Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-08-20

as nearly as can remember, in the fol-
lowing terms:
HENRY WARD BEECHER For rea-
sons which you explicitly know, and
which forbear to state, Idemand that
you withdraw from the pulpit and quit
Brooklyn as residence.
THEODORE TILToN.
INTERFERENCE IN BUSINESS NAT
TIERS.
/ read it over twice, and turned tol
Bowen and said: "This man is crazy; |
this is sheer insanity" and other like |
words. Mr.. Bowen professed to be ig-
norant of the contents, and 1 handed |
him the letter to read. We at Oncel
fell into a conversation about Mr.. Til
ton. He gave me some accounts of the
reasons why he had reduced him from
the editorship of the Independent tol
the subordinate position of contributor;
namely, that Mr.. Tilton's religious and
social views were running the paper.
But he said that as soon as it was
known that he had so far broken with
Tilton, there came pouring in upon
him so many stories of Mr. Tilton's
private life and habits that he was over
whelmed, and that he was now con-
sideriDg whether he could consistently
retain him on the Brooklyn Union, or
as chief contributor to the Independent.
He narrated the story of the affair at
Wlnsted, Conn.,, some like stories from
the Northwest, and charges brought
against Mr.. Tilton in his own office.
Without doubt he believed these ale
cations, and so did I. The other facts
mr. 1SI " al a tod 70. f..I
cOrrObOratiOn. Weconversed for some
time, Mr.. Bowen wishing my opinion.
1t was frankly given. I did not see
how he could maintain his relations
with Mr.. TiltoH. The substance of the
full conversation was that Tilton's in
ordinate vanity, his fatal facility in
blundering for which he had genius)
and ostentatieus independence in his
own opinions and general Impractical
bleness ~ould keep the Union at disa-
greement with the political party for
whose service it was published; and
now, added to all this, these revelations
OF these promiscuOus immoralities
would make his connection with either
paper fatal to its interests. I spoke
strongly and emphatically under the
great provocation of his threatening to
me and the revelation had just had
concerning his domestic affairs.
Mr.. Bowen derided the letter of Mr..
Tilto1's which he had brought to me,
and said earnestly that if trouble came
of it l might rely upon his friendship.
L learned afterward that i'm the further
quarrel, ending in Tilton's peremptory
expulsion from Bowen's service, this
conversation was repeated to Mr.. Til.
ton. l believe that Mr.. Bowen had an
interview and received some further in.
formation about Tilton from my wife
to whom had referred him; and al.
though have no doubt that Mr.. Tilton
would have lost his place at any rate, ]
have also no doubt that my influence
was decisive, and precipitated his final
overthrow. When 1 came to think il
all over felt very unhappy at the con
temptation of Mr.. TiltOn's impending
disaster. had loved him much, anC
at one time he had seemed like son tC
me. My influence had come Just a
the time of his first unfolding, and haG
much to do with this early develop
ment. l had aided him externally Il
bring him before the public. We hat
a been together in the great controversies
OF the day until after the war, and ou
social relations had been intimate.
1t is true that his nature always ex
/ aggerated his own excellencies. Wher
he was but boy he looked up to m,
with afectiOnate admiration. Afte
some years he felt himself my equal
: and was very companionable; and whel
4 he had outgrown me, and reached tn,
3 position of the first man of the age, n
still was kind and patronizing. 1 hal
: always smiled at these weaknesses o
4 vanity, and had believed that large
! experience, with some knockr anon.
q strong men, and by sorrows that tenn
l per the soul, he would yet fulfill use
full and brilliant career. But now al
looked dark; he was to be cast fOrtl
q from his eminent position, and his al
. fairs at home did not promise that sym
+ pathy and strength which make one
f house, as mine has been, i'm times Q
!. adversity, refuge from the storm an,
q a tower of defence.
4 Besides generous suffering l shoul,
o have had a selfish reason for such, if
l. had dreamt that l was about to becom
a the instrument by which Mr.. Tito
= meant to fight his way back to tn
3 prosperity which he had forfeited
4 now appears that on the 29th of De
i cenber, 1870, Mr.. Tilton having learn
ed that l had replied to his threatenin
n letter by expressing such an opinion. {
= him as to set Mr.. Bowen finally agains
l. him, and bring him foce to face wit
= immediate ruin, eXtOrted from HI
II wife, then suffering under severe il
e ness, document incriDinating mi
D and prepared an elaborate attack upo
% me.
% MR.. TILTON WITH HIS WIFE'S CERTII
70 ICATE
le On Tuesday evening, Dec. 80, 1871
IS about o'clock, Francis d. Moulto
ID called at my house, and with inten:
m earnestnass said, 81 wish you to go wit
O. me to see Mr.. Tilton." I replied tn,
b. 1 could not then, as was just going [
rs my prayer-meeting. With the mo
positive manner he said, "You mu
go; somebody else will take care of til
meeting" went with him, n,
o. knowing what trouble had agitate
ly him, but vaguely thinking that migl
now learn the solution of the receI
threatening letter. On the way l asl
,e ed what was the reason of this visit, [
ri which he replied that Mr.. Tilton woul
,e inform me, or words to that effect. O
IN entering his house Mr.. Moulton locke
I'd the door, saying something about M
,e being INTERRUPTED. He requested m
d to go into the front chamber over III
,e parlor. l was under the impressio
Sc that Tilton was going to pour out upo
g. me his anger for cOlleagueing wit
d. Bowen and for the advice Of separatio
~ given to his wife. / wished Moulto
m to be with me as witness, but he il
q. sisted that l should 60 by myself. III
D. ton received me coldly, but c,.lmly
r. After word or two, standing in froI
at of me with memorandum in his han
3. he began an oration. He charged NJ
At in substance with acting for long tim
d in an unfriendly spirit;that had sougt
,o his downfall: had spread ininrinus n