The Portland daily press., 1874-09-12
REOPEN ED |!
Moulton's Long Promised
Statement.
A ssEVIEW OF THE WHOLE
CASE.
Answer to the Charge Of Black.
mailing.
A SHOCKING CHARGE.
Etc, Etc., Etc.


has at length been made public 1t is so Ions
as to fill eleven columns of the Boston Journa
In the smallest and Closest type. He begins b.
stating the necessity for the present statement
and then proceeds to show Beecher's confidence
in him, reciting at length his attempts to adjus
the quarrel. He then gives an account OF hi
labors to induce Tilton to suppress his reply tt
Rev. DR.. Bacon's letter, which he learned tina
Titon was preparing, and when he found u
impossible to prevent publication he labore6
with the writer to modify its phraseoogy. All
was no avail. The document was published IL
the Golden Age. Moulton then saw Tracy
Beecher's counsel, and tried to interest him in
plan of reconciliation at that time, and they
agreed TO undertake to settle the controversy
upon the basis of al "offense" An interview
with Tilton's friends followed and the former
agreed that it would all be dropped if Mr..
Beecher would make the following statement
from his pulpit, which Moulton says he pre-
pared:
''This church and community are unques-
tionably and justly interested through the re-
cent publication by Theodore Tilton in answer
to DR.. Leonard Bacon of New Haven.
sit is true that have committed an offence
against Theodore Tilton, and, giving to that Of
fence the force of bis construction, 1 made an
apology and reparation such as he and at the
time declared full and necessary. am con-
WINGED that Mr.. Tilton has been goaded to his
defence by Misrepresentation or misunder
standings Of my position towards him. shall
never be party to the reopening of this ques-
ton, which has been honorably settled as be-
tween Theodore Tilton and myself. have
committed no crime; and if this society be-
lieves that it is due to it that should reopen
this already too painful subject OF resign, will
resign. l know, as God gives me the power to
judge of myself, that am better fitted to-day
through trials and Christening to do good than
have ever BEEN"
Tbis statement Mr.. Beecher was expected to
make to his church Sunday, July 5th but to
the surprise of those who were knowing to the
agreement he aid not. AS Beecher and
Moulton walled home from church, the former
told Moul,on that he had agreed to the ap-
pointment of a committee of investigation.
Moulton proceeds 10 give an account of the
proceedings OF the committee. In this con-
nection he says that Gen Butler was not en-
ployed as his counsel in this case until after
Mr. Beecher had demanded the papers of him.
Another attempt was made to reconcile the
parties after Mrs Tiltop's testimony before the
Committee, in which Tracy meets Tilton in
the presence of Mouton. At this interview
Tilton denounced Tracv for the part he had
L
says Moulton. "Tracy received with great for
bearance, and then, with strength and pathos
of language, with tears flowing down his
cheeks, he made so eloquent and manly an APP
peal to Tilton, picturing with great force his
wifes tenderness and gentleness and apparent
truthiulpe.s before the Committee. and her
high eulogy of her husband. that Triton was
greatly moved and pacified Herewith, and
seemed DESTROYS for reconciliation and renewed
peace for his wife's sake. Tracy said to him
also that as the Committee, to his knowledge,
felt that there was an offence committed by
Beecher against him, they would undoubtedly
make any report that he (Tilton) could suggest
upon the basis OF almost any offence this side
of adulte1y-indeed, that be could quite guar
antee they would"
The result of this interview was the -ecou-
citation of Tilton to his wife, which was fol-
lowed by that meeting to which Mrs. Tilton, in
her testimony, refers, when her husband came
to her bed in tie night and was so kind, and
when the all the differences were made up
TiltOn Makes a Report for the Com.
mittee.
After this reconciliation Moulton says that
Tilton, the same night, made a report for the
committee, which he read to Mrs. Tilton, and
which she supposed, in her further testimony,
was his statement to the committee, which con-
tanned the following points:
First-That Mrs. Tilton, in her statement,
vindicated her innocence and purity of charac
ter, and repealed the insinuation that her hus-
band was the author OF the calumnies against
her.
Second-That Mr.. Tiltou, in his relations
with his pastor, had Just cause of offense, and
had received a voluntary apology, designed TO
cure complicated transaction which did not
concern the public.
Third.-That Mr.. Beeeher's testimony con-
firmed that of MIR. and Mrs Tlton. and that
Mr.. Beecher, having been led to do TiltOn
wrong (Which wrong is inferred to be speaking
against him, and injuring him in his charac-
ten confessed it, and apoogized for it as
Christian man should.
The report concludes with an opinion that
the publication of the Bacon reply was fortu-
nate inasmuch as it had afforded an opportu-
nifty for the full facts in the case to be brought
to light, and to result in the vindcation of the
characters of Beecher, Titon, and his wife, be-
fore the world.
July 10th Moul.on received note from
Beecher asking him to hear him read the heads
of his statement to the committee. Ou the
same day TiltOu's report for the committee was
drafted and submitted to Tracy, who said that
he thought the committee would adopt it with
a few immaterial alterations
Tilton Before the Committee.
The evening of the same day TIlton appeared
before the commi tee in pursuance of the poll
cy marsed out by Gen. Tracy and Moulton
with q short statement.
new
The next morning Tilton was COMPOUNDED
with the announcement of bis wife that she
was to leave him. and the publication of MIR.
BeecheI's letter of June 18th, calling for an in
vestgation into all the rumors Tilton was very
angry at this, and going to Moulton declared
that Beecher was up to his old tricks. Still,
Moulton says that he tried to reason with him
and persuade him not 10 make full statement,
but he was now determined to do so.
MouIton's Statement.
At this time Moulton says he received an in
vitation from the mmittee to furnish them
"such facts as were within his own knowl-
edge" Monitor was still the "matual friend'
aud still iutent on securing reconciliation,
and proposed brief statement which be read
to Beecher on the ID of July, ard which the
latter approved as honorable to both parties.
Tilton also approved of this statement That
statement has been published, the latter part
being advice to the Committee what to do
MOultOn goes on to say that be had an inter.
view after this with Mr.. Beecher, in which he
(Moultop) proposed report for the Committee
on the basis of that prepared by Titon as
above outlined.
After Tl,on's statement was published,
Moulton decided TO remain heutral, and in
puruauce of this purpose refused 10 give up to
Beecher the letters and papers in his pos
session.
August 4th, when he had received Beecher's
lcltcI dShluS utiu W appear ptlOIo Tie commit
tee, he decided to make full statement, but
he says that Tracy dissuaded him, stating that
he (MOulton) ought not to make the letters
public. Thereupon he called some of Mr..
Beecher's friends and as the result of the con-
sultation the short statement was agreed up
on.
From this point Moulton proceeds to notice
some of the charges in the statement of Mr..
Beecher aud the report of the Committee. The
so-called pistol scene, he says, was not an at
tempt to intimidate Mr.. but he pointed to
the pistol which he always carried to show that
he would defend these papers with his life.
Following this are some letters written by Mr.
Beecher to Mrs Tilton, all of which have been
published in whole or part. He then reiterates
Mr. Beecher's confession to him of the crime
of adultery with Mrs. Titlon. There is little
interest until he comes to the charge of
Beecher's Alleged Confession of Adultery
and justification of IT,
But to answer this criticism in another direc-
ton, and to show the impossibility that could
be mistaken, not seeking to shelter myself from
any supposed misunderstanding: but taking all
the burden Of veracity between Beecher, Tilton
and myself, now proceed to give such posi-
lions as are necessary of some few of the con-
versations in which Beecher made confession
of adultery:
have before stated that the first confession
was made on the night l went for the s'retrac-
ton" Of Mrs. Tilton; that there told him
"Mr. Beecher, you have had criminal inter
course with Mrs. Tltop, and you have done
great injury to Tilton otherwise and l say
further in my published statement: ''that he
confessed and denied not, but confessed" As