Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-12-30

Although the readers Of this paper have
had TO learn the fact from other sources, /.
none of them are ignorant of the existence /
of an action at law brought by Mr.. Theo /
dore Tilton against the editor OF this jour /
nal. We have refrained from all mention of |
the subject for obvious reasons and in now .
giving brief account of the course of the /
affair in the past, and of the intentions of |
the defendant in that suit for the future we |
shall abstain, as far as possible, from saying .
ANYTHING which might influence the current .
of judicial proceedings in the case.
That the defendant, so long as it seemed .
practicable to keep from the public the
names of those pure and honorable women |
whose regulations were threatened by false |
and wicked ISLANDERS, made every effort to do |
so-willingly putting his own name in peril, |
if thus they might be spared-he neither de-
MES nor regrets. II the developments Of the |
last year have not justified the motives as
fully as they have proved the uselessness of
those efforts, then we are unable to offer any
argument which will reach the uncon-
WINGED. We are not Of the mind of those
who profess that they maintained silence be-
cause the welfare of the community, the peace
of families, and the interest of the Christian
church demanded it, but felt bound to sacri-
fee all those interests the moment that their
OWN reputation WAS dlltthtA. Nfl lilt Nhll-
trary, we feel it TO be the duty and a privi-
lege Of Christian man to bear thousand
attacks upon his own reputation in silence,
rather than to suffer one innocent woman
TO be villiied for his sake before the world
We are ne alone in such opinions or in
the course which We have adopted under
such views. Eminent and honored men in
every walk of life, and notably so among the
clergy, have pursued the same policy in nu-
merous instances, some OF which are re
corded in history at intervals for hundreds of
years past, and others are known to us to-
day But those which are known, are not
1.-THE of those which are generally un-
known. For in the vast majority of cases
the policy of silence is completely successful
and is the best vindication of the innocent
The innocent man vindicates himself by his
life, and if the innocent woman can at any
sacrifice be kept from becoming the subject
of public comment the triumph of truth is
so complete that the lie is utterly forgotten
Ii was only in June last that it became
necessary to change the policy previously ad-
hered to. On June 20, the letter of Mr.. Til
ton to DIR. Bacon was published On the
next day Mr.. Beecher resolved TO call for an
investigation. He was at first disposed to
place the matter in the charge of gentlemen
outside of his congregation but was advised
that such proceeding, besides being incon-
sistent with Scriptural injunction and Con
gregatonal usage, would not be within the
protection which the law accords TO the dis
closures of witnesses as privileged communi-
cations land so not libelous) if made in an
investigation conducted by the religious so
cety of which the parties brought in ques-
ton are members. lie therefore invited six
members of his church and congregation TO
take charge of the case and left it abso-
lutely in their hands, Their names were
suggested to him by members Of the regular
examining committee, and they were heart
lily approved by the full committee when it
assembled.
This special committee went about its
work with determination 10 be thorough,
and was therefore necessarily deliberate in
its movements, which were regulated ell
tirely by its own members, without any at
tempt at advice or guidance on the part Of
the pastor of the church. Its conclusions
were the result of its own independent judg-
ment, and in some respects did not accord
with his.
Before the committee had finished its in
vestigatons, Mr.. Iilton, who had at first
willingly appeared before it and testified to
the honor and integrity of its members,
withdrew from its presence and brought the
suit at law which is now pending. The
complaint was served August 81, during de-
PENDANTS absence in the White Mountains.
The answer was drawn the next day but,
owing to the distance and succession Of
difficulties in procuring correct official certi-
ficates (without which defendants oath to
the answer would have been nullity) il
was not served until September Z which
was, however, still some days in advance of
the time required by law.
Much has been said about the delay in
this suit. 1t might suffice TO say that no
case Of similar importance and completely
was ever brought TO trial before a civil court
in this part of the State in SO short time
as this will be. But, furthermore, IL has
been conceded by counsel on both sides, in
the presence of the court that there were
not jurors enough 10 try the cause in No
yember, nor time enough in December. The
defendant personally urged his counsel &c
arrange for an early trial but he has left
the case in their hands, and is satisfied that
they have done that which was wisest and
best.
The application for a statement OF partic
ulars has not met with the favor Of certain
newspapers; but, having been fully sustained
by the highest court Of the state, and in
dorsed by the best legal authorities on the
bench and at the bar, outside Of Brooklyn
we venture TO believe that il will stand the
test OF time.
Already one result Of this motion has beer
10 clear up much Of the mystery with which