The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-07-14

BEECHER SPEAKS AGAIN.
HE DEMANDS AN INvEsTIG ALTON.
New YORK, July I0.-The next number Of
the Christian Union will contain the follow
ing authorized history of the demand for an
investigation. On 7th July Mr. Beecher adj
dressed note to the executive committee of
Plymouth church. stating be had
requested certain gentlemen. members
of the church OF the society, to
examinations into the rumors, insinuations
or charges made respecting his conduct, and
asked them If they approved of the Sc
lection to add their Official appoint
ment to his personal request. The letter
as king the gentlemen to serve was as fol-
lows:
BROOKLYN. June q, IS74.-Gents: In the
present state of the public feeling / owe it
to my friends and to the church, and the So
ciety over which am pastor, TO have some
proper investigation made of the rumors,
iDSln uations, or charges res pecting
my conduct as compromised by
the late publications made by Mr.
Tilton. L have thought that both the church
and the society should be represented, and
take the liberty of asking the following
gentlemen to serve in this inquiry, and to
do that which truth and justice may re
euire- / beg that each of the gentlemen
named will consider this as if it had been
separately and personally sent to him to-
day: From the church, Henry w. Sage,
Augustus SterIs, Henry NJ. Cleveland;
from the society, Horace B. Claflin, John
Winslow, J. F. White. L desire you. when
you nave satisfied yourselves by
an impartial and thorough examina-
ton of all the sources of evidence,
the church will take such action as may
then seem to you right and wise.
Signed, HENRY WARD BEECHER.
The examining committee recognizing the
representive character of the men thus ap-
pointed, UNANIMOUSLY adopted the action of
the pastor, and formally authorized the
gentlemen named to act as committee on
its behalf, and report the result of their
inquiry for its information and further
action. The Congregationalists lately
suggested that the, charges against Mr..
Beecher shOnld be referred for examination
to several distinguished men in several parts
of the country, but Mr.. Beecher seems to
have thought that the matter might more
appropriately be referred to members OF
his own church and society, whose interest
in the purity Of its ministry would make
them do their work thoroughly and impair
tally, and who, having been chosen to off,
ciai trusts by their fellow MEM
bers, would especially command their
confidence This however is in accordance
with the principles and genius of Congrega-
the duty of settling its own difficulties. with
out needlessly troubling others. Mr. Til
toms publication, it will be remembered,
was made Thursday, June %. Mr.. Beecher,
coming to the city Friday, conducted
his usual prayer meeting and
letter asking the church to investigate the
matter. The committee has entered upon
its work and will prosecute it to the earliest
possible completion. The second letter of
Mr.. Beecher also addressed 20 the ex amining
committee and referred to above is not con-
tanned in the above article. 1t was obtained
last night by Tribune reporter, and is as
follows:
July 5th, 1874.
DEAR BRETHREN= The enclosed letter, in
which 1 have requested three, gentle
men from the church, and three
from the society of Plymouth
church, gentlemen OF unimpeachable
repute, and who have not been involved in
any of the trials through which we have
passed during the year, to make thorough
and impartial examination of all the charg-
es or insinuations against my
good name, and to report the
same to you, and j now respectfully
request that you will give to the committee
the authority to act in your behalf also. 1t
seemed wise to me that the request should
proceed from me and without your foregoing
knowledge, and that you should give to it
authority to act IN your behalf in so far as a
thorough investigation of the facts should be
concerned.
| (Signed,1 HENRY WARD BEECHER.
Mr.. Sherman says that the committee re-
ceived the letter on Sunday, June 2S, and
went at work the next day. Their action
received the unanimous approval of the ex-
amining committee Of the church, which
met July 6, and the six gentlemen were
made a sub committee of the examin-
ing committee. They expected to finish
their labors this week although they
may be delayed bv the difficulties
of getting witnesses, not because OF the
unwilliDgness of witnesses to testify, bgt be-
cause of the absence of 50 many of them
from the town.