Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-09-26
The Beecher Scandal.

MISS SAfHARtNk FtkEB-A
DEFENSE OF THE PLYMOUTH PAsTog.
Miss Catharine Z. Beecher has published the
latest contribution to the great scandal. Ih
letter to the New York Tribune she makes
vigorous defense of her brother. She asserts
that the proprietor of the Independent was the
real orig instor of the charges, and severely as
saults Messrs. Tilton, Moulton, and ToWnss
Her idea of the matter is as follows:
Here then is q case where q man, who, until
three score, has lived pure, virtuOus and use
full life, by the unanimous testimony OF
brothers, sisters, school companions, class
mates, paTishioners, ard fellow citizens, IL ac-
STsed Of lying; hypocrisy, adultery and rape
This Is on one side.
On the other side are three men convicted,
by their own showing, of making these accgsR-
tOns and then denying their truth, aud in other
matters shown TO be dishonest and liars; while
two half crazy women first affirm an I then deny
the truth of such charges What then Is the
truth as shown by the weight of evidence?
Itltons statement not only contains SANDER
ous lies against my brother, but also against my
brothers wife, whom for years he has hated and
believed TO be the iuciting cause of his down
fall. Some of these lies can be contrsdicted by
my personal knowledge, as for example, the
charges of her i'll treatment of her husbands
relsttves. Like all other wives, my sister-in-
law has some faults; and like other women of
strong character is liable TO strong preiudices;
and so when my fathers wife and she were un-
conxenial, 1T was deemed best that separate
establishment should be provided, rather 1han
permanent residence in nv brothers fDmilv
which he desired. But in the last year of nv
fathers life his most frequent aud fsvorite re-
devoted herself to his comfort and amusement
with the most tender assiduity. AS to her trea..
ment of my brothers and sisters, and others OF
our family relatives, they have ALWAYS met a
cordial welcome from my brother, and at
least civil one from his wife, while some
who are his favorites are equally hers. That my
brother, united to one who for nearly 20 wears
has proved a loving wife, the devoted mother of
his ten children, an excellent housekeeper, an
able amspuensts, capable manager Of his
business affairs and successful authoress that
q nhiuQtrOnG Of all he
wife's interests, should be represe uted es going
to such a scatter brains as Tilton with COM
plants of his own wife and the wish that he
had such wife as TiltOn, Is a story as incredi-
Bile as ii is silly. These are specimens of the
lies TO be found in that statement The only
new matter OF any consequence in this last
statement sre letters which persons proved to
be experts in fOrgeries could easily modify to
meet their ends. The most important one is
MRS. Tiltons letter to her mother, which was
not put in Tiiton's first statement, which he
confessed he tore up. while he does MT state
how he obtained copy Of it from his wife's
mother.
In conclusion, il would seam as il nothing
now is needed but for all decent zen and wo-
men TO act on the preceding principles of COM
mon sense. As to an appeal to courts of justice
In New lotk city, where the Judicial ermine il
represented in leading papers as sadly sullied.
every delicate woman and every protector of
women should protest against it as involving
the most serious dangers. Suppose this csse
brought before a tribunal where abundant
money could be employed to corrupt judges and
jury, and to hire periured witnesses, and where
the most refined and respectable ladies could
he forced TO appear and meet the cross-aues-
torI and brow beating of coarse and ribald
lawyers. can any thing be imagined more to be
dreaded? Ii is case in which every modest
woman has personal interest, and in behalf of
myself, my dearest friends, and nv sex, with
the words of the outraged Apostle, "I appeal
unto CRssr'-that great and noble C.psar-the
Just and good of the common peO ole who decide
our customs, our privileges, our laws and their
penalties. Let them use the principles of com
mon sense, and these demoraIizing statements
will be the last, and will bs doomed with ths
vile authors to perpetual insigniiicance and
everlasting contempt.