The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-08-04

| reference to this case Mr.. Beecher did moi
say a word for months afterward. "The first
note made of the matter" DIR. Patton said,
twas as a grappliDg to what was to follow
But what irritated Mr.. Bescher's friends
most was the last paragraph i'm my editorial
They could nave taken the rest, but not That.
L said:
s'In reluctantly expressing these views of
what the case now demands, we believe we
represent what is fast coming to be tine
unanimous Judgment of Mr.. Beecher's
j warmest and life long friends. We have
said this much, of course, on the presump
ton of Mr.. Beecher's innocence; but il. the
very thought of which Is intolerable, there
should prove to be any real foundation for
| the accusation in question, the considera-
| tons would be a thousand fold stronger which
call for fun investigation of the matter"
When 1 wrote that editorial" DIR. Patton
proceeded TO say. II considered my duty at
an end. l had done what L could, and all
that could. OF course aiterwsrd there was
mention OF the matter in the columns of the
Advance, but it was only incidental. /
found that pone of the denomination
al papers followed me- i'm urging the
investigation, and it was finally dropped"
Reporter. Were these stories sgainst
Beecher of which you speak known by 9TH
ers besides yourself that you know Of?
! DIR. z. OH yes. DIR. Bacon knew them
that is, he knew them I knew them.
| He knew them as they were known
in brooklyn. | suppose there were none,
except very few, who actually knew the
exact facts in the case. But as l said, it
was known, tor my friends informed me of
it, which was way always urged that Mr..
/ lieecher should court an investigation. For,
| reasoned, should the church demand an
| investigation, and should that exonerate
| him, then would it be justifyiug one in
whom there was the fullest confidence. 1t
was due the church, thought, that this
should be done. Well, you know
4
to which we have referred L was a member
ofthat council. 1 suppose you read the re-
port ofits committee-one of the most labor
cd papers have ever had anything to do
| with preparing.
Reporter. Yes; by the way, have you
that report? 1 should like to see it.
After some searching, Or. Patton found the
number OF the Advance in which it appeared,
and then said:
"You will notice the careful wording of
the findings of the council of BROOKLYN. 1t
was the most difficult part of our work TO
prepare that. You will see how labored its
expression Is. and how such matters were
mentioned as were actually before the coun-
Gil. DIR. Bacon was chairman of the
committee chosen TO prepare the re-
port as well as myself. DR.. Bacon, who
wrote those articles the council for
the independent, was president of the
council and chairman OF the committee that
prepared the report. L may say, also, that
the most important portion of the rk of
that Brooklyn council was transacted while
it was in secret session. AS | stated before
to you, DIR. Bacon was in the possession of
the same facts L was. How came to know
this so well is because he and had a long
conversation concerning the matter at that
time; that is, during the sittings of the
council. We exchanged views about 1t
freely. As yOu are probably aware, DR..
Bacon is professor in the Yale The logical
Seminary. Mr.. Bsecher has been delivering
dents and faculty of that institution.
That is in New Haven. Now DIR.
Bacon and myself took opposite views
concerning the case. DR.. Bacon believed
Beecher entirely innocent. DIR. Bacon was
editor of the Independent for 10 or II years
when Theodore Tilton occupied subordin-
ate position on the same paper. Then DIR.
Bacon had an opportunity of knowing lit
tie about 1ilton. He believed him man
of no religion, morals, or standing, and to-
tally unfit TO be a member of christian
church. Then, on the other hand. there
was Mr.. Beecher. DR.. Bacon was associated
with Mr.. Beecher at New Haven. HeNheard
him lecture, and preach, and pray. and
exhort, and talk about high moral character,
and so on, and the old doctor was astound-
cd He couldn't believe the accusations
brought against Beecher. He, himself, said
in the secret meetings OF the council about
the charge: If that be true this is
THE MOST sTUPENDoUs PIECE OF HYPOCRISY
in the worlds history" Thus, you see it
was impossible for DIR. Bacon to take any
other view of the case than he did. 1t was
in this regard that Dr. Bacon differed from
me. He believed Beecher innocent, or at
least guilty of nothing more than a mere
impfudence, or at the iarthest, an indiscre-
90 Iar.rr
might be guilty. This he believed could be
shown, and that was what irritated him
all the more, when Plymouth Church
wouldn't have an investigation. He was
we'll aware that ifit was merely an indiscre-
| ton with which Beecber was charged, he
could easily be proven innocent, and the
disposition on the part of Mr.. Beecher and
his church not TO have an inquiry into the
matter was a source OF annoyance TO
him. A member of the council. when in
| secret session, suggested that, as they could
not proceed to investigate the case unless
| Plymouth Church responded, they had bet
\ ter go on and cons ider the que .tion of drop
ping a member, under charges, from the
church roll. without trial, as an abstract
question L made a speech in which stated
two points. They were, that no judge, jury
or lawyers assembled in court to discuss and
decide abstract questions; that they had not
been sent there TO act in that manner, but
that their purpose was to decide Tilton's
case; ana again, tnat II John Smith, In q
church in the lumber regions of Michigan,
near saginaw, or in some other obscure
place, had been dropped from church mem
! bership. no council would have ever
have been called: but as it was,
Titon in the one case and Plymouth
| Church in the other, then there was an absc-
lutte necessity for them to decide the case,
not abstractly, but in relation to the church
and man in question. TIE members Of the
council looked at this, aud in that way it
was voted by a large majority. They saw
my point. You can readily perceive how
i DR.. Bacon came TO figure afterward so prom
| inently in the case. DIR. Bacon held Tilton
aud his views in utter contempt He COM
menced the publication of those articles,
which finally goaded Tilton on to make these