New-York tribune., 1874-09-10
THE PLYMOUTH SCANDAL.
DIR. LEONARD BACON AND MR.. BEECHER.

II. II.
AN EXPLANATION OF THE POSITION OF DR. BACON
IN REGARD TO THE PLYMOUTH CONTROVERSY
AN INVESTIGATION EVERY WAY DESIRABLE In
THE INTEREST OF TRUTH.
70 the Bdftor Of rae Tribune.
SIR: My attention has been called to an article
from The Neo-York Sun which says. under the title
OF " Brothery Love- and in connection with pas-
sage from DIR. VIM. w. Patton's communication 20
the Plymouth Church Committee Of Investigation:
1t would from this that DIR. Bacon OF SewHayeu
knew the complete story and 10 ms famous letters de-
nounctng Mr.. Ton. that celebrated divine really
aiming AZ nothing but to force the entire scandal into
the widest knowledge OF the whole pubc. lie knew
issue OF an Investigation. and accordingly he made Mr.
Iilton bis objective point assaing him and denouncins
could keep back longer Tnis being 40, must ssy
that Dr. Bacon is neither model OF Christian charity
nor OF ordinary manly csndor and when the final
demnauon is passed upon who guilty ~ ths
allotted to hm."
Something like what The Sun says, The Word said.
more at length and forcibly as long ago as tho
day after the publication of Mr. Tilton's accusatory
letter. The same thing for substance has been said
to me in i know not how many private comnanics-
tions, anonymous or subscribed by names of which
have no knowledge. was not much disturbed by
what The Ford said under the title of Evangelical
Scandalmongers" nor by objurgatory letters from
whatever quarter Nor should / now take notice
of what The Sun says had not been requested to do
so by friends-friends Of Mr.. Beecher well as Of
mysef-who think that word of explanation may
do good.
What share have had in bringing the Plymouth
Church to an investigation of the great scandal is
question of little moment to the public, and GER
taiDly it is o question about which have no
anxiety. If the investigation which has been at last
begun and which has just completed the hrst
stage Of its progress shall result as l most
earnestly hope it may, in the complete vindlca-
tion of Mr.. BeecheIs good name, my share,
whether moro OF less, in bringing on the inyesti-
CATION will be nothing for to boast of, and GER
tainly nothing for me to regret. If, on the other
hand the final outcome shall be full proof that the
great preacher is guilty of all that his enemies have
accused him of. my grief will not be increased by
my being told whether truly falsely that but for
my criticism on the proceedings of the plymouth
Church in the case of Theodore Tilton that great
wickedness would have been successfully concealed.
The World in common with The TRIBUNE aud
many other journals, has manifested generous con-
fidence in Mr.. Beecher from the moment In which
he demanded an investigation. On which side tho
sympathies of The Sun have been have not hap
pened to know. But am sure no true and intelli-
gent friend of Mr.. Beecher say that the scandal
which had been SO long growing and which had
filed the continent with its noisomeness ought not
to have been Investigated.
This. however is not the most significant thing in
The SUMS paragraph. Z" 1t would seem" says The
Sun, "that DR.. Bacon knew the complete story, and
was really aiming at nothing but to force the entire
scandal into the widest knowledge of the public"
The suggestion is that knew the story to be true.
and was either not base enough to help conceal the
truth or not fool enough to think concealment pos
hat not ia hat Though
story, 1 did not know and did not believe that it
was true Nv notions of "brotheIly love- and
"Chrstian charity" and ordinary manly candor"
required me to assume that the story essentially
false and from that time to this, in all that have
said or done about the matter, have acted on that
assumption. The Sun, on the other hand, seems to
hold that il know the pastor of Christian con-
gregation to be an unspeakable villain. taking adj
vantage of his position to seduce wives from ther
fidelity to their husbands, "brotherly love" Chris
tian charity and ordinary manly candoP require
me not not only not to tell what know, but also to
be careful that do not give Mr.. Tilton an excuse
for telling it.
Can The Sun mean anything else than this when
it imputes 20 me the guilt of making the scandal
publici Does it affect to believe that the Plymouth
Church scandal was not public till Mr.. Iilton pub
lished his letter of accusationf Thousands-tens OF
tn0uSanOS-KneW Ill luab hucW' iidu hVe Pi"-
ceedings against Mr.. Tiiton been formally com
menced in the Plymouth Church almost a twelve
month before the publication of that letter. Had
not The Sun itself reported the result of those pro-
ceedings, mistakingy representing it as the ex-
pulsionr of Mr.. Tilton; and had it not afterward
published an explanation TO the effect that though
Mr. Titon was charged with scandalous stories
about Mr. Beecher, he was notexpelled inasmuch as
he had long before withdrawn from the church and
renounced its jurisdiction And now does me su"
affect to think that have forced the scandal into
the widest knowledge of the publicp
No; that cannot be the meaning OF the paragraph
which have quoted Long ago the scandal was as
notorious as it is to-day. What The Sun mputes to
me as guilt is really not the nooriety OF the scanda
but the investigation of it. l would rather be
blamed for the investigation than share in the re-
sponsibilty for those futile attempts at suppression
which have done SO much to make the foul stories
seem credible. L. BACON
Neu-Haven, Sept s, 1874