The Portland daily press., 1874-08-28
THE PRESS.
From the Maine State Press of Aug. 27.l
History Of Seven Days.
The news for the week ending Wednesday
Night August Goth.
THE GREAT SCANDAL,

THE GREAT SCANDAL.
AT last Mr.. Moulton has spoken, and when
the lips of this silent man were unsealed there
poured forth torrent of words which filled one
side of one of the largest dailes of the country,
and turning over, nearly inundated second
page, In the finest type. Our readers may get
some idea of the length of this document, when
it is remarked that in fine type, it would fill
quite twenty-five columns of this paper. The
greater part of the document is made up of let
ters intrusted to him by Messrs. Beecher and
Tilton for safe keeping, of other letters which
Mr. Beecher says he entrusted to Moulton, be-
cause the Plymouth pastor is careless man
with papers, and other letters written by Tilton
to show that he was acting all along in good
faith. The gist of the statement is that Mr..
Beecher confessed to him frequently that he
had committed adultery with Mrs. Tilton;
that Mrs. Tilton confessed the same as is
shown, and also denied by her letters. Be
yond the letters which are and have been
published he had no evidence to offer beyond
his declaration that Mr.. Beecher confessed the
crime to him and that he constantly acted with
this knowledge to keep the matter from the pub
x
blow such revelation would infict upon the
moral and religious world.
Among the letters published are those of Mrs.
Hooker Mr. Beecher's sister, and Rev. Thomas
X. Beecher, previous to the Woodruff publica-
tion, which are introduced to show that as ear
ly as 1872, Mr.. Beecher's friends and relations
had an idea of Mr.. Beecher's alleged crminali-
ty with Mrs. Tilton. There is also a letter of
Mr.. Tilton's to friend written in Dec. 1872, in
which be significantly states that in his desk
he had statement, which, if he should
publish at any time, would clear him
(Tilton) of all the scandals in connection with
the Woodruff woman. Moulton also shows
some letters which go to show that girl living
at Tilton's house was sent away to Western
female seminary, because she knew of Mr..
Beechers crime and was inclined to tattle
about it. In this connection are letters signed
by this girl stating that she had lied about
Tilton, when she stated that Mr.. Tilton was
an adulterer in his own house
In reply to the charge of Joining Tilton for the
purpose of black-mailing Beecher, Moulton
says that it was Mr.. Beecher's own offer to
help TiltoE, and of his own motion placed
$4,000 in Moulton's hauds to be paid out to Til
Ion as his stress of circumstances demanded,
He also published paper showing the time
and amounts paid Mr.. Tilton. He further de-
clares that ,Titon had no knowledge of the
source whence this money came and would not
have received it, had he known that it came
from Mr.. Beecher.
This is the gist of MI. Moulton's long state
ment. The general opinion of the better por-
tion of the New York press is that. he (Moulton)
has added no new evidence and at best it is a
question of veracity between Messrs. Moulton
and Beecher. The Tribune, World and other
papers declare that Moulton has failed either to
convict Beecher or extricate himself from his
awkward position.
The whole affair is now in the courts, Tilton
having brought suit against Beecher for dam
age for seducing his wife The case will be
tried in October.
The report of the Plymouth church Investi-
eating Committee will be made to the society
next Friday evening. 1t is said to be quite long
ends with acquitting Mr. Beecher of all the
charges made against him, An abstract of the
report has been published. 1t reviews the tes-
timony of Mr.. Tilton and says that on the
cross-eqamination, he could not tell whether
the alleged act of Mr.. Beecher putting his hand
upon the ankle of Mrs. Titon in his presence
occurred within term of six or eight years, be-
fore or after the war. The Committee also
state that Tilton therein swore that during all
that period he, although cognizant of his wife's S
unfaithfulness, was pure man, and true to his
marriage VOWS. This led to the examination of
n t;o iu fha hons of
ton who testified that on two occasions, when
Mrs. Tilton was absent, he (Tilton) attempted
to commit adultery with her. The committee
consequently pass him by as perjurer on the
ground that where a man once swears falsely.
his testimony is ruined.
Sunday Mr.. Beecher preached at the Twin
Mountain hotel in the White Mountain region,
to large audience gathered from fifty miles
about, from the text: Nevertheless the foun-
dations of God standeth sure.'' He made no
allusion to the scandal. Monday he went to
Littleton, N. HI. and there signed and swore to
paper making explicit denial of the charges
in Tilton's complaint.
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
The new Postmaster General, late minister to
Russia, arrived home Thursday, and on Satur-
day was received by the citizens of his home
city, Hartford, Ct, with unusual demonstra-
tions, both military and civic. Tuesday he was
in Washington looking into the affairs of the
Department On September 1st he will take
charge of the soffice. 1t has been suggested
that our government be represented in the Pos
tai Convention which meets at Berne, Swtzer-
land, Sept 14th, and j. H. Blackfan, superin-
tendent of foreign mail service is indicated for
the representative.
Eighteen national banks have not yet remit
ted their five per cent reserve. If they don't
do it at once, their names will be told and their
notes protested.
Spain doesn't seem inclined to comply with
the provisions of the Fish-Polo protocol, to in
vestigate and furnish the guilty parties in the
Virginius affair, but on the other hand demands
indemnity for loss suffered by the Virginius and
other United States fillibusters. Our govern
ment is not disposed to yield point and Min
lister Gushing is pressing our demand for the
execution of the terms of the protocol
POLITICAL
There are no stirring events in politics. In
Louisiana the conservatives have held state
convention which nominated Mr.. Moncuze for