Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-09-10
BACON ON BEECHER.
And Immense on MouIton.
A Pleasant Essay for the Mutual
Friend to Reak-What the
Rev. Leonard Bacon knows
About the Conspiracy.
New YORK. Septem

New YORK, September 2.
Rev. DR.. Leonard Bacon has col
tributed paper to the Independent o
the Brooklyn scandal. He says: "N
summing up or sitting of the testimon
published and unpublished, and n
disclosures that may yet be made ca
in any way redeem the man who ha
become SO conspicuous in his characte
as mutual iriend," or negotiotor be-
tween the editor of the Golden Ag
and the popular and prosperous, bu
not very cunning pastor of the Plymot
Church, Perhaps it was three wear
ago that the entire budget, very muc
as given in the TiltOn statement, wa
laid open before me by man of hig
standing, who, unfortunately, kIe,
nothing about the matter, save wha
others had told MIN. Then it was tha
L first heard the name of Frank Moul
ton. In the absence of any proof, O
show of proof, / refused to Withdraw
my confidence from Beecher or t.
charge his memory with the painful
details of the story which l knew
would sooner or later become public
but then began TO suspect, and thence
| forward the impression on my minC
grew deeper and more definite tha
whoever might be the dupe or victim
! and whatever might be the result il
regard to Becher or anyother of tn,
drdndtis personnel, the mutual friend
1.-THE custodian of the papers big anC
black with fate, be, the hero of the pis
tol scene would be exposed in the de
nouncement as the chief of the plot
Frank, as his crOnies call him, is no
only man of aesthetic refinement bu
eminently chivslrous in his friendship
and sensitive and incapable of doing
any dishOnOrable thing. Beecher hav
ing had the benefit of Franks generou:
friendship for, l know not how many
years, now turns upon him in self de-
Tense and charges him with having had
the chief part in this very case of con-
spiracy. VIII he, this high toned gen.
tieman, whose eye heams keen with
honor, vindicate his honor by bringing
his accuSer to answer before q jury?-
How can he? Where will he find a
judicious and honorable counselor at
law who will advise him to do so? OF
course, L put this question without
thought that be has already paid re-
tanning fee, or even that the most emi-
nent criminal lawyer in Massachusetts
has not already advised him to do Just
that which / think a sagacious and
honorable counsellor would advise him
not to do. Beecher charges this man
with having been for years the chief
actor in the base conspiracy. He tells
the story very dishonorable to the con-
spiratOrs, yet not very creditably to his
own discretion, and not incredible, all
things considered. If he tells the
truth, Frank Moulton is a bad man.
And if Beecher's story is not true what
follows? We have MOultOn's own re-
port of what he has been doing these
years past and his is the true story. If
Beecher's is false, according to his own
story, not less than according to Beech
er's, he deserves the reprobation and
scOrn of all honest men, though ha
seems to be deficient in the moral sense
to know it. In each of the two stories
there is an apparent conspiracy, the
one is against Beecher's reace of mind
against his reputation, against his use
fulneSs, against the Church of which
he is the hOnOred minister. 1t in
wolves conspiracy against a weak
and helpless woman, TO disgrace her
and her children, and to make her life
lntolerable- 1t has proceeded, it is al
leged, so far as to eXtOrt money from
Beecher's gushing sympathy with al
man whom he had befriended, but who
had ruined himself by his ineradicable
folly. The other is a conspiracy tol
conceal a crime which ought rather To
have been exposed, and punished, too. |
To man of certain principles, adulte-
ry may seem trivial offense, a private
affair in which the dishonored husband
has something to condone or revenge,
but not much of crime against society. |
il only it can be flushed up among our
friends" So fixed does this ccnvic-
ton seem to be in Moulton's mind that
of the blessing pronounced on
he has been working all
the while, as he would have US under
stand, for compromise" With the
born of perfect unconscious
ness, he urged the Investigation Com
nittee TO accept his view of the case,
md to settle it by compromise. What
ne proposes is that the man, who, ac-
;ording to his story, is a thorough
'profigate," leading captive silly wo-
men, shall retain his position and all /,
lis influence by coming to terms with
Theodore Tilton. Doubtless it is thele
rope Of countless multitudes, in this S
md other lands, that Beecher will be
vindicated, and they are
'raying that he may be; but they are :
lot praying nor hoping that if he is :
'uilty he may escape detection. Hsv- :
ng long hOnored him as good man, +
hey believe he is innocent of the
imputed to elm, and will .
elieve so till he shall be proved guilty. 4
n that belief they are praying that his q
lnocence may be made manifest, and a
nat those who have conspired to de- G
roy him may be confounded. Beech 81
RS friends do not claim for him i'm
lunity in any wickedness. Moulton /,
lay negotiate himself into infamy, a,
ut he is not counted among Beecher's 81
lends. q,