Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-08-15
THE BROOKLYN INQUIRY.


Beecher, before the Plymouth church investi-
eating committee, the first Of which was print
I'd in yesterdays STAR. Mr.. Beecher was fur
Their cross questioned by Mr.. winslow with ref
erence TO the letter written by him stating that
Tilton had condoned bis wifes fault, a. follows:
MKT TO sTABBING WOMAN DEAD.
Q. You say in the same letter that he had
"enjCined you most earnestly and solemnly not
to betray his wlfe'-in what respect A. No.
TO betray this whole difficulty into which his
household have been cast Consider how il A..
L appeal to every sensitive man and cultivated
nature In the world, If any greater evil can be-
made the subject of even investigation as 1t re-
specis her moral character. For no greater
harm can betall woman than 90 be talked
about from house 10 house with discussions a
TO the grade OF offence, and the probable value
OF the offence, and the cause OF the offence aud
everything about it. Next 20 stabbing a woman
dead is 10 talk about her virtue, ami II the pub.
lie suppose that in order to interpret these let
tiers must refer TO vulgar, physical, gross IN
dignity, then they are living on plane where
do not live. You must remember that was
aware that, in addition TO the trouble involving
my name, Mr.. Tilton had also, in dts of jeai-
ousy, accused his wife of criminal intercourse
with several gentlemen OF whom 1 was not one,
and had asserted, In the presence OF witnesses,
that all her children, except the first, were the
children OF those gentlemen, respectively. In
his decent moods he WAS very anxious to have
such accusations unknown to the world The
mere rumor of them would cast an ineffaceable
blight upon bis children. Nothing would have
Mir. Tilton had deliberately chosen to cast a
blight of precisely the same kind upon those
very children by his subsequent course, and All
hat Is lett 70 me Is the power to speak OF this
sbominaDle accusation with the scOrn which
such horrible falsehood deserves.
STORMY DAYS.
q. You can refer TO some points which have
already been considered for a moment. al
nave a strange feeling about me that L am
spending my last Sunday and preaching nv
last sermon" DO you refer TO the same cOndi-
nd nd hat ha- A.
scrlbed? A. refer to the fact simply that that
was my state OF mind during this great trouble,
although, il you were TO collect all the language
have used at various times, IL might produce
an impression that had wallo wed in a sea OF
unparalleled distress. L have had story DAYS,
and have suffered more from tlIs than pro badly
taking the four years together, 1 have had
more religious peace, and more -ofOund in
sight into the wants and SUFFERING of men.
Since have become acquainted with trouble
and despair / have had an experience in the
higher regions of Christian life that is worth
all the sorrow and suffering that have had 10
so through to get to it;
TnToS's MANIA.
q. Is 1t or not true that a the course of these
matters Mr.. Tilton expressed a strong desire
that the secrets Of his family should not ne
known? A. Always. AT least that was his
mood, except when he fell into a strange mania
at times. There were times in which IL was
very evident that he perfectly lOnged 70 be
obliged TO bring out, or TO have somebody bring
out, a scandalOus story On his family, in order
that he might have the credit with the world a.
TO be SO magnanimous as still TO stay at home
and live with his wife.
q. You say: "My mind is clear; | am not in
haste; I shall write for the public a statement
that viii bear the light of the Judgment day.
@. You didn't do it, however, then; had you
any present purpose OF doing IL then? a. I
thought good many times that had better sit
down before my memory failed me and make a
memor aDdum of the course of events, ana the
reasons OF my conduct, but was 30 busy could
not do II.
RvRRYBoDY's FRIEND.
q. Here comes a clause In which YOU express
a profound confidence in MOalton's hielity
Does that correctly represent your own feel
ings? A. 1t does, although Mr.. Mouiton wa
Lot the man that l should select as au ideal
man. thought that in that one particular OF
fidelity TO friends he was the most remarkable
man ever met, by the amodut of time he va
willing 10 give, by the amount OF anxiety he was
willing 70 encounter, by the doing OF work
which suppose Is more agreeable TO him III All
20 me-that is, OF seeing different parties, aud
of ferretiDg out stories and running things back
their source-which utterly s6hor IN social
TelaboDs-and consequently trying ID keep me
sides of TiIton's character, which he never
failed 10 do. When brought 10 Moulton what
seemed to be the bad and trescherous things
learned OF Tllton he said, ''dont believe a word
of such things; ! will make inq uiries;" aud the
next time i would see him he would have a
plausible explanation Of the whole thing, and
felt as though il was no use to attack Tiltou,
that he shed every arrow that was aimed against
him. have said this not only in reference t.
the impressions he produced upon me, but until
the time of the council L WAS in an abiding
faith Of Mr.. Moulton's truth. Until the reply
CT Mr.. Tilton 10 Bacon's letter never had
suspicion Of his good faith and OF the sincerity
with which he was dealing with me; and when
that letter was published, and Mr.. Moulton, on
my visiting him in reference TO IL, proposed no
counter operation, no documents, no help, / was
staggered, and when Tilton subsequently, pub
lished his statement, after he came 20 this COM
mittee, when that came out L never heard
word from Moulton. He never sent for me nor
visited me, or did thing. ! waited for him TO
say or DO something, for L said 20 Moulton with
in the last year, Gas things are coming you
never are going TO manage TIltOn. He is going
TO manage you" 4 have said to him Once or
twice: "MoUlton, Tilt0n is longer-headed than
you are, and he has outwitted YOU" And 4
said 70 him, "The time is coming in which see
distinctly you have got to choose between Til
toms statement and mine" He said: "There
never will be, but 1 shall stand by you to the
DEATH He said that TO ne in the last CONVEX
sation had with him.
RBMoRsR, FEAR, AND DESPAIR.
q. You speak of rem0rse, fear, and despair?
A. suppose 1 felt them all. Whether l was
justified IN 90 feeling is question. When L
lived in Indianapolis there was old lawyer
there named Calvin Fletcher, New England
man Of large brain, who stood at the head of
the bar. He was Methodist Christian man.
He took peculiar fancy to me, and he used TO
come and see me often when L was a young
minister, and 1 would see him a great deal. He
would make many admirable suggestions, one
was 10 blame except the party who uttered the
cen plant. Says he: 81 hold myself responsible
for having every body do right by me, and il
they do not do right il Is because DO not DO my
duty. And now, }" said he, ''in preaching during
your life do you take blame upon yourself, and
cont you be scoldiDg your church and blaming
everybody. 1t is your business 10 see that your
folks are right" Well, it sank deep down into
my heart, and became a spring Of influence
from that day TO this. II my prayer meetings
do not 20 right il lie my fault. II the people do
not come to church am the one TO blame for
their Lot coming. IL things go wrong in my
family find the reason in myself. have fore
seen qua-rels In the church, and IL had left
them alone they would burst and break out;
but acting under my advice thus given, and de-
ing ny o.n DUTY, have had no difficulty in
my church.
BRBT PoR MAN TO HAVE ONE WIFE.
Q. Ar anonymous letter to the committee
from free-lover says that you have . reserva-
ton il your philosophy, which would enable
you to say, had no wrong conduct or relations
with Mrs. Tilton, having In your own mind a
belief that what you are charged with doing
was right. What are your ideas on this subject?
A. am not versed in the philosophy and cas-
uistry Of free love. stand on the New England
doctrine, in which was brought up, that IL is
best for man to have one wife, and that he stay
ho 40. v,<Sfv mad ~