The Portland daily press., 1874-07-24
THE TILTON SCANDAL.
MFRS. TILTON's STATEMENT,
Flat Denial of the Charges.
How Her Letters Were Obtained.
TILTON.s PERFIDY.

New YORK, July 23-To pick up anew the
sorrows of The last ten years, the stiDgs and
pains l had daily Schooled myself to bury and
forgive. makes this imperative duty as called
forth by the malicious statements OF my hus-
band the sadde-t act of my life Beside my
thought OF following the Master contradlcts
this act of my pen, and a sense Of the perver-
sion of my life faith almost compels me to now
stand aside till God himself delivers. Yet
see IN this wonton act an urgent call and prlvl-
lege from which | shrink not. To reply III de-
tail to the twenty two articles of arraienment
L shall not attempt at present. Yet II called
upon to testify to each and a of them, shall
not hesitate to do so. Suffice it for my pur-
pose now that L reply to one or two OF the most
glowing charges. Touching the feisned sorrow
OF my husbands compulsory revelations, sol
emuly avow that long before the Woodruff pub
iication knew him by nsinuation aud direct
statement to have repeated TO my very near rel
ative and friend, ihe substance of these accusa-
sations which shock the moral sense of the en-
tire community this day. Many times, when
hearing that certain persons had spoken Ill OF
him, he has sent me 20 chide them for SO do
ing, and then and there learned he had been
before me with his calumnieS against myself,
so that | was speechless. This reteration in
his statement that ne had persistently strIven
to hide these so-called facts is utterly false, as
his hatred to Mr.. Beecher has existed these
many years, and the determination to ruin Mr..
Beech has been the one aim of his life.
Again, the perfidy with which the holiest
love vile ever offered has been reck!essly dis
carded in his publication reaches well nigh to
sacrileoe, and, added to this. the endeavor like
the early Scandal of Mrs. Woedhul to make
my own words condemn me, has no parallel.
NJ st conspicuouSly my letter qSoted the read
ing Of Griffith Gaunt." Had hir. Titton read
the pure character of Catherine he would have
seen that l lifted myself beside it as pear as
any human being may affect an ideal, but it
was her character and not the incidents of tic
ton surrounding it to which referred. Hers
was no sin of criminal act or thought A like
confession with hers had made to Mr.. Tilton,
in telling of my love to my friend and pastor
one year before; and now add, that notwith-
standing all misrepresentation and au guish of
soul. owe To my acquaintance and friendship
with Mr.. Beecher as to no other human ins ru
ment, that encouragement in my mental life
and growth toward the divine nature which en-
ables me to walk daily in lively hope OF the
life beyond.
The shameless charges in articles 7, and
are arfuly false in each and every particular
The letter referred to in Mr.. Tilton's 10th para
graph was obtained from me by importantly
and by representations that it was necessary
for him to use in the pending difficulties with
Mr.. Bowen l was then sick nigh unto death
having suffered miscarriage only four days
before. L signed whatever he required without
knowing or understanding its import The
paper have never seen and do not know what
statement ii contained.
1n charge Is, letter of mine addressed to
Mr.. Frances Moulton quoted to prove that l
never desired a separation or was advised by
Mr.. or Mrs. Beecher TO leave my husband L
reply that the letter was of Mr.. Tiltons own
which he induced me to copy and
sign as my own-an act which 10 my weakn ness
and mistaken thou9ht to help him have done
too often during these unhappy Years The i'm
piication that the harmony of the home was
until Mr. Beecher entered it as fire.
quent guest and friend is a lamentabe satire
upon the household where he himself, years
before, land the corner stone of free love and
desecrated its altars up to the time of my de
parture, SO that the atmosphere was not only
goddess but impure fer my children and in tins
effor S aud throe of agony, would fan lift my
daughters and all womanhOod from the insidi
ous and dabocal teachings Of these latter
days. His frequent efforts to prove me insane,
weak minded Insignificant Of mean presence,
al rank in the category of heartlessDess, selfish
ness and falsehood having its climax in his
present endeavOr TO convince the world thas
am ever have been unable to dist gush be-
tween an innocent and guilty love.
In summing up the whole matter, | affirm
myself before God to be innocent of the crime
aid upon me; that never have | been guilty of
adultery with Henry Ward Bsecher in Thought
)r deed, Dor has he ever Offered to me an Inde-
,orous or imploper proposal. To the furtLel
charge that l was lead away from my home by
Mr. Beechers friends and by the advice of a
awyer whom Mr.. Beecher had sent to m e, and
who, in advance OF my appearing before the
,om lnittee, arranged with me the questions and
answers which are to constitute my testimony
before the committee, | answer that this is
igaiu untrue having never seen the lawyer un-
III introduced to him fe. n.sss.. . before the
arrival of the committee, BY INV step father,
Judge Morse, and further in reply l submit the
action before the committee and the separa ton
from my husband.
The publication of Mr.. Tilton's letter in ans
wer TO b +. Bacon, had not known or suspect
I'd when on "Wednesday evening he brought
home the Golden Age and handed it to me to
read Looking down its columns saw right
well with bliuding eyes that he had put into
Ak cution the almost daily threat of his life;
be lived to crush out Mr. Beecher; that the
God OF battles was in him; he had alw ,ys been
Mr.. Beecher's superior. aud all that lay In his
pat wife, children or reputation, If need be-
should fall before this purpose. did not read
il. | saw enough without reading. My spirit
rose within me as uever befor-.
Theodore" / said, tell me what means this
quotation from Mr. BeecheI? Two years ago
You came to me at midnight saying, Elizabeth,
.ulties with Mr. Beecher and Mr.. Bowen are
buried, destroyed, and don't you betray me for
bave nothing 10 defend myself with
''DId you believe that aid he?
Il certainly did, implicitly | said,
''Well let me tell you they all live; not one
is destroyed"
Il this was SAID TO intimidate it had quite
the contrary effect l had been so fearless nor
seen so clearly before with whom / had to deal
Coming to me a Ii tie later he said
II want you to read it; you will find 1t a vim
dication of yourself. You have not stood be-
fore tue community for five years as you now
do
Raised still further by the wickedness hid be-
hiud such mask, | said, Theodore, under
tand me- this is the last time you will call
me publicly TO walk through this 6lth My
character needs no yindcaton at this late hour
from you There was a tine when bad you
spoken out clearly and manfully for me would
have been grateful, but now L shall speak and
act for myself. Know also in the future if |
see scrap Of paper referring to any hu nan be-
ng however remote, if it seems to me you
might use or pervert for your ends, I will de-
stroy it %
This means battle on your part then,
said he.
just so far replied.
| write this because these words of mine he
has since used to my harm. On the next
morning | went to my brother and told him
how that | had decided to act in this NATTER
that | had been treated by my husband as
nonentity from the beginnng-a paything to
be used or let alone at will, that 1t had always
seemed to me that was a party not a little
L then showed him a card L had
made for publication. He respected the mo-
tive but still advised silence on my part. 1
yielded to him thus far as to appearing in the
pnblic print but, counseling with myself and
no other, it occurred to me that among the
brethren of my own communion [ might be
heard. Not knowing OF my church committee
| asked the privilege of such interview in
parlors of those who had always been our mu-
tual friends MIR. and Mrs Ovingtou then
learned for the first time that the committee
would meet that night and advised me to see
these gentlemen, as perhaps the Coolest per-
sons 1 could consult. This | accordingly did.
There alone neaded the cause of my husba ID
aud my children, the result being that their
hearts were moved n sympathy for my family
"a feeling their pastor had shared for years
and for which he was now suffering. On going
home ] found my husband reading in bed. |
told HIM where had been and that l did not
conceal anything from him as his habit was
from me. He asked who the gentlemen were,
SAID no more, 70 e, dressed himself, and bade
me good by forever. The midnight following |
was awakened by my husband standing by nv
bed Iu a very tender kind of voice hr wished
to see me. | rose. instantly followed him into
his room aud sitting on the bedside draw into
his lap and said "he was proud of me, loved
me. that nothing ever gave him such real peace
aud satisfaction as 10 hear me well spoken of;
that meeting a member of the co nmittee he
had learned that he had been mistaken as to
my motive In seeing the committee, and had
hasteued to assure me that he had been
thoroughly wretched since his rash treatment
Of me the night before,' etc. Then and there