Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-31
THE CORRUPTION OF NEW YORK
SOCIETY.
Cincinnati Enquirer.


One of the most curious and remark able
phases of the Tilton-Beecher scandal is the
fact, which now fully;appeaTs, that il was
known to at least a dozen men and women
of prominence i'll New York religious and
intellectual society years ago. Generally,
where an important secret affecting a dis
tinguished individual reputation is known
10 mOre than one person, an immediate
publicity Of il may be expected. We say
this was known to a dozen, but, strange to
say, all kept it with extraordinary fidelity.
Besides the parties, Moulton knew ii. So
did Carpenter. Oliver johnson had an
inkling Of il. So had Bowen.
of the Nelr York Independent. 1t was
communicated TO those distinguished
Woman'S Rights champions, Mrs. Eliza
beth Cady stanton and Miss Susan B. An
thony. Mrs. Billiard was cognizant Of it.
So, it would seem, were Mr.. aud Mrs.
CrOly. Of The Nel1 York GrdDLjc. Mrs.
Hooker was informed of it. Mr.. Wilkeson
was no stranger TO it. These are not all.
To their intimate friends and relatives
this mOmentOus secret was impaired in
strict confidence. Ii has been said that
women cannot keep secrets. This we now
know to be a libel upon the fair sex. They
can and do keep them. 1t is true that a
woman, Mrs. Woodruff, at last blazOned it
to the world; but she acquired knowledge
of it in such manner that she was not
bound to secrecy as the rest were. She is
not considered as a woman of virtue,
and she let it out. The honest and
viTtuOus women and men of New York
considered it a sacred duty to Keep it from
the knowledge of the world. They kept
their mouths closed and their pens silent
in regaad to it. Herein We see the pecu-
liar rOttenness Of society in the great me
trOpOlis, when dozen or more excellent
people cOnspire together to hide from view
the most disgusting violation of every
principle of virtue, honor and decency.
When the bad woman, Mrs. Woodruff,
divUlged it at last, because Beecher would
not keep faith with her and preside at a
Free-Loye meeting, as he had promised,
and introduce her to the people, then the
good and moral dozen, who knew all that
the bad woman had said was true, al
lowed her to be imprisoned and fined with
out giving their evidence in her behalf
Here We see how much brighter are the
Church and moral reform stars of New
\ Ork to those whom vice has polluted with
its shameful touch. Worse and more
alarming than the original sin of Beecher
have been the efforts of his friends, male
and female, to hide it from public Obser-
vstiOn. In the best states Of society one
may occasionally fall, but when q
multitude unite 10 suppress intelli-
gence of it, and to bolster up the sinner.
then, indeed, we have fallen upon evil
times. Their motive, that an exposure
would be injurious to the church, is found
ed upon known and egTegiouS falsehood.
The church more than the world is inter-
ested in smoking out the hypocrites who
may seek 10 defile her. Il is the hiding
which hurts the church, not the publicity.
The church Will not Snfier in the estima-
ton OF any rational man on account of the
evil dolngs of Beecber. We are warned in
the scriptures that there will always be
wolves IN Sleeps clothing and experience
has taught us that moral impOsture is quite
possible upon the church. Though a thou
sand Beechers should fall, il would not
affect the doctrines of Christianity parti-
Gle The better the doctrine the more nu-
meTous the frauds which will be sought to
be perpetrated under it. Political parties
are not base enough 10 defend rascal be
cause he IS Of their way of belief, and re-
IigiOus bodies can still less agree to it. In
the sense in which the word Christian is
understood by the orthodox. Beecher had
no claim to that title, for his views were
put shade or two removed from DOWN
right intidelity.