The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-08-15

past. You are mistaken when you say that "r.
charges you with making him appear as one one gra
which it was published in some of the papers made
it so appear and it from this that he asked re-
which will cover the case. May God bless you. 1
know he will protect you. Yours, FRANK.
In the haste Of writing Mr.. Moulton ap-
parently failed to perceive what he had written
in the first instance on one SIDE OF naif sheet
of paper, and used the clean side of that half
sheet for the purpose of the letter, which he
sent in the shape he had given, but it will be
seen that he deliberately and twice in success
sion, reaffirmed his main statement that there |
was nothing in the whole case on which l |
could not safely stand. He treats my resolu |
ton as born of such morbid despair, as he had |
often reproached in me for, and urged me |
strongly to maintain my faith in him. Tilton
yielded to his persuasion, aud graciousy al
lowed himself to be soothed by the publication
of a card generating him from the author
ship of the base ills to which the tripartite
covenant referred. So once more, and this
time against my calmer Judgment, patched up
ousy erred in Judgment with this perplexed
case no one is more conscious than / am. /
chose the wrong party and accepted disas-
trous guidance in the beginning, and have in.
In my prolonged efforts to suppress this
scandal which has at last spread so much
desolaton through the land, but l cannot ad-
NIT that erred in desiring to keep these mat
tiers out of sight In this respect l appeal to
you and to all Christian men to Judge whether
almost any personal sacrifice ought not to have
been made rather than to suffer the morals OF
an entire community, and especially the young,
to be corrupted by the filthy details of scandal
GUS falsehoo1s daily iterated and amplifed for
the qualification of impure curiosity and the
generalization of every child that is old
enough tu read.
BEECHER systematically BLACKMAILED.
The full truth of this history requires that
one more fact should be told, especially as
Mr.. Tilton has invited it. Money has been OBJ
tanned from me in the course of these affairs III
considerable sums, but I did not at first look
upon the suggestions that 1 should contribute
to Mr.. Tiltons pecuniary wants as savoring of
blackmail. This did not occur to me until I
uted at one time $4,000. After the money had
been paid over ia five $1,000 bills, to raise
which 1 mortgaged the house live in, | felt
very much dissatisfied with myself aboutit
Finally square demand, threat was made
to me by my confidential friend that if $1,000
more were not paid Tilton's charges would be
laid before the public. This saw at once was
blackmail in its boldest form, and never paid
cent Of it, but challenged and requested the
fullest exposure. But after the summer of
1873 became inwardly satisfied that Tilton
was inherently aud inevitably a ruined man.
no longer trusted either his word or his hon.
or. came to feel that his kindness was but a
snare, and that his professions of friendship
by his own household, but l suffered all the
more on this account.
As he had grown up nnder my influence aud
in my church, could never free myself from
certain degree Of responsibility for his msdo-
ings, such as visits father for wrong doing
son and in time of great mental depression,
this feeling at some times amounted almost to
a mania. Among the last desperate efforts to
restrain him from rwhelming himself, his
family, myself, the church and the whole con-
munity with the fetid flood of scandal which
he had by this time accumulated were those
connected with tAe charges of Mr.. West and
the subsequent proceedings of the Examining
Committee of the church. The prosecution of
Mr. 7. felt bound to protect against any form.
1 would strive to prevent the belching forth
of the scandal, but in that form it was peculiar
ly distasteful. 1t presented no square issue on
which my guilt or innocence could be tried. L.
was roundabout issue, on which Mr.. Tlton
could have escaped possibly by showing that
he believed the stories he told about me, or that
he had not circulated them only to the mere
| failure on the other side to prove that he had
| done so, or by the decision that he was mono
maniac and not responsible. Any such half
way decision would leave me in the attitude of
| the overthrown and yet no party to the case.
Moreover felt that Mr.. Tilton thought was
setting my church against him, and I was
| bound that he should not think that; for ii it
had not been for me he would have been drop.
| ped two years before for non attendance, and
| for his distinct notice to me that he was out of
| the church
I had got the examining committee to post
p)ne the usual action because he was letting
his vile still attend the church, and L thought
that would gradually influence him for good
Indeed hehad deluded ne with hopes that be
would give up his bad women associates and
reform bis life. felt that we had no right to
claim him as member under the circumstan-
ces for the sole purpose of his public trial. Mr..
Moulton insisted that eyery thing must be done
to prevent that trial, as the examining com
mittee was likely to be equally divided wheth-
err the facts sustained Mr.. Tilton's plea or
whether he was out of tie church or not.
BEEcHER READY TO RESIGN TO SAVE Triton.
I was so determined to carry out my pledges
to Moulton for him, and do all in human pow
er to save him even from himself that was
ready to resign if that would stop the scandal.
wrote letter OF resignation, not referring to
the charges against me, but declaring that
had striven for years to maintain secrecy con-
cerang scandal affecting family in the
church, ard that as I had failed l herewith re-
sign.
This letter was never sent A little calmer
thought showed me how futile it would be to
stop this trouble, mere useless self sacrifice,
but showed it to Ms. Moulton and possibly he
copied it. l have ionnd the original OF 1t in
my house. Ii L could at this moment remem-
Der any Of the other letters which / have writ
ten to Mr.. Moulton. would do so. Ii he has
preserved all my illusions of feeling he must
have large collection. l wished him 10 bring
them all before the committee. l should be
glad to get such hints as they may contain to
refresh my recollection of facts and sequences.
| have no fear OF their full and fair publication,
for though they would doubtless make sad
exposure of my weakness, grief and despond-
ency, they 90 not contain line confessiDg
such guilt as has been charged upon me, Or
word Inconsistent with my innocence, nor any
other spirit than that of a generous remorse
over great and more and more irreparable
evil.
But however intense and numerous may be
these expressions grief, they cannot possibly
overstate the anxiety which I constantly felt
for the future, the perils of which it is now
clear did not exaggerate, nor the sorrow and
remorse which FELT originally, on account of
the injury which l supposed had unwittiDgly
done to beloved family, and afterward for the
greater injury which became satisfied had
done by my unwise blind and useless efforts
to remedy that injury, only, as it proved, at
the expense of my own name, the happiness
of my own family and the price of my own
church.
CONCLUSION.
Gentlemen Of the Committed: In the note re-
questing your appointment, [ asked that yon
should make full investigation of all the
sources of Information. You are witnesses that
L have in no way influenced or ipterfered with
your proceeding or duties. / have wished the
investigation to be so searching that nothing
could shake its results. 1 have nothing to gain
by the policy of suppression or compromse.-
For years have borne and suffered enough
and will not go a step farther will be free
will not walk under rod or yoke! If any
man would do me favor, let him tell all he
knows now. 1t is not mine to lay down the
law of honor in regard to the use of other per-
sons confidential communications, but in SO far
as my own writings are concerned there is not
a letter or document which | am afraid to have
exhibited; and authorize aud call any living
person to produce and print forthwith whatever
writings they have of any source whatever. 1t
is time for the sake of decency and public NOR
ais that this matter should be brought to an
end. 1t is an open pool of corruption, exhaling
deadly vapors. For six weeks the sun has risen
up and set down upon scandal. Not war or
revolution scould have filled the newspapers
more than this question of domestic trouble,
magnifed thousand fold, and like sore spot
in the human body drawing to itself every
morbid huTor in the blood. Whoever is buried
with it, it is time that this abominatiou be
buried below all touch or power of resurrection.
Religious Intelligence.
Rev. f. W. Bakeman of Worcester, Mass,
preached at the Free street church. this CITY.
last Sunday mOrninp. and Rev II M Kim ~