The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-10-15
The Beecher Case Judlcially Summed
Up by Judge Lord.

Judge Lord, of the Massac husetts Su-
preme Court, has published an analysis
Of the evidence in the Beecher case. We
give the most salient portion of the doc
umSht: 49, -
There is in the community undoubts
edl&a few persons, insignificant in num-
Der and Importance, who desire that Mr..
Beecher shall be thought guilty, even if
innocent. The great body Of the people
desire that the truth shall establish his
innocence. Very many wish that only
such portions of the truth shall be pub
lished and accepted as acquit him; while
there are many who think that the cause
of religion, morality, and good morals
will best be subserved by the establish
ment of the truth, though it should make
certain his guilt. The evidence has been
introduced at such intervals, and has
been so intermixed with the comments
and speculations of editors and cores
pOndents, that there is great danger men
will come to conclusions in accordance
with their hopes, wishes, or prejudices,
rather than upon the facts. To judge
accurately it is of the utmost importance
to commence the investigation from some
precise starting point, and upon certain
admitted or undisputed facts.
Fortunately there is no difficulty in
doing this. There are some facts exist
ing at certain dates about which there is
no controversy. On December 26, 1870,
TiltOn and Moulton were warm personal
friends Moulton and Beecher had but a
passing acquaintance. On December ~,
Bowen carried and delivered to Beccher
a note written by Tilton. demanding of
Beecher that he leave the Plymouth
pulpit and Brooklyn. December 80,
Moulton called upon Beechcr and re-
guested him to 60 to MoultOn's house to
see Tilton. Beecher abandoned prayer
meeting and went. He had the inter-
view with TiltOn. In that interview Til
ton charged Beecher with infamous con-
duct with Mrs. Tilton, and was told to
60 to Tilton's house, whose wife was ready
to sustain the charge. He went on that
night, and, although the wife admitted
that she had authorized the charge, yet
she said the charge had been extorted
from her by her husband, who confessed
his own alien loves, and desired this con-
fessiOn from her that she might be no
better than he, and then voluntarily re-
tracted it in writing, and gave the writ
ing to Beecher. Beecher then went to
Moulton's house and Moulton and he
walked to Bcecher's house. On the next
day, Moulton was informed that Beecher
had obtained the rctractiOn, and on that
evening, December 81, 1870, he went to
Beecher, and by the exhibition of pis-
tol, accompanied by an emphatic ges-
ture," obtained the paper. On the next
day, January 1, 1871, the memorial apol-
ogy, immortal as the fame Of Beecher,
vas signed. These dates are important.
December 30, Tilton makes the charges
and on the same night Mrs. TiltOn re-
tracts. December 81 Beecher surrenders
the retraction to Moulton. January l,
Beecher signs the apology.
To what does that apology relate All
agree that it related to wrong done by
Beecher to Tilton, but what wrong
Tilton and Moulton say that the wrong
was Beecher's adultery with Mrs. Tilton.
Beecher says it did not, but to other
wrongs. He says the other wrongs were
injury done by being instrumental in his
dismissal from the editorship of the In
dependent; in advising TiltOn's wife to
leave him, and live separately from him
and, incidentally and parenthetically,
that he had not done enough to prevent
Mrs. Tilton from fastening her affections
upon him. This is all. Will they bear
examination The last may be disposed
of as parenthetically and incidentally as il
was introduced. Beecher says in his de-
tense that he had had no interview with
Mrs. Tilton between July and Decem
Der; and, two days before his apology
he had been confronted by "false and
atrocious statements" signed by her
charging him with conduct infamous be-
yond measure, and, as Beecher ascer
tanned, at the direction and dctation OF
her husband. He need have no apprc.
hension that the woman who had treated
him thus was hurt much by her love foi
him, with whom she had had no inter
view since July.
But Beecher says he advised Bowen to
dismiss Tilton from the most eminent ed
itorial position in the world, and this
was wrong. To understand the full force
of this it is essential to know what
Beecher knew of his fitness for the posi-
ton. The Independent is an orthodox
Congregational journal, claiming to be 0
religious paper, supporting the interests
of that denomination. On December %
when Beecher advised Bowen to dismis:
Tilton, and on January l, when he signed
the apology, what did Beecher know
about TiltOn's fitness to be the editor of 9
religious newspaper of that den0mina
ton? From his own statement he knew
that his leaders had aroused storm o.
| ,pI;u,,ot;nn ornnno tho ranraoonta ~ w
Congregationalists of the West" Mrs
Tilton had given him to understand that
Mr.. Tilton "denied the divinity OF Christ
the inspiration of the Scriptures, and
most articles of the orthodox faith, while
his views as to the sanctity of the mar
riage relation were undergoing a con
slant change in the direction of free
love-" and young girl, to whom Tiltor
was bound by the hottest ties, had TOLD
him of such cruelty and abuse by Tiltor
to his wife as " shocked him, and with
downcast look she said that Mr.. Tiltor
had visited her chamber i'm the night and
sought her to accede to his wishes" He
then knew assuming innocence on his
his part), that he had manufactured the
most diabolical plot conceivable against
himself, and had compelled an eminently
sanity wife. to join in the lie, for Mr.
Beecher's ruin! These are the facts or
that subject which were before Beeclel
when he signed the apology. Do these
facts demand an apology? On the Other
hand, should not Beecher humble him
self before God and the whole Christian
world had he permitted such man a.
he then knew Tilton to be to remain ed
itor of a religious paper for single hour
If he could prevent it? And now as To
the advice for separation. Beecher has
taken the pains to give, with marks Of
quotation, the whole extent of his adj
vice, as follows: Z" / incline to think that
your view is right, and that separation
settlement for support, would be wise
and that in his present desperate state
her presence near him is far more likely
to produce hatred than her absence"
That is all--every word Of advice or sug.
gestion to the wife of the infdel, free.
| Love Joyotoa oJuItaror and oopov. ro e. -