The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-08-21
Beecher.TiltOn.

submitted to the Investigation Committee OF
Plymouth Church to-day. He starts out by
reaflirming the general denial Of the charges
which he made on the 22d of July, and follows
this with fierce attack upon his accuser,
Theodore Tilton, whom he charges with being
an associate of the Woodruff and friend OF
her strange cause, by which and other follies
he has become bankrupt morally and financial
| ly. Mr.. Beecher continues Il can now see
that he IL. and has been from the beginning
of this difficulty, a selfish and reckless schem-
er. pursuing plan of mingled good and
hatred and weaving about .ne network of
suspicious, Misunderstanding, plots and lies
to which my own innocent words and acts,
nay even my thoughts, OF kindness
toward him, have been made to
contribute. These successive views Of
him must be kept in view, to explain my
course through the last four years. That l
was blind so long az to the real motive of in
trigue going on around me was due partly to
my own overwhelming public engagements.
partly to my complete surrender OF this affair,
and the papers and questions connected with
it, into the hands of Mr.. Moulton, who was
intensely confident that he conld manage it
successfully. / suffered much, but inquired
little. Mr.. Mouton was chary to me of Mr..
Tilton's confidence to him, reporting to me
occasionally in a general way Mr.. Tilton's
words and outbreaks OF passion only as ele-
ments OF trouble which he was able to con-
troll and as additional proofs of the wisdom
of giving 1t to him. His control of the
situation seemed to me, at the time, complete,
immersed as l was in incessant cares and
duties, and only too glad to be relieved from
considering the details and wretched compli-
cations, the origin and the fact OF which re-
main, in spite of all friendly intervention, a
perpetual burden to my soul. l would not
read IN the papers about it. would not talk
about it, l made Moulton for long period
my confdant and my only channel of infor-
nation. From time TO time suspicious were
aroused in me by indications that Mr.. Tilton
was acting the part of an enemy but suspi-
cions were rapidly allayed by his own behavior
toward me in other moods, and by the
assurances of Mr.. Moulton, who ascribed
the circumstances to misunderstand-
ing or to malice on the part of
others 1t il plain to me now that it was not
until Tilton had fallen into disgrace and had
lost his salary that he thought it necessary to
assail nae with charges which he pretended to
have had in mind for six months. The do
nestle offense which he alleged was very
quickly and easily put aside, but yet in such
way as to keep my feelings stirred up in order
that | might, through my friends, be used to
extract from Mr.. Bowen q 600, the amount
of the claim in dispute between them. The
check for that sum in hand. Mr.. Tilton signed
an agreement of peace and concord, not
drawn by me, but accepted by me as sincere.
when had lost the last remnant
of faith in Theodore, or hope for him; when
thing had done to stay his destruction had
made matters worse and worse and that my
attempt to keep him from public trial, in
volving such flow of scandal as has now
been let loose, had been used by him to bring
up new troubles that his unhappy wife was.
under his dictaton signing papers and re-
carnations, and | know not what that in
short everything was breaking up, and
the destruction from which had sought to
save the family was likely to be emptied
on other families, the church and the
community, with infinite horrors OF woe for
me; that my own innocence was buried
under heaps and heaps of rubbish, and no.
body but my professed friend if even he,
could save us-to his assurances that he could
still do so gave at least 80 much faith as to
maintain under these terrible trials the silence
which he enjoined. Not until Mr.. Titon,
having attempted through Frank Carpenter
to raise money from my friends, openly as
sailed me in letter to Dr. Bacon. did | break
that silence, save by the simple denial Of the
slanderous rumors against me year before,
when. on the appearance of the first open
attack from Mr. Tilton, / Immediately. with
out consulting Mouton, called for thorough
investigation with committee Of my
church."
Mr.. Beecher saws he finds himself in posi-
ton where he knows his innocence without
being able to prove it with detailed explana-
tons declares that he is an hereditary hypo-
chondriac. and that in certain moods of re-
action the world becomes black. If he were
to write i'm such mood he should give false
colors and exaggerated proportions to every
thing. He then proceeds to give q circum-
stantial narrative of his personal relations
with Mr.. and Mrs Tilton, from the day Of
their acquaintance down to the present day.
He first knew Tilton as a reporter Of his SER
mons, became much attached 70 the young
man, and shortly after gave him a position
on the independent of which he
was editor. He shortly after placed
Tilton in charge of the paper during
temporary absence in England. and on return
ing made arrangements by which the young
man became responsible editor of the hide
peildeja
=" Friendly relations continued until 1866"
says Mr.. Beecher, "when violent assaults
were made upon me by Tilton III the INDIE
pendent on account of my Cleveland letter,
and temporary discrimination of pubica-
ton of my sermons in that paper broke off my
connection with it. Although Mr.. Tilton and
| remained personally on good terms, yet
there was q GOODNESS between us in all mat
tiers of politics. Our social relations were
very kindly, and as late as 1869, at his re-
quest. / sat to Page some fifty times for a
portrait. II was there that first met and talked
with Moulton, whose wife was member
of Plymouth Church, though he was not a
member, or even a regular attendant During
this whole period never received from Mr.
Tilton or any member of his family, the slight
est hint that there was any dissatisfaction
with my familiar relations to his household
As late, / think, as the winter Of 1869, when
going upon an extended lecturing tour. he
said " | wish you would look in often and
see that Libby is not lonesome, or does not
want anything" or words to that effect.
Never by sign or word did Mr. Tllton COM
plain of my visits in his family until after he
began to fear that the Independent would be
taken from him nor did he break out into
violence until on the eve Of dispossession
from both the papers the independent and the
Brooklyn Union, owned by Mr.. Bowen. Dur
ing these years of intimacy in Tilton's family,
was treated as father or elder brother"
In regard TO the matter Of his alleged con-
fession 60 Moulton. and the paper which it is
charged he obtained from Mrs. Tilton while
living on bed Of sickness, Mr. Il. says:
" In q sort Of postscript she denied explic-
itlv that | had ever offered any improper
solicitation to her. that being the only charge
made against me by Mr.. Titon, or sustained
by the statement about the confession which
he had read to mel dreamed Of no worse
charge at that time-that horrible
enough. The mere thought that he could
make it.. and could have eXtorted any
evidence on which to base it. was enough TO
take away my senses. 1t seemed to me as il
she was going 10 die that her mind was over
thrown and that was in some dreadful way