure for my children, and
in this effort and those of agony would fain
lift my daughters and all womanhood from the
insiduous and diabolical teachings of these
latter days. His frequent efforts to prove me
insane, weak minded, insignificant, of mean
presence, all rank in the category of heart
lessness, sel6shness, aud falsehood, having
its climax in his present endeavor to convince
the world that have or ever have been I'M
able to distinguish between an innocent and
guilty love. In summary of the whole matter
affirm myself, before God, to be innocent of
the crimes laid upon me, that l never have
been guilty Of adultery with Henry Ward
Beecher, in thought or deed, nor has he ever
offered to me an indecorious or improper
proposal. To the further charge that was
led away from my h,me by Mr.. Beecher' 3
friends and by the advice of lawyer whom
Mr.. Beecher had sent to me and who, in ad-
vance of my appearing before the committee,
arranged with me the questions and answers
which are to constitute my testimony before