The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-09-22

part-auu IL Is the pivotal point OF all-Of the
statement is grossly ,overdone. A woman Of
"pure and gentle mind" of ''highly emotional
religious nature" Glowing right rather than
wrong" white souled,'. as he describes tie
person whom he accuses of betrayng his honor
and polluting his hearth-could not by any pos
sibility enact the character he has invented to
sustain his indictment against Mr.. Beecher.
In straining to produce an effect he has
neglected the precaution of framing his tale
with sufficient FEASIBILITY to make it credible
per Sc.
The same defect appears in his account of
Mr.. Beecher's admissions. IT Is altogether
too circumstantial and specific to be genuine.
Such occurrences are entirely out of the course
of human experience. 1t is just possible that
. man might under the influence of fear and
terror, give reluctant assent to charge of
crime of this sort, but that he should talk
about it at length, not only once but many
times, and recur to it, as if it were a fascinat-
ing theme, is proposition quite too staggering
for ordinary faith.
Tlton's ability as a controversialist is turned
to good account in his review of the report of
Plymouth Church committee. He makes some
effective points against them, but it is not at
all improbable they will break the force of
them in their own time and way. The pre-
tense that they would have found verdict of
acquittal, whether the evidence justified it or
not, is an aspersion which cannot harm gentle
men of their well known character for integ-
rty and fairness.
He applies the scalping knife to his mother
in-law with savage relish. 1t is quite clear
there is a long arrearage of grievances behind
that pitless operation of lngual surgery.
He perverts and emphasizes an expression
imputed to Mr.. Beecher that Mrs. Tilton had
''thrust her affection upon him unsought,"
with an energy of which we discover the mo-
tive on reading Mrs. Stanton's letter to Moul-
ton on the subject. 1t was passing sop to
the Cerberus of the Women's Rights move
ment, and will be sure to bring to his support
the feminine champions of that struggling
enterprise It may be that he has marred the
effect of 1T by his energetic reputation of that
most pronounced of its apostles, Victoria
Woodruff, but she has said such scandalous
things IN impeachment of his personal morai-
ty, that he could rot well avoid forcible dis
claimer of all farther association with her, and
an expression of deep regret that he ever con-
sented to edit her biography.
His effort to defend Carpenter is the natu-
raj recognition of the services of devoted ally.
but does little in the way of releasing that
peripatetic busy body from the unenviable
position in which his officious intermeddlirg
has placed him.
He INDUCES in great deal of defamation
respecting the charge of blackmail with
out making single point in the way of
exculpating himself or his confederate from
completely in that disgraceful feature of the
conspiracy.
His attack On Mrs. Beecher is an outrageous
defiance of all rules of manliness and chvalry.
1t may find apologists in the womens' rights
circles, but it will be condemned by all just
minded people of both sexes as shocking de-
parture from the prescribed limitations of civil
liked warfare. Mrs. Beecher has long held him
in extreme detestation ind he has chosen this in
decoreus mode of ayenging her undisguised dis j.
like, but an insult to womanhood SO unpardona-
BILE, will go far to justify the bad opinion she
has held of him.
In fine, this bulky pronanciamento is not
likely to change the preconceived opinions
which have been formed by the public on the
testimony heretofore presented. The number
of believers, disbelievers and doubters will re.
main about the same. But it is devoutly to
be hoped that we have had the last of the
series of newspaper assaults, and that if any
thing more is to be said or done, it will be
before some authorized tribunal where evil
dence can be sifted, witnesses cross-examined,
their reputation for veracity measured and
their motives critically analysed. Newspapers
are very unwholesome things to introduce into
we'll regulated households, while this class OF
literature is current.
Moulton will have occasion for the services
of the ablest counselor he can find to acuuit
him of the foul libel he perpetrated upon a
respectable lady in Brooklyn. whose sense of
the wrong she has suffered has proved superior
to her dread of the publicity to which a law
suit will subject her. He doubtless trusted
TO ner womanly aversion to notorie.5 to no
him from the consequences of his reckless
audacity, but at the instance of powerful
| friends, and moved by deep feeling of indig-
nation, she has initiated proceedings which
| will be very likely to bring him to grief.
YARMOUTH.