The Portland daily press., 1874-08-31
Tilton's allegation, that she has confessed to

any and all Improperly tOWaruS ner, whether
relating to improper advances or to adultery.
1t is not for the committee to defend the course
of Mrs Tlton. Her conduct upon human re-
spoasibity is indefensible Our hope is that it
may be made clear, as the testimony affords
much reason to believe it may be, that weak
woman was so besought by her designing hus.
band, when in state of mind little better, if
at ali, short of mental alteration, brought on
by illness and domestic sorrow and gloom, as
to induce her at least passvely to make
charge of improper advances by Mr. Beecher.
There is medical testimony before the commit
tee. given by two eminent physicians, Drs.
Minton and Corey, to the effect that such cases
of mental power and domination, by husband
of strong will over wife weakened by disease
and domestic troubles, are not unfrequent.
The committee discuss Mrs. Tilton's pliabili-
ty in the hands of her husband, calling atten-
ton to the fact that it was the story of con-
spiracy against her husband that led her to
sign the paper which her husband presented to
her, and which she Immediately retracted.-
They observe that Mrs. Tlton's testimony of
her husbands ill-treaJnent IS corroborated by
the testimony of Bessie Turner, then twenty
years of aga, and dispose of Tilton's allegation
that Beecher paid $4,000 to get this witness out
of the way as follows: The absurdity of sup
posing that Mr. Beecher would invest $4,000
apiece to get persons to leave town, to whom
Tilton had been peddling his scandal against
him, is transparent. Persons to whom Tilton
had talked in some form of the scandal, some
times in one shape, and then in another were
too numerous to justify an Investment Of $4,000
on each of them by anybody whose wealth
could not be counted by millions 1t should be
noted that just as Miss Turner was leaving for
the boarding school, Tilton procured from her,
with the aid of his wife, a letter denying his
improper liberties. Here again, we find Til
ton a manufacturer of evidence. 1t is not for
us to pass judgment on Mrs. Tilton uncharita-
bly,. She has suffered unparalleled trials. Mr..
MOulton quotes her as saying in a letter to him,
as we have SEEM that it was physically impos-
sible for her to tell the truth in her husbands
presence. 1t will be noted that the pretended
confession was obtained in their presence; and,
further, it was when she was away from him,
and from home, at Schoharie that she stated
her sin to be like that of Catharine Gaunt, an
undue affection for her pastor. In this letter
to her husband she says, Il felt, unfalteringy,
that the love felt and received harmed no one,
not even you, till the heavenly vision dawned
upon me-" And again, "Oh, my dear Theo-
dore, though your opinions are not restful or
congenial to my soul, yet my integrity and
purity are sacred and holy thing to me. Bless
God with me for Catharine Gaunt, and for all
the sure leadings of an all-wise and loving
Providence" This letter was written June
| 20, 1871, about year after the pretended con-
fession. La no sense can the words be con-
strued as referring to adultery. Tilton, when
| made to this Schohar;e letter, seemed to think
that the offence, in the story of Griffith Gaunt,
was adultery, aud, accordingly, relied upon this
letter as incontrOvertible evidence of his charge.
| In this he was mistaken. 1t is principle of
common law, that married woman cannot
| commit or be held to commit a crime perpetrat-
| ed in the presence of her husband, and this up
on the idea that the husbands presence and
influence amount to duress, and that she is
| therefore not responsible. Whether it is nee
essary t. invoke this rule of law to excuse Mrs.
| Tton or not we may see in what Tllton was
able to extort from her, with >ut her volition
real assent, something Of the relsonS which
| moved the early expounders of the English
common law to assert the doctrine referred to-.
THE AcctsER DISPOSED Of
We have now reviewed as briefly as we could
| the evidence before us. There are many facts
| and details we have not discussed. We have
| cited the more important of these and discussed
the salient points. We haveycarefully examin-
ed the evidence relied on by the accusers to sus-
| tain the charges. We are asked to believe,
| finally, who is this accuser, that he makes SO
| bold face We may learn from the testimony
| as well as by common report, without descend
| ing to unpleasant particulars or personalities,
| that TheodoreTilton has in recent years become
| very different man from what he was former
| ly reputed to be. He will hardly deny that both
before and after his espousal of the new mari
| tai philosophy signs Of degeneracy were setting
| in, which have made him discredited man in
| this community. In the new role his culmna-
| ton and downfall are well stated in recent
| words by an able writer. who, in sketching his
| career, SAYS: SIN the process of time he comes
| before the world as the indorser of Victoria c.
| Woodruff, and lends his name to a biography
| of her, which would have sunk any mans rep
| utation anywhere for common sense. Such a
| book is a tomb, from which no author rises
again." Such is the accuser
! THE ACCUSED.
Who is the accused? 1t is Henry Ward
| Beecher. The pastor of Plymouth church has
II.
| Twenty-seven of these years he has been here
in this church, which as all the world knows,
| has so often been stirred to good deeds, and to
better lite, by his eloquent minstrations
| This man has been living in the clear light of
MONDAY, before his people and before all snen,
| life of Christian usefulness and great worth
None have known him but to admire and love
him. They who have been most intimate with
| him, at home or abroad, report nothing Of his
Of OF soul We are asked BY Theodore T ii and
his CO ldjutor Moulton, to believe that this man
| with his long and useful life and high charac-
ter to sustain, is unworthy of our confidence
| regard or respect. A Christian character and
| great services which are usually tower of
strength and defence when one is assailed are
to go for naught. According to Mr.. Tilton we
| are invited to give up this beloved and emil
nent man and send him and his good name into
the vortex of moral destruction. We are to
| do this upon what? Upon some wild, absurd
and contradictory assertions of Mr.. Tilton, who
| in all this work does not succeed in Disgusting
his malicious and revengeful designs. No tri-
bunal administering justice ever held a charge
of adultery proved by mere alleged words,
written or spoken, which are denied and moi
| connected with circumstances and appearances
pointing unmistakably to the guilt of the as
| cused.
Upon a review of the evidence, with an ear
nest desire to find the truth andsadvise what
| truth and justice shall require, we feel bound
| to state that in our Judgment the evidence re-
| lied upon by the accuser utterly fails to sustain
| the charges made. We herewith submit stem.
ographic copy Of all the evidence before the
committee, with some unimportant or irrele
| want exceptions.
| STATEMENT OF CONCLUSIONS.
Firsr-We find from the evidence that Rev
| Henry Ward Beecher did not commit adultery
with Mrs. Elizabeth r. Titon, either at the
| time or times, place or places, set forth in the
third or fourth subdivisions of MIR. TIlton's
statement, nor at any other time or place what.
| ever
| Second-We find from the evidence that Mr.
Beecher has never committed any unchaste OF
| improper act with Mrs. Tilton, nor made any
| unchaste or improper remark. proffer or So
licitation to her of any kind or description what
| ever.
Third-If this were question of errors of
| judgment on the part of Mr.. Beecher, it would
be easy to critcise, especially in the light of
recent events. In such critiscism even to the
| extent OF regrets and cenSure, we are sure III
man would join more sincerely than Mr.
| Beecher himself
Fourth-We find nothing whatever in the
evidence that should impair the perfect conf
| dence of Plymouth church or the world in the
Christian character aud integrity of Henry
Ward Beecher: Andlnow let the peace of God
that passeth all understanding, rest and abide
| with Plymouth church and her beloved and
eminent pastor, SO much and so long afflicted
| HENRY w. SAGE,
| HENRY NJ CLEVELAND,
| AUG STORRs,
| HORACE B. CLAFLN,
| JOHN WINsLow,
s. V. WHITE,
| Committee of Investigation.