The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-09-22

Tiitons mind at any public allusion, friendly or
otherwise. to the scandal which Mrs. Woodruff
published, L may mention that, shortly after
that publication, 1 prepared for the press
the card known as my letter to my Complain
ing Friend" / wrote IL in my wife's pr sence,
and submitted IL to her Judgment. She ap-
proved the card, and seemed pleased and salts
ned. It was designed TO throw a shield OF pro-
lection over her against Mrs. Noodhull's attack
Although that card has been extensively pub
lshed, beg the favor Of reproducing IL here, la
o der that its kindly phraseology owards my
wife may be carefully weighed and in order also
that The G. mment she subsequently made upon
Other letters and extracts are given TO show
how heavily Mrs Hltons guilty secret pressed
on her and then Mr.. Ttlton's
DEALINGS WITH BOWEN
are taken mp. TiIfon denies Beecher's assertions
in relation 10 the cause ofhis leaving the Inde-
De dent quotes from card of Mr.. Bowen,
published in 1869, in which he approves every
movement and suggestion Of Mr.. Tilton and
other sentiments ofapproval, and repudiaies the
assertion that he "fell" from the editorial chair
great minufeness the facts connected with
Bowen's confession OF Beecher's criminalty TO
between s 1' Beechep and Titon.
Here Mr.. Tilton takes up the statement OF the
committee, upon which ABOUT one.half OF the
committees verdict Is based, that
THE REAL CHARGE
against Beecher was Improper proposals. and
not "adulteI y" until the latter accusation was
trumped up part of a conspiracy. He then
quotes from the charge against him on the rec
ords of Plymouth Church the following specin-
cation among the others:
Third-At an interview with Mrs. Andrew
Bradshaw In Thompsons dining-rooms on
Clinton street, on or about the Sd day of August,
1870, Theodore Tlton stated that he had discov-
cred that criminal intimacy existed between
his wife and Mr.. Beecher. Afterward, In No
vember, 1872, referring to the above conversa-
tion, Mr.. Tiiton 5 id 10 Mrs. Bradshaw thai he
retracted none OF the accusations which he had
forr nArlv m adQ a
Witness: MRS. ANDREW BRADSHAW.
The date mentioned in this specification,
namely, the Sd of August, 1870, was Only thirty
days after Mrs. Til ons confession OF July OF that
year! What shall be thought of the report of A
so-called investigating committee OF Plymouth
Church which, in order TO maintain and uphold
the pastors false denial OF ms true charge against
him, is compelled in oils defense. to lalsify the
question: "What is the proof tbs the charge in
the first instance was adultery?" meets In the
ALTO official document by Plymouth Church
tempted to return 10 these six Gentlemen
he epithets they have put upon M. Moulton
and me, and TO say that for their own verdict,
judg d by their own ch 4rch records, they stand
ECO ivicted of vile fraud" The above church
record completely nullltieS one-half-more than
hali-of the committees report.
Mr. Tilton next asserts that IL was not he. but
Mr.. Beecner, who fea,ed To be tried. He then
that the original charge was improper advances,
"A ID gives the following account of the Storrs
The entire letter, OF which the above is the
first sentence, was cOmCosei by Mrs. TiltOn.
except only the above sentence, which was
mine. 1 suggested the above form of expression
TO her, because she at that time in del
icste mood of conscience and desired TO confess
the whole truth = Dr. Storrs, in hope thereby
tired of telling fals ehoods, and il DIR. Storrs
was TO give wise counsel, he ought 10 know
her 10 be in the state of mind witch She ex-
hibited on that cccasion There was always
an undercurrent OF conscience running
yh
iamenied to me her SAD rate t. De S9ndennso q
70 live a lie" Accordingly, she sought
tTuth-not part of IT. was unwilling that
she should make such a damasing confession.
She in listed that she must cease her falSeh cd
| az some time, ard that that waR proper time
| II was To meet this demand OF her conscience
ouoied-a sentence moi Inconsistent win the
exact truth, because the words, together with
all that this implies, might be as readily take n
/ to imply that sue had yielded To Mr. Beecher's
solicitation, as that she had rel cted it. DR..
StOrs, in reading the above letter, seemed
to take for granted from its terms that
MRS. rILToN HAD NOT
yielded to this solicitation, and did not unde.
ceive him. i repeat that the opening sentence
of the letter was framed by me expressly to sat
isfy Mrs. TIIton's desire to confess the whole
truth-a desire on her part which contemplated
with pain and apprehension, and from which /
sought to shield her by the above form or words
The committee are guilty of little less than
sharp practice in comme ting on the phraseoI-
ogy as they have done In their verdict, for
was explicit 10 give them the exact ex-
j But no hing is 50 astounding To me in The
committees report as the following statement
b airing on the same point: "The further fact, y
they say, "that Tilton treated The matter flr
four years as an otfense which could properly
be apOlogized Tor and forgiven, is wholly incon-
sistent with the charge IN It's present form. =
more specious phraseolOqy, as follows: All
| MoultOn, say they, understood thecbarge to be
adultery, then he Is entitled to the credit of the
| the subject OF an apology" The above
sentiment thus put forth Dy the commit.
code Of morals and Of honor; but Il seems so to
me that a church committee Is bound to hold
that no crime or wrOng-doing should be beyond
it is committed, and, in particular, that the
crime in the present case should have reminded
| cnurchly tribunal OF the immortal maxim OF
Him who said of the woman taken in adultery,
| Neither do condemn thee." since, however,
Christian code OF morality on this subject, and
substitutes q more popular and cruel opinion
wbieh WITH greater tnins en,,v snond tava 'eWPered
who err-I will convict Mr.. Beecher
by the worlds code of honor in such cases. II Is
men ofthe world" that IL man has received
ladys extreme gift he is bound TO protect her
reputation and to shield her against any and
every hazard OF exposure. What, then. In view
OF this law, Is the just measure Ofcoloquy which
''men OF the world, according to their own eti-
quette of behavior, should visit upon Mr.. Beech
er. who, after having subdued a lady TO his sex
ual uses for period Of more than year, at last,
| in spirit of bravado and desperation \, publicly
appoints q committee of six men, with two at
torneys 10 inquire into the facts of her guilt in
volvtng her inevitable exposnre and ruin? Even
| Nj. Beecher's worldly mined champion, Mr.
Kinsella. though guilty of the same crime OF Sc
duction, has proved more forbearing to his VIC
| TIM
AS regards
| PREE LovB,
Tilton denies that he ever held any "loose no.
ton, and says that his notions OF marriage are
those which are common throughout Christeu.
dom, and retorts upon Beecher by quoting O
very severe article on the Richardson McFar
land marriage, and Beecher's part therein
which Mr.. Bartlett, now Beechers chief at
| torney, wrote for the Sun. He then details
| an apparently fun and candid state
ment OF his relations TO Mrs. Wood.
hull, and in conclusion saws: Nv enfira ac.