Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-07-30

tailed examination OF the TemarKaDle
statement of Theodore Tilton, made be-
| fore the Committee of Investigation, and
which appeared in print July Il, 1874. l
recognize the many reasons winch make
| ii of transcendent Importance to myself,
| the church and the cause OF public mo-
rality that shall give fun answer
| to the charges against me. but
having requested the Committee of In
yestigation to search this matter to the
bottom it is to them that / must look for
NV vindication. But ! cannot delay for
| an hour to defend the reputation OF Mrs.
| Elizabeth X. 1ilton, upon whose name,
| i'm connection with mine, her husband has
attempted to pour shame.
One less deserving of such disgrace l
never knew. From childhood she has
been under my eve, and since reaching
womanhood she had my sincere admira-
! ton and affection. | cherish for her
pure feeling, such as gentleman might
/ honorably offer TO a Christian woman,
and which she might receive and recipro-
/ cate without moral scruple. l reject
with Indignation every imputation which
! reflects upon her honor or my own.
| NV regard for Mrs. Tilton was
| perfectly well known to my family.
| When serious difficulties sprang up
| in her household it was to my wife
| that she resorted for counsel, and both
| of us, acting from sympathy, and, as it
| subsequently appeared, without full
| knowledge, gave unadvised counsel,
which tended to harm.
have no doubt that Mr.. Tilton found
| that his wife's confidence and reliance
upon my judgment had greatly increased,
while his influence had diminished, in
| consequence of marked change in his
religious and social views which was
taking place during those years. Her
mind was greatly exercised lest her chill
dren should be harmed by views
which she declared virtually false and
dangerous. | was suddenly and rudely
aroused TO the reality of impending dan
ger by a disclosure of domestic distress;
of sickness, perhaps unto death; of
| the likelihood of separation and
scattering of a family every mem
her Of which had tenderly
! loved. The effect on me of the discovery
| of the state of Mr.. Tilton's feeling and
the condition of his family, surpassed in
sorrow and excitement anything that |
had ever experienced in my life. That
| nv presence, influence and counsel had
| brought to beloved family sorrow and
| alienation gave, in my then state of
mind poignancy to my suffering which
| hope no other man may ever feel. Even
| to be suspected of having offered, under
| the privileges of peculiarly sacred rela-
| ton, an indecorum to wife and mother
| could not but deeply wound any one who
| is sensitive TO the honor of womanhood.
| There were peculiar reasons for alarm in
| this case on other grounds, inasmuch as
was then subject to certain malignant ru-
mors and fragrant outbreak in this
| family would bring upon them an added
| injury, derived from these shameless
| falsehoods. Believing at the time that
my presence and counsels had tended,
| however unconsciously, to produce a So
cial catastrophe represented as imminent,
/ gave expression to my feelings in an
| interview with mutual friend, not in
cold and cautious self-defending words,
| but eagerly taking blame upon myself,
and pouring out my heart to my friend
in the strongest language, overburdened
with the exaggerations of impassioned
sorrow. Had / been the evil man Mr..
| Tilton now represents, l should have
been calmer and more prudent. 1t was
my horror of this evil imputed that filed
me with morbid intensity at the very
shadow of it.. Not only was my
| lTlBUu dHGCbtu, bub dSSulCh IlC
that such expressions, if conveyed
to Mr.. Tilton, would soothe his
wounded feelings, allay anger and
heal the whole trouble He took down
sentences and fragments of what had
been saying to use them as mediator.
| A full statement of the circumstances
under which this memorandum was made
| shall give to the Investigating Commit
tee That these apologies were more
| than ample to meet the facts of the case
is evident, in that they were accepted;
that our intercourse resumed its friend
illness; that Mr.. Tilton subsequently rat
lied it in writing, and that he has con-
| tinued for four years, and until within
two weeks, to live with his wife.
Is it conceivable that, if the original
charge had been what is now alleged he
would have condoned the offense not only
with the mother of his children, but with
him whom he believed to have wronged
him? The absurdty, as well as the falsity,
of this story is apparent when it is con-
sidered that Mr.. Tilton now alleges that
he carried this guilty secret of his wife's
intidelity for six months locked up in his
own breast, and that then he divulged it
to me, only that there might be a recon
Citation with me. Mr.. Tilton has since,
in every form of language, and to null
titude of witnesses, orally, in written
statements, and in printed documents,
declared his faith in his wife's purity
After the reconciliation of Mr.. Tilton
with me every consideration of propriety
and honor demanded that the family
trouble should be kept in that seclusion
which domestic affairs have right to
claim as sanctuary, and to that seclu-
sion it was determined that it should be
confined. Every line and word of my
private and confidential letters which
have been published is in harmony with
the statements which now make
My published correspondence on this
subject comprises but two elements, viz
the expression of my grief, and that of
my desire to shield the honor of pure
and innocent woman.
do not promise to analyze and contest
at this time the extraordinary paper Of
Mr.. Tilton; but there are two allegations
which cannot permit to pass without
special notice. They refer to the only
two incidents which Mr.. Tilton pretends
to have witnessed personally, the one
an alleged scene in my house
| whi1p 1pokinu over anprayipuo a.l