Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-08-15


result Of the interview was tina
my wife was extremely indignaD
toward Mr. 1iltOn, and declared tina
no consideration ON earth would Undue
her TO remain an hour with a man VIII
had treated her with hundredth par
OF such insult and cruelty. l felt a
strongly AS she did, but hesitated, as
always do, at giving advice in favor Of
separation. it was agreed that my wifi
should give her fnal advice at anOthe
visit the next day. When ready to g
1 she wished
FINAL Word,
but there was company, and the chill
| dren were present, and / wrote on
/ scrap of paper: 81 incline to think tina
/ your view is right, and that separation
and a settlement Of support will b.
| wlsest, and thar 10 his present desperate
state her presence Is far more likely t
/ produce hatred than her absence" Mrs
Tilion did not tell me that my presenct
had anything to do with this trouble
nor did she let me know that in july
previous Tilton had eXtorted from her 8
confession OF excessive affection for me
On the evening of December q, 1870
MIR. Bowen, on his way home, called al
my house, and handed me letter from
Mr. TiltOn. 1t was, as near as ] can re-
member, in the following terms:
HENRY WARD BEEcHER-For reasons
which you explicitly know, and which j for
bear 10 state, demand that you withdraw
from the pulpit, and Quit Brooklyn a resi-
dence. THEODORE TILrON.
/ read it over twice, and turned TO
Bowen and said: "rhis man is crazy"
This is sheer insanity" and other like
words. Mr.. Bowen professed to be ig-
noTaDt of the contents, and / handed
him the letter to read. He at once fell
into a conversation about MIR. Tilton;
he gave me some account of his reason
why he had reduced him from the edit
orship of the Independent to the subOr-
dinste position of contributor, viz: 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 overwhelmed,
and that he was now considering
whether he consistently retain him on
the Brooklyn Union, or as chief con-
tributor to the Independents He mar
rated the story of the affair at Winsted,
Connecticut, some like stories from the
northwest, and charges brought against
TiltOn in his own Office Without doubt
be believed these allegations, ard so
with the other facts previously stated.
Mr. Beecher here speaks of MOulton's
relations with Tilton, and the bad infiu-
ences of the latter's connection with the
two papers on account of his pTOmiscu-
Gus immoralities, and says: l felt very
unhappy at the contemplation OF Mr..
TiltOn's impending disaster. / had
loved him much, and at one time be
seemed like 8 son to me. My influence
had come just at the time Of his first IN
folding, and had mach to do with his
early development. psid him, exter-
nally, to bring him before the public.
We had been together in the great con-
trOversies OF the day until, afterward,
our social intercourse had been intimate.
It is true that his nature always eXagge-
rated his own excellencies. When be
was but boy, ne looked up to me with
admiration. After some
years, he felt himself my equal, and was
very cOmpanionab1e, aud when Ae had
me, and reached the position
of the first man of the age he still wRs
kind and patronizing. / had always
smiled at these weaknesses of vanity,
and had believed that a larger experience,
with some knocks among strong men,
and by sorrows that temper the soul, he
would yet fulfill useful and brilliant
career, but now all looked dark. He |
was TO be cast forth from his eminent
position, and his affairs did not promise |
that sympathy and strength which |
makes ones house, as mine has been in |
lines Of adverfity, refuge from the |
storm and q tower of defense. !
Besides q generous suffering, l should /
have had a sci Ssh reason for such, il l /
had dreamed that was about to become |
All instrument, by which Mr.. Tilton |
meant to fight his way back to the pros 1
Derity which he had forfeited. 1t now
appears that on the twenty-ninth of De- /
,ember, 1870. Mr.. Tilton, having learn
ID that l replied to
HIS THREATENING LETTER
jy expressing such an opinion of him I
IS to set Mr.. Bowen finally against him, |
md bring him face to face with imme- /
iiate ruin, distorted from his wife, then /
from severe illness, a document /
me, and prepared an elabo-
ate attack on me. On Tuesday eve 1
hing, December, 1870, about seven /
'clOek, Francis ID. Moulton called at |
NY house, and, with intense earnest
less, said: az wish you to go with me
o see MIR. Tilton." l replied that /
,ould not then, as I was just going to
ny prayer-meeting. With a most posi-
i've manner, he said: "You must go;
else will take care Of the
neeting.n / went with him, not know
ng what trouble had agItated him, but
-aguely thinking I might now learn the
olution of his recent threatening letter.
IN the way l asked what was the Tea-
on OF this visit, to which he replied
hat Mr.. Tilton would inform me, or
words to that effect On entering the
louse Mr.. Moulton locked the door,
aging something about not being inter
upted. He requested me to go into the
ront chamber over the paTlor. / was
Inder tie impression that Mr.. Tilton
vas going to pour oct on me his anger
jr cOlleaguing Will. Bowen, aud for ad-
ice of separation given to his wife.
Wished Mr.. Moulton to be with me as
witness, but he insisted l should go by
myself. Mr.. Tilton received me cOldly
,ut calmly. After word or two stand
ng in front ofme with memorandum
n his hand, he began an oratiOn. He
d an unfriendly spirit said thst / had
ought his downfall, had spread injurious
umOrs about him, was using my place
nd influence to undermine him, had
dvised Mr.. Bowen to dismiss him, and
much more that / an'tTemember. BE
hen declared Il at had injured him in
lis family relations, mad joined with his
in producing discOrd in
he house, had advised separation, had
lienated his wife's affections from him,
ad lead her to love me more than any
wing being, had corrupted her moral
ature, ana taught her to be iusincere,
ying and hypOcritical, and ended by
harging that had made
WICKED PROPOSALS
D her. Until he reached this, had lis
ened, with some contempt, under the
IMPRESSION that he was attempting to
ully me; but, with the last charge, he
reduced a paper purporting to be Ger.
fled statement of a previous confession
lade to him by his wife of her love for
ie, and that l had made proposals to
er OF an improper nature. He said that
lls confession had been made to him
} July, six months previous; that his
snse Of honor and affection would not
ermit any such document TO remain in
Zistence; that he had burned the origi-
al, and should now destroy the only
lpy; and he then tore the paper into
nall pieces. II I had been shocked at /
lch statement, had been thunder
ruck when he closed the interview by
questing me to repair at once to his
ouse, where, he said, Elizabeth was
aiting for me, and learn from her lips
le truth OF his stories, in so far
a thew eonoerned her This