The Placer herald., 1874-07-25
NUMBER 40
TILTON'S FOLLY AND HIS VIEWS OF
BEECHER.

phANhLhs
Eight years ago Theodore Tilton had the
finest position and reputaion, for a young
man, n this country or age. He is an ora
tor OF hrst-olass power, poet of real merit,
an editor Of various talent. He is handsome.
socially proud, and the husband of a lovely,
petite, modest, accomplished wife. Mrs.
Filton is highly and most honorablv con-
nected - her father the reverend Judge
n. B. Morse, of the Supreme Court, conser-
vative on all moral and religious questions.
and who was, we believe, a brother to the
eminent Sidney +. Morse aud Prof s. f. b.
Morse. Their children are Of style OF
beauty at once spiritual, striking and rare.
Whoever in those years had The pleasing for
tune to accept the hospitality of this brilliant
man and of his beautiful wife must have re.
tanned forever the delightful image of that
home. All that could conduce 10 make
home lovely was there. Reputation, con-
verse with noble minds such as fame draws
around the hearthstone Of its fortunate posses
sor; charming companion, whose very soul
kindled each moment in pure worship of her
admired husband; children whose smiles
were like tbe radiance of angels eve when
turned toward the throne of God, and the
rustic of whose garments were as graceful as
the silent movement of forest birds wher
bathing in the holy Sabbath dawn-what
more could Theodore Tilton have sought CT
wished?
Yet, in bis profound egoism he sought
martyrdom. The martyrs only were truly
great; he would link his name with some
cause to-day odious, tomorrow glorifed,
and so after the cross, wear the crown-as
did Garrison, Wilbenorce, Howard and the
rest. He advocated miscegenation, but
nobody mobbed him. He boosted in every
speech of having been mobbed in ani-slavcry
days. Few remembered that mob. Now,
if he could but render himself odious by at
tacking the marriage relation, but striking
stalwart blow for woman's freedom, some
body, he sincerely hoped, would prosecute
him and be would be immortal. ] his was
his ambition And now his martyrdom has
come-all he ever sought, and directly by
the means he used, but Of character far
more logical than he expected, the inexorablo
penalty due to the false doctrine, the eternal
cross that bears no crown save one of thoms.
During those years the writer on one occa-
sion, by a chance question, turned the con
versation upon Beecher, who was then
among the daily visitors at Mr.. Tton's
house, "ls Mr.. Beechers inward life that
which it seem TO those who hear him? |
have been at loss to conceive how one
whose conscience is SO sensatiyeas Mr. Beech
er's seems should boast himself to be the
happlcst man living. Deep moral sensitive
ness more often makes men sad.
Mr. Iilton answered greatly TO the writ
er's surprise: "Mr, Beecher has a keen,
intellectual discrimination on moral questions,
but he Is personally an epicure, volupuary,
though of the most refined sort, who does
nothing not even his preaching and praying,
from sense of duty, but only for the pleas
IRE it affords him. 1t happens to make
him happier to preach than to race horses;
but if it made him happier follow any other
form of amusement, he would pursue it.
When you heard bim say that he was the
happiest man living, he felt so, but scores of
Zines has he come to this house as to a den
Of refuge, thrown himself down on that soft,
and groaned in misery. You would have
thought him the yeriest wretched alive.
"lndeed what was the cause ofhis trouble?"
cit is chiefly domestic! His wife has no
sympathy with bis plans. She sa common
place, matter-of-iact woman, who ought to
have welded a merchant - not the great
Beecher. | have bad my own difficulties
with her, but those do not color my judg-
ment She has even followed me to tbs
door and ordered me out Of the house, while
Beecher stood at the top Of the stairs, said:
Theodore, whatever Mrs. Beecher says to
you, remember that | am always your de-
voted friend.
"But | am surprised that you speak of
Beecher as a voluptuary. had thought him
too unseliiSh and lGborious for that"
"No; Beecher has no unseGshness His
tastes are aesthetic and cultivated, and he is
busy man because his capabilities for joy
ois activity are various. He enjoys preach
ing, editing, art, society, amusement, labor
of certain kinds and so on. But he is vo-
luptuary; he does everything that he enjoys,
and only because he enjoys it. Greely is
selfsacrGcing If | want an article for the
independent, Greely will sacrifice his own
ease to write it; aot because it is anything he
wants to say, but because |, his friend, need
his help Beecher never writes on that prin
ciple. lie would promise the article, and, if
he found nothing more agreeable to do, he
would write it. not otherwise.
'But Beecher is certainly industrious"
"No! He is lazy He accomplishes
vast amount of what from many would re-
quire work. But he does it because in his
case it only requires the vigorous play of bis
versifed powers. He prepares for his SER
mons on Sunday morning and afternoon. 1t
is not work to muse for an hour over what
one shall say for the next hour
"But is he not charitable and Generous?"
"All in the epicurcan sense. lie enjoys
doing good, and gives, as giving yields him
pleasure. N W. Christian Ad0dcate
THE most intangible, and therefore the
worst, kind of lie is a half truth This is