The Portland daily press., 1874-08-04
Our New York Letter.
The Great Standardization Still Sought
Afser-Mr. Beecher is to Speak ut Once
Journal.

Tic ousIfliuihS prop VI Tue conspiracy against
Henry Ward Beecber, has hidden himself from
sight. His whereabouts have been eagerly
sought for for many days by the Plymouth
Church Committee. Messages and kilograms
have been sent to and for him, at his residence,
his place of business and sundry country resorts,
where it was deemed possible he might be
found. But it has become conclusvely evident
that he means to conceal himself in order to
avoid being Intercepted.
His attitude in the affair is pitiable in the ex-
trcme, from whatever point of view you con-
slider it. He appears before the public as lay
ing accepted and betrayed confidence, as hav-
ing given up private letters to be used in defa-
nation of man who trusted in IBIS friendship
That is bad enough. But when he is asked to
furnish all the letters of which he has been a
recipient-on the mistaken idea that he was
man of honor-he takes refuge in flight, to
avoid making this poor atonement for an I'M
pardonable offence. Meantime the public grows
clamorous for an explanation of the passages in
those letters, which have been woven into the
statement of the complainant In order to
make that explanation complete and effective
it is obviously important that the letters them
selves in their entirety should be in the hands
of the respondent A whole week has been
wasted in the vain endeavor to obtain them-a
week of painful oense at a stage of the in
qury when every hour of delay works injury
to the object of the hateful accusation.
And during this interval of anxious waiting
vast amount of collateral ga5bIe has been
thrown into circulation by male and .male Cos
sips. all of which, when even casually analysed,
is traceable to the same source where the orig
inal charge emanated. Nobody has any light
to throw upon the subject save such lurid CLEAN
IS has scintiated from Tilton's morbid fancy
There are numerous witnesses to the fact that
he has talked about the matter necessarily for
years-not always coherently or intellgibly-
seldom with so much directness or perspicacity
IS to convey an exact idea of the nature of his
grievance but always with such emphatic as
sertions of the chastity and blamelessness of his
wife as to exclude from conjecture the story he
now tells concerning her-a story SO absolutely
inconsistent with his previous uterances that
ne is obliged to sustain it by resort to the fan
tastical theory that she is woman of such an
ethereal nature, occupying so grand an ati-
tude Of spiritual exaltaton, that she may COM
nit the grossest acts Of sensuaty without in
the smallest degree impairing the purity of her
mind or the santliness of her character If
this kind of reasoning were worth a thought
which it isn't-I don't See why it would not be
just as applicable TO both sexes as to only one.
1t being morally certain that Moulton will
neither appear in person, nor submit for inspec.
tion-at the request of the wrter-the letters of
which fragments have been used to sabstan.
tiate the atrocious indictment, nothing remans
but for The committee to proceed without them.
and within forty-e;ght hours Mr.. Beecher will
be heard Thus far the enemy have had every
thing their own way 1t is quite probable that
he will clear up the mystery in whch.the case
is still developed, and relieve the public mind
from all doubt aud uncertainty as to the precise
facts-narrowing the field of comment and
speculation to questions of ecclesiastical inlu-
ence and the proper limitations of clerical guild
ance and authority.
1t is striking proof of the intensity with
which this scandal has taken hold of the popu-
lar heart and thought, that it has completely
driven out of sight and discussion the local
themes which it Suddenly displaced. Have.
meyer is such an insignificant atom in social
consequence, compared with Beecher, that his
existence has been for time forgotten. He is
understood to have furnished the Governor with
such voluminous defence that there is some
chance of its requiring the brief residue of his
official term to consider it. 1 presume, how
ever, that the Mayor will be suffered to serve
out the remaining five months of his discredita-
Bile magistracy anyhow. There has been re.
cent opportunity for him to make an unpleas-
ant spectacle of himself except in the sessions
of the board of apportionment where he has oc.
casionally INDUCED in unseemly wranglibgs
with his associates with Characteristic indiffer-
ence alike to dignity and decency
The Republican State Committee held ses.
sion few days ago at the Fifth Avenue Hotel
and fixed upon Utica as the place and the 23d
OF September as the time for holding the State
Convention. vigorous campaign will become
necessity for several reasons. A senatorial
seat depends upon the political complexion of
the Assembly. The Democracy regard New
York as the preliminary battle grouad of the
next Presidential election. If they can carry
the Empire State they will go into the race
with some prestige and capital. If they are
beaten here their chances throughout the couu-
try are too small to be worth talking about.
They are very hopeful. They elected the state
ticket last year, but lost the Legislature They
will make desperate struggle to secure both
next November. They, of course, realize that
they have got hard man to beat in Gen. Dix,
whose administration has given entire salts
faction to men of all parties, save only the tenn
peraIce fanatics who insist upon running a
third ticket, because the General cannot be
brOuoht to Sumnatbiza h 10 doot e 49,
ulating peoples habits by statute. Just how
far this detection will injure the Republicans
is matter of conjecture 1t seems to be taken
for granted on all sides that every temperance |
man must in the very nature of things belong |
to the Republican party. This inference, I'M |
complimentary as it is to the opposition, is ac.
cepted as readily by them as by the Repubi- |
cans. Assuming this to be SO, every vote cast |
for the third ticket is a loss to the adminstra-
ton party. On the other hand the notion p-e- |
walls that the personal acceptability of the
present Governor will, in an off wear. when
national issues are not especially pending, in
sure to him considerable following outside If
mere party lines. AT any rate it is generally
admitted that he is the strongest candidate
that can be named, independently OF the hos
tlity of the cold water malcontents He is |
seveuty-eight years of age, but no one would |
suppose it by looking at him. His vigor, both
of mind and body, is remarkable for one of his
years.
A new Republican daily is about to be issued [
in this city, under the auspices of stock COM
pany. Half million dollars of capital has
been sub icribed and the parties who furnish it
are good for as much more as may be needed.
Inc sche ne of buying cut a daily already en-
Toying the telegTaphic privileges of the associ-
ated press has been abandoned The price de-
manded was too hi2h Tho amount Of rnona.