Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-07-29
Mr. Raacher,S Statement.

, | a dpf11la1
Statemant of Mr.. Theodore Iilton made
hoforo the Committee of Investigation,
IA which anneared in the Brooklyn Argus
Of Jnlv q. 1874. l recognize the many
,ooSonS which make it of transcendent
imnortance to myself, the Church and the
canse of public morality that L shall give
\ f,lI answer to the charges against me,
hut having requested the Committee OF
Investigation to search this matter TO the
bottom It is to them that | must look Ior
nv vindication. But | cannot delay for
an hour to defend the reputation OF MIS-
Elizabeth R. Tilton, upon whose name
in connection with mine, her husband mas
attempted to pour shame. One less de-
serving such disgrace never knew FROM
childhood she has been under my eye, ana
since reaching womanhood she has had
\ NV sincere admiration and affection
cherish for her pure feeling, such as a
gentleman might honorably offer to a
| christian woman, and which she might
receive and reciprocate without moral
scruple. l reject with Indignation every
imputation which reflects upon her honor
or my own.
Nv regard for Mrs. Tilton was perfectly
well known to my family when serious
difficulties sprang up in her own house,
hold. 1t was to my wife that she resorted
for counsel, and both of us, acting from
sympathy, and, as subsequently appeared
without full knowledge, gave unadvlsed
counsel, which tended to harm. nave
no doubt that Mr. Tilton found that his
wife's confidence and reliance upon my
Indictment had greatly increased, while his
Influence had diminished in CONSCIENCE of
a marked change in his religious and social
views. which were taking place during
those years. Her mind was greatly exer-
cised lest her children should be harmed
Inv views which she deemed virtually false
and dangerous.
was suddenly and rudely aroused to
the reality of the impending danger by
the disclosure of domestic distress, OF SICK
ness, perhaps unto death, of the likelihood
of separation and the scattering OF Il fam
ilv. every member of which had tenderly
loved. The effect upon me of the discov-
erv of the state of Mr.. Tilton's feelings,
and the condition of his family, surpassed
in sorrow and excitement anything that |
had ever experienced in my life. That
NV presence, influence and counsel had
BROUGHT TO "A beloved family sorrow and
alienation gave, in my then state OF mind,
a poignancv to my suffering which | hope
no other man may feel. Even to be sns-
pected of having offered, under the prlvl-
| leges Of peculiarly sacred relation, an
! indecorous suggestion to a wife and moth
er, could not but deeply wound any one
who is sensitive to the honor OF woman
hood There are peculiar reasons Tor
alarm in this case on other grounds, mas
much rs | was then subject to certain ma
| lignant rumors, and n fragrant outbreak
| in this flmily would bring upon them an
/ h.a
! ftlsehoods Believing at the time that my
presence and counselS had tended however
unconsciouslv. to produce social catastro-
phe represented as imminent. | gave eX-
preston to nv feelings in an interview
with Il mutual friend, not in cold and
cautious self-defending words, but eagerly
taking blame upon myself, and pouring
out nv heart to my friend in the strongest
| language, overburdened with the eXagger-
ations of imprisoned sorrow. Had been
the evil man Mr.. Tilton now represents. /
should have been calmer and more pru
dent 1t was my horror of the evil i'm
puted that filled me with morbid intensity
1T the very shadow of it. Not only WIS
my friend affected grievously, but he As
sured me that such expressions, if con-
viewed to Nh Tilton, would soothe wound
ed feeling, ally anger and heal the whole
trouble. He took down sentences and
| fragments of what | had been saying, to
use them as mediator. \ full statement
of the circumstances under which this
memorandum was made | shall give to the
! investigating Committee. That these
apologies were more than ample 10 meet
the facts of the case is evident, in that they
were accepted.
That our intercourse resumed to friend
I n
| fed il in writing. and that he has contin-
ued for four years. and until within two
weeks. to live with his wife, censurable if
the original charge had been what i now
alleged that he would have condoned the
offense not only with the mother of his
children, but with him whom he believed
to have wronged them: the absurdity a
we'll as the falsity of this story is apparent
when it is considered that Mr. Tilton now
alleges that he carried this guilty secret of
his wife's infdelity for six months laid up
in his own breast, and that then he divulged
it TO me, only that there might be a recon
Citation with me-
Mr.. TltOn has since in every form of
! language, and to n multitude of witnesses
in written statements, and in printed docu-
ments. declared his faith in his wife's pu-
rity after the reconciliation of Mr.. Tilton
with me. Every consideration of pro-
priety and honor demanded that the family
trouble should be kept in that seclusion
which domestic affairs have right to claim
as a sanctuary, and to that seclUsion it was
determined that it should be confined.
Every line and word of my private and
confidential letters which have been pub
lished is in harmony with the statements |
now make. My published correspondence
on this subject comprises but two elements,
viz: the expressions of my grief and that
of my desire to shield the honor of Il pure
and innocent woman.
do not propose to analyze and contest
at this time the extraordinary paper of Mr..
Tilton, but there are two allegations which
| cannot permit to pass without special
notice. They refer to the only two incl
dents which Mr.. Tilton pretends to have
witnessed personally, the one, an alleged
scene in my house while looking over en-
cravings, and the other, chamber scene
in his own house. His statements concer-
ming these are absolutely false. Nothing of
the kind ever occurred. nor any semblance
of any such thing. They are now brought
to my notice for the first time.
To every statement which connects me
dshonorably with Mrs. Elizabeth K. Tilton
or which in any wise would impugn the
honor and purity of this beloved Christian
woman, give the most explicit, compre-
hensive and solemn denial.
(Signed) HENRY WARD BEECHER.
Brooklyn, n. Y, July %, 1874.