Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-08-21

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aflorward he took ont and laid on the bureau
near which he stood; / gave the paper TO him
dag or two after this Mr.. Moulton made the third
| visit and this time we repaired to my study in
the third story Of my house.
Before speaking OF this inter lew It IL right
that c should Sa GlIaGo to the ig suffering tnroagn
| cause Of which was the strange change in Mrs.
| Tilton. Nothing had seemed more certain during
| all my acquaintance with her than that she was
| sngularly simple, truthful and honorable. De.
| ceit seemed absolutely foreign to her nature, and
| yet she had stated to her husband those strange
| and awful falschOods. She had not, when daily
called and prayed with her, given me the
sightest hint will not say of such accusations,
but even that there was any serious family diff
Guilty. She had suddenly, in December called
me and my wife to a consultation as to possible
| separation from her husband, still leaving me
| ignorant that she had puktnto has hands such a
| weapon against me. has bewildered with
the double consciousness of sanity
cry to her friend and pastor. / did
Lot for moment feel, however, that she
was bameworthy, as, would ordinarily, be
overborne by weakness and shattered in mind
until she scarcely knew what she did, and was
no longer responsible for her acts. My
ponl went out TO her in pity ] blamed my.
| self for want of prudence and foresight, foi
thought that all this had been the result of her
| undue affection for me. had a profound feeling
| that would beur any blame and take any pun.
ishment If that poor child could only emerge from
this cloud and be put back into the happiness from
| which had been, as thought, If not the cause,
the occasion of withdrawing her. II my
| own daughter had been in a similar case, my
| grief at her calamity could scarcely have
| been greater. Moreover, from the anger
aud fury of Mr.. Tilton, apprehended that this
accusation of his wife, was TO be at once
| publicly pressed against me, and If 1t was
had nothing but my simple word of denial TO
interpose against it. In my then morbid eondi
| ton of mind thorght that this charge, although
ehttrely untrue, might result in great disaster il
not in absolute ruin to the great interests which
nj Il no
which l had built up, the book which was
| writing, my own immediate family, my brothers
| name, nov engaged in the ministry, my sisters
| the name which had hoped might live sttcr me
and be in some slight degree a source OF strength
and encouragement to those who should succeed
me, and, above all, the cause for which bad dU-
voted my life seemed imperiled. IL seemed to
| me that my lifework was to end abruptly and in
| disaster. My earnest desire to avoid public a.
cusation and the evils which must NECESSARILY
| now from It, aud which now have resulted irc,n
T. has been one of the leading motives that must
With reference to this matter. 1t was in such a
sOrc-distressed condition that Mouiton found
me. His manner was kind. However he
| sidefed that had been seeking T'lton's down
| iall that had leaglied with Mr.. Bowen against
him, and, by my advice, came near destroying
his family. did not need any argument or per
| suasion to induce me to do and say anything
| which would remedy the injury of which then
believed had certainly been the occasion, if not
| the active cause; but Moulton urged that, having
| wronged Tilton so, the wrong meant his means
| of support suddenly taken away his reputation.
his family destroyed and that had done it, lie
| assured me of his own knowledge that the stories
| which had heard of Titon's impurities of life,
and which had believed and repeated to Bowen.
| were all false and that Titon had been faithful
| to his wife. l persuaded into the be-
| lief OF what he said, and felt convinced OF
| the slander In its meancst form. He drew pic
ture of Tilton wronged in reputation, position;
and purse, shattered in his family, where he would
| otherwise have found refuge, and at the same
| time looking upon me out of his deep distress;
| while was aboundng in friends most popular.
| annie q
my prosperity, overfiOwing and Astounding, and
rilton's utter degradation. l was most intensely
! excited Indeed, / felt that my mind was III
| danger Of giving away; walked up and down the
| room, pouring forth my heart in the most unrc-
strained GRIEF and bitterness OF selfaGcnsaiion;;
telling what my ideas were of the obligation Of
friendship and of the sacredness Of the house
hold; denying, however, an intentional wrong
| saying that, IL l had been the cause, however
remotely, of that which / then behed never
could forgive myself, and heaping all the blame
on my head The case as it then appeared to
my eyes strongly against me. My old friend
| and fellow-worker had been dispOssessed of his
eminent place and influence, and had counscled
1t; his family had well-nigh been broken up
and had advised IT. his wife had been long sick
and broken in health and body, and |, as l fully
believed, had been the cause of all this wreck
by continuing that blind heedlessness and friend
ship which had beguiled her heart and had reused
her husband into fury of jealousy, although not
caused by any Intentional act of mine, and
should 1 coldly defend myself; should pour in
dignaton upon this lady; should hold her up
to contempt as having thrust her affections upon
his household in their great adversityt / gave
vent to my feelings without measure. i dis
claimed with great earnestness any intent to
harm Theodore in his home or his business, and
with inexplicablc sorrow both blamed and de-
landed Mrs. Tilton in one breath.
Mr.. Moulton was apparently affected py my
soliloquy, for 1t was that rather than converse
ton. He said that If Tilton cOuid really be per.
him he was sure that there would be no trouble IN
procuring reconciliation. gave him leave TO
state to Theodore my feelings. He proposed that
should write u letter. i declined, but said that
he could report our interview. He then prepared
to make memorandum of the talk, and sat down
at my table and took down, as supposed, COZ
densed report of my talk for went on still pour
ing out my wounded feelings over the great desc
lation in Tilton's family. 1t was not dictaton
and composing for him. Mr.. Moulton was put
ting into his own shape parts OF that which was
saving in y my own manner Win Proinse eSp,ana
, | memorandum of points to be used by him IL
, setting forth my feelings. That 1t contains mat
, ter and points derived from me Is without
doubt, but they were put into sentences by
| him, and expressed as he understood them, no
as my words, but as hints of my figures and let
tiers TO be used by him in conversing with Tilton
, He did not read the paper to me, nor did reat
II; nor have ever seen 1t or heard II read, tina
l remember, until the publication of Ttlton 8 re
: cent documents; and now reading it, see in il
thoughts that point to the matter of my discourse
, but 1t is not my paper, nor are those my sen 2
tences, nor is 1t correct report of what said
/ Is mere string of hints, hastily made by an un
practiced writer as helps to his memory in repre-
4 senting to Tilton how felt toward his family
If more than this be claimed; If it be set forth
\ in any proper sense my letter, then disown /
i and denounce it. Some of its sentences, AM
. had obtained Mrs. Tilton's forgiveness,
never could have said, even in substance
had not not obtained or otndn asked nniyon6, any doI
= that had done so. Neither could ever hav
q said that humbled myself before Titon as be
i fore God, except in the sense that both to Go
>, ! and to the man thought had deeply injured
. humbled myself, as certainly did; but II is use
! less to anayze paper prepared as this was; II!
. | remainder of my plain statement concerning
. | will be its best comment. This document wa
q | written separate haf-sheets of leter.papel
= | After ii was finished MoultOn asked me If wOul
n sign it. said no; It was not my letter: lie rt
!, piled that 1t would have more weight If woul
n in some way indicate that he was authorized I
y | explain my continents. l took my pen, ana u
:, | some distance below the writing and upon IN
q lower margin indicated that had commtte
a the document in trust to Moulton' and signe
!. to its further fate: Mr.. Moulton, of his ow
i accord, said that after using Il he would !
:, dun back to me, and he cautioned me about di
Z closing in any way that there was difficulty y
= tween Mr.. Tilton and me- as Il w9uld be inlun9u
:, to Titon To have il known that had quarrele
. with him, as well for me to have rumOrs st
= a1oat did not trouble myself about 1t unit
:, more than year afterward, when Mr.. Tilton b'
a gan write up his (0f which hereafter), AN
~ was looking up documents. l wondered wh'
Il was in the old memorandum, and desired TO 81
~ 1t for greater certainty. SO one day suddenl
asked MIR. Mouton for that memorandum, an
y said: You promised TO return IT. TO me" II
n seemed confused for moment, and said; " hi
81 Ir "Certainly,n l answered. He replied thu
II the paper had been destroyed. On my putin
! the question again, he said: THAT paper va
Al burned up long ago" and during the next tw
e years in various conversations of his own accol
l, he spoke of 1t as destroyed, l had never ask'
e for nor authorized the destruction of this pipc
D! hut was not allowed to know that the doc
OF ment was in existence until = distinguish
y editor in New York, within few weeks past q
ID surcd me that Mr., MoutOn had shown him Il
a original and that he had examined my signatu
IL to be sure Of its genuineness. / knew that the
er was copy of II since this statement was in pre-
&c AratiOn. While l rejected this memorandum
II my work, or an accurate condemnation of II
q stntemnnL a. dnes nndonhtedlY corrccIlY rcnr