New-York tribune., 1874-09-07
BEECHER'S CONTROVERSIES.
A CHAPTER OF THE ANTI-SLAvERY CON-
FLICT.


AND MRS. STOWE, BASED UPON UNCLE TOMS
cABIy-M,. BEECHER's MEDIATION MIscoN-
sTRUED-CHARACTERIsTiC LETTERS AND uriEh
ANCEs.
Almost every incident illustrative in any
degree Of Mr. Beechers OF Mr. Tons character mas
been recalled recently from the scattered records Vi
their lives, and given place In the discussion vi '
Brooklyn scandal A slngular-not to say remarKaoe-
controversy, in which Mr. Beecher was invoNeo ~
years ago. has escaped notice, although at the tho :"
furnished a sensational chapter to the Ant'-Savery
agitation. IL the direct offspring OF Mrs stoves
Uncle Toms Cabin" and furnished material for news
paper comment for many weeks. This novel was crit
cised among other things, for beng anttministera
and by The Nep York Observer, as "antChrlst'ah loe
religious defenders OF Slavery were not SLOW 10 houce
that the white ministers of the story were placed IN
notably unenvable light hardly being credited "itn
respectaby. The Observer was very sensitive 10 any
reflection upon the ministry. and the Newfork pulpit
II not already pricked in conscience was Sharply aiVo
to any real or apparent depreciation OF its honor IL
was the "New York pulpit" that Wendell Philips had
declared to be "one END OF magnetic teiegrapn' VI
which the NewOrleans cotton market was the o'no''
and the many home hrusts which 1t received "cro ho'
calculated to close the wounds when had peeh
opened. The Observer and other papers quickly
noticed that. while Mrs. stowe hsd inuroo"v
referred to the sentiments OF others, the Rev. DE- 'oe
Parker was alone mentioned by the representa-
tive of the pulpit thought of the North feSaruihs
Slavery He was quoted as saying In pubic aauress
that Slavery chad no evils but such as arc "scpei"
from any other relation In social and domestic fe Dr
Parker was settled the present FonrthaVe
teran Church OF which the Rev. Dr. Howard CROSBY Is
now pastor He was originally New-iorh hin'''e''
but had spent some years in New Orleans and had now
returned bued, 1t said with the Southern hoohs
regarding Slavery. The above quotation was taken py
Mrs Stowe not from the official transcript OF his ad-
dress, but from excerpt which had found It's way
into American and English papers, and had been cur
rent for months without receiving any denial from him
When il appeared In Mrs. Stoves book, however, win
all It's Significance he was moved to disown IL, anu
opened correspondence with with view to effect
I'M a correction and explanation PrOf stowe re-
Piled but until Dr. Parker had written the third iet
ter did he receive answer and before the aar was
finally settled it assumed important proportions al
though the desired change was early made In Uhcle
Toms Cabin" and Dr. Parker was thrown OUT during
this complicated controversy of Dr. Parkers letters
to Mrs. Stowe included an implied threat TO 20 oeiore
the public with tho whole matter by throwing it into the
courts Her reply was not concatory, and Dr. Parker
Immediately began proceedings against her for libel FOR
10000 damages b. F. Butler Of this city mot of the
Essex DISTRICT the partner of Hiram Barney and Attor
ney General Of the United States under President jack
son. was his counsel
At this stage the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher became
the affair." Mrs. otOWe Wrote lor puoIi-
cation 1t was also proposed to publish the correspond
ence The original letters and the card were sent to Mr
Beecher. He took them to Dr. Parker who was not
satisfied to have them printed in their exact FORM
settlement seemed unlikely. Mr.. Beecher wished 10
avoid publicity He told Dr. Parker that he believed he
could invent q correspondence between him and Mrs
Stowe which would place him right before the world and
satisfy every one. Dr. Parker rose from his desk re-
auested Mr. Beecher to sit down there and frame the
ba Iaff
twenty minutes the correspondence was ready. Dr.
Parker liked it, suggested only change, and, accord
ing to Mr. Beecher, said that unless his counsei oo-
ected would like to have printed and thus end the
trouble He did not however attach his signature 10
the letters From Dr. Parkers house Mr. Beecher went
Immediately to Mr. Buffers office. and, meeting with no
objection the plan from him, sent the documents To
Mrs Stowe by mail with instructions to return them, II
satisfactory friend in the city, whe would attend
TO their publication in THE TRIBUNE and rhe Inepehd
emit Mr. Beecher himself went to Indiana on VISIT
aud in due time the Correspondence" which he pre-
pared was printed in the abovenamed papers.
To the great surprise Of Mr. Beecher article soon
appeared in The Nec York Observer affirming that the
letters attributed to Dr. Parker neither written
nor signed by him; that Mr.. Beecher called upon Dr.
Parker certain letters as IL between hun and
Mrs Stowe, about which Dr. Parker said he would con-
suit his lawyer that he was very indignant that the
letters were published without further consultation
with him. The O6serrer presented INC Wnoe suect W
its readers as alleged. to show the morality Of
modern ultrasm in general, and Of Uncle Toms
Cabin in particular" and to contrast Mrs. Stoves
and Mr.. Beecher's sentiments, as expressed In
the correspondence, with the treatment OF the
editors of The O6serrer," while 1t took advan-
tage Of the opportunity to make sharp thrusts
at THE TRIBUNE and INDEPENDENT as the natural al
lies" Of such people Upon the publication of this record
in The Observer, Mr.. Beecher made an indignant and
elaborate reply in The Independent Of Oct 1882 giving
In eleven columns, the detailed history OF the cOntro-
versy including all the letters and documents OF which
it was composed. 1t was exceedingly forcble and
convincing paper. He argued that Dr. Parker5 exact
words with their connection, and Mrs Stoves quota
ton meant exactly the same thing. He then contra
dieted Dr. Parker regarding the understanding between
them about publishing the letters saying that it was
done in accordance with their agreement the only
condition OF Dr. Parkerobtainng the consent Of his
counsel--being fulfilled.
Mr. Beecher gave utterance to his own feelings in
most earnest and impassioned language. There was
question fveracy between himself and the
honor his sister stake the intensity of his feel
ngs and Of his expression the less character
stic then than now while he is thought to have exhb
tied then weakness similar to what his friends now
claim for him. Quotations will serve as illustrations.
In the first part of his reply he wrote:
But for myself profess that event OF my life, not
the of my children, nor bereavements Of friends
dear, Sickness nor all OF them have ever hed
with deep sorrow as tnat Wllcn nave IN Delng
made a party to public dispute where three OF the
persons concerned ministers OF the Gospel and
where the fourth woman and the wife Of clergy
man. At the very best 1t is shame and a disgrace.
To avert 1t laDored most honestly and with all my
might And now nothing but the alternative OF per-
sona disgrace and the yet greater shame to the cause
OF Christ, should be proved as bad man as The Ob
Yet there stronger than all these. God
has put into my hands the defense OF the honor OF
sister ne x born to me. and dearer than my
self and whom The Observer has treated so contemptu
ousy as no could treat a woman, unless his pas
sons had for moment led HIM to forget Gods greatest
Gift besides Himself to man-a mother; and the next,
the true and right noble hearts of wife and sister,