The New York herald., 1874-09-02
LETTER FROM DIR. BACON.

- there ever was and whenever the Bee cher
1ilton matter Is brought up the partisans OF each
Of the principal actors in the scene, or rather
scenes are as equally divided as they ever were
psars to Be last waning waning. and yesterday there
MUTUAL noGLroN MI0RArEs.
OF Mr. rank MeutSn on Remseu Sc street. the
HERALD representative was informed that "our
mutual friend" had lert the city, but for wha: part
Il was, however, learned nom another source that
nr. Moulton has gone to Rhode Island. with the
cnusetts and N fIi paying visit to General Benjamin
r. Butler, to consult with him IN regard to his
M wncR Rr s 20 pe reaGy or p1o
unforeseen complications arise to bring about
further delay.
DR.. Bacon Explains.
The Independent VIII publish to-day the following
letter from Leonard Bacon, D. D., Of New Haven,
ex-Moderator OF the historic Congregational Coun-
ell
Probably the report Of the investigating Com
been made pubic long before what now write
can appear In print | shall not venture to prog
nostase the or contents OF the
favorable or unfavorabe, on the method OF In:
yestigat,on. No summing up, or sitting Of
and no disclosures that may yet be made
can In any way redeem the man who
50 n ns
the embarrassed editor and proprietor OF the
Golden Age ana the popular and prosperous but not
long ago l nrst heard the stories ''surpasslng
fable" which make up the great scandal cannot
they exist, are not Just now within nv reach.
Perhaps 1t was three years ago that the entire
budget, very much as gwen In Mr.. T1lton's state
ment was laid open before me ny man OF high
standing, who, unfortunately, knew nothing about
!he matter save what others mad told him. Then
tom" in the absence OF any proof or show OF
proof refused to withdraw my confidence from
Mr. Hsecnsr or to charge my memory with the
sooner or later become public; but l then began to
suspect, and thenceforward the impression on my
might be the dupe or the victim, and whatever
might be the result IN regard to MI. Beecher or
any other Of the
the "mutual friend" the custodian Of papers big
and black with fate the hero OF the pistol scene,
plot There may be another act n the drama. for
there are threats OF what Mr.. Tilton Will do and
threats OF wnat Mr.. MOuton will do. Very likely
they WILL do sOmetning but Will any Judiclous
lawyer ADVISE Mr.. MOulton to vindicate himself by
prosecuting Mr.. Beecher for libel Prank" as
aesthetic re1nemens, but eminentiy cnivalrous in
hls friendships and sensitive to the possibility OF
% M Sad the oeneft Of Franks generous friendship
for know not how many years. now turns upon
him In sell-defence and charges him with having
this high toned gentleman, whose "eye beams
keen with honor" vindicate his honor by bringing
hts accuser to answer before jury? How can he 7
Where will he f1nd judictOus and honorable coun-
sellor at law VINO Will advise him TO do sof Of
pot ans 3ne es nr
that the most eminent criminal lawyer in Mass
achusetts mas not already advised him to do Just
the thing which think u saRacious and honorable
counsellor would advise him not to do. Observe
the situation. Mr.. Beecher charges this man with
having been for years the chief actor 10 a base
conspiracy.
very dishonorable to the cOnspiratOrs, yet not
very creditable his own discretion, and not In
credible, all things considered. Ii ne tells the
truth, "Prank Mollton" is q bad man. But If Mr..
BeecherS story Is not true, what iOll0ws2 We
have Mr.. Moult0n's own report OF what he has been
doing cr these years past and his ia the true story
Mr. not @ IS accssna 10 Mr.
deserves the repr0bati0n and scOrn OF all honest
men, though he seems too deficient In moral sense
to know IT. In each OF the TWO stories there Is an
apparent conspiracy. The one is against Mr..
Beecher's peace OF mind against his reputation,
against his usefulness, against his family, against
she church OF which he is the honored minister.
It involves q conspiracy against weak ana help.
less woman, to disgrace her and her children, and
70 make her lie intoleraole. IL has proceeded, II
10 alleged SO far as to extort money from Mr..
Beecher's gushing sympathy with man whom he
had befrlended, but who had ruined himself Dy his
ineradicaple folly. The other is a conspiracy to
conceal crime which ought rather to have been
exposed and published II me or crime mel nad beer been
SORES alter the iact." and would have been liable
in law TO the punishment for murder. The crime
IN the c0DceaIment OF which Mr.. Moult0n processes
70 have been an accOmplice, though the statutes
Of New York do not recognize II as felony, Is
nevertheless so abhorred by the people that the
unwritten law applied by courts and juries per
mtts the
to Kill the offender and calls the deed emotional
insanlry.n conspiracy OF the same sort to cover
up burglary or q forgery, especially II money
what the law calls compromising ielony," and
the conspirators II exposed, would be punished a:
psrtakers In the crime. But what Is burglary
the repeated and multiplied acts OF crime-whict
M Beecher has been charged with, and which
jn1. % with an @ exquisite sense Of honorf TO men o
certain principles adultery may seem trivia
private aa IN ne walcn 'ne ne m
but not much OF crime against society," II only \
can be ''hushed up among ones friends" SO hxet
mind that, emulous Of the blessing pronounced or
peacemakers, he has been working all this while
= ne would have US understand, for 'compro
THE PUBLIC SCANDAL
had become 80 great that Mr.. Beecher had callet
responded Dy giving al the details OF his story Il
the world; when q thousand newspapers wer'
calling on Mr.. Moulton to produce the documents
said 10 be in his possession, and supposed to d
decisive, this peacemaker was marvenousy un
able to see anything IN the case other than per per
ton. WIN an assurance born OF perfect uncon
sctousness he urged the Investigatlng Com
mlttee 10 accept ulb VleW VI thc odbo ouu "
oottle II BY compromise" What II the
great preacher is Q thoroughly prontgate man
Q verttable Don Juan In the families which h
visitsf Only let US have . compromise, by whlc
mr.. Beecher and Mr.. Triton shall be good friend
again, and ell will be WELL surely we nave ~
Daniel come 10 Judgment" In the person OF MI
Aoulton What he proposes Is that the man who
acoordinR to his story, s thorough pronlga.e
position and all his influence BY coming to term
with Mr.. Theodore TltOn.
Doubtless 1t is the hope Of countless multitudes
ehnt M nnnn
triumpnantly vndcated; and they are praying tina
ne may De. But they are not praying, nor hopin
~ HE is GUILTY
& ne may escape detection, Having long nonore
MIN as good man, they believe that he Is innO
cent OF the wickedness imputed to him, and wi
SsLeye 30 ni! ne shall be proved guilty. In tina
DelleI tney are prsVing that his innocence may b
made manifest, and tnat those who have "cOr
spired" to destroy nim may be conrounded. Bu