New-York tribune., 1874-07-31

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| From Rochester Democrat and Chronkis
| And it now seems that the courts must in,
social problem. whatever shall be the decision OF the
Committee It hardly be received as conclusive 1t
fs composed usyely OF Mr.. Beechers friends and 1t
power compel the attendance OF reluctant wit
Desses. 1t may fairly no charged upon It that 1t has
either been unwilling or unable to pursue fn nvesti-
Cation OF the scandal Either proposition VIII cloud IT'S
finding win suspicion; and In saying ths OF course, we
do not mean impugn the motives OF the hOn0rable
| gentlemen who compose the Committee. We thought
indeed FIRST that their character and ability were
that their verdict would he received a settlement or
the rased but it painfully apparent hat
the courts alone competent to decide matter OF
such grave moment involving such illustrious reputa-
tons, and demanding such varied Witnesses sustained
by the soiemnty of their oaths The time mas passed
when this supreme scandal. so intimately ahecting the
| Christian Church and public morals. can be either
bushed up or suffered to be adjudcated by church
committee. The Impartality Of a commissioned Judge
witnesses verdict Of duly constituted jury must be
evoked. Before such q tribunal Henry Ward Beecner
secrets tdat whispered in private must have
| the searching light OF the law poured upon them
JUSTICE TO MR.. BEECHER
Mr. Beecher's case Is mt best most dlni-
! cult one. Circumstantlal charges have been made
against him OF grave character. These, whether iase
the aggregate false in detail are serious ana be Is
called upon to prove negative Ihu, lar ne nas SUP %
explain any of the letters published against MN Dy
Ton He has been forced, however, penilng the pre-
paration detailed defense, by the premature pnb
cation OF TtOn's charges. tn publish brei letter ia
| which he emphatcaly denies the criminal charges
made against him IN connection with Mrs. TiIton.
Now n these charges are false, Henry Ward Beocher
men as Whole and in ali it's parts falls the ground,
because the letters produced are oi no n
improper intimacy eAisted between Alr. beecher anu
Thus far them We have Tilton. word against
| Beecher's word supported by Mrs Tilton; and upon
Tiltons sta tement II 1t hundred times.
no court of Justice in would under the circnm-
stances convict horse thief lie II man, accordhS
to his own showing devoid Of moral character Farther
more, been clearly shown that he Is llar, ana
that friendship Is false. On the other had we nave
Beecher who for the first time IA charged with crime,
that is TO say adultery. He has been over thirty years
in the ministry. thirty years bOinbardng SIN ana mus
nee hated b. ana loved By multltudes, watched
and criticised IN proportion IA he was prominent ana
until Theodore iilion brought charges against hi ne
esteemed pure man, erratc sometimes IN uoclne,
bat always conscientious and always aiming To DO good;
never accused of liDurng OF at,elnpInS " Iy R
MORTAL and never known TO lie suspected OF telln1 ne
| Now. when contrast the two men, We have to ask
whether long life OF usefulness and purity Is to count
for nohlng ana whether i fair TO place Iht0n under
the circumstances on an equal fcODS, a. lcE1Ius k
racy with Beecneri ~ In not lar' nor Is IL Ju't, 20
falr-mpde1 person would pronounce Beecher gullY
without other evidence than that furnished by Ion.
Thus far We have no OtneI cVidenc5 than n
prepared statement by ilton, material pare OF when
Tiltun has contridcted, while wo have Henry "drd
Bcechers word that In0ns ehaTEe ol auul,ey 70 ap5o
Iutey and unquahcdly false. Here the matter stands
and here shOnId tan until all the evidence Is III
But il is said that Beecher would deny. OF course
This is a reasonable conclusion. IL Beecher Is
guilty he must taat Tiltous statement IS true IN
the nan and that the proof against hin Is overwhem'
ing He would Ice ioO therefore, to deny the charge'
a. he mas more than emphacly denied it, be-
cause if found guilty, the denial would greatly ag-
"A
public do not readily forgive. and Beechcr knows
enough Of human nature to understand this it Woald
hard to believe therefore, that Henry ward Beeeher
would openly and soemnly declare his innocence ne
is guilty as charged. strong and ingenious arguments
against Beecher; this Is a fair 10 proceed.
The defense been heard, aud until II Is heard the
defendant is entitled to suspension OF puDtc opinion
al least. We not prepared To pronounce Beechcr
| innocent, hut we do insist upon fair play.
EXTRAORDINARY LANGUAGE OF TIE LETTERS.
TIE Cincinnati Commercial
What had Mr.. Beechcr to dread from this g So
cial explosion" If it did comet Why shond he have
| taken to the heroes of greI, ana poured OUT tne
strongest language from heart overnurden ned WIN
the exaggeratons OF impa'soned sorro.T "hy snGnli
he have thrilled with morbid intensity ana wished
himself dead, because he had advised an innocent pure
orabc mani Why shoild ne above an Others DO torn
appreheasOns, tortured Dl fear anu rackcd Dy ms
innocent children from All DANCER OI eoXTiihihau
with perncious doctrines ana prhcticesf what other
course, Christian minister could he nave pursued
Was he 10 Ms. TlOn To continue to live IN an
impure home atmosphere, and with man avowedy in
fusing Win a street 6awd NJ: Boechers
explanation satisfactorily account Tor the hSuige useu
I'm his letters even If his statement should DO unques-
Does the theory that Mr.. Beecher had committed no
other Oense than To advise good wife To ieaYe Dad
husDand unless would di.ayow his pernicous views
and Illustrate them IN his me- account Tor TINS
manifest agony OF apprehension aud remorse on the
part Of Mir. Beecheri We put his condennIns letters
geher. his vacllating absurd contradictory and ex-
tayagant his consent TO compromise aud silence
when appealed TO Dy Mr. beecher anu theH mutlaI
friends, aId his temptations to break silence when
scored TO the quick as; calnnater and i9H sanderer
heated partisans leave out the TACT tla unt! ms
wife left his house and openly arrayed hersei on the
charge against her or any evidence OF real Of
his accusations against Mr. Beecher. save the single
aapoIosy; leave ont ali this and all the statements OF
others aud tho thousand and one rum0rs In the news
papers aud Weighing the case Of Mr. Beecher by Mr.
Beecher, upon evidence furnished by himself ana win
due allowance for his own mental perturbation and
say candidy that the explanation furnished by Me-
Beecher Is at all adequate 70 account ior e Tremendous
.nsiou ~ e.
the secret" which ne and his friends conspred to bury
in the darkness Of oblivion struggle into the light
MR. TILTON not INCONSISTENT
From The Chiago Tribune
It is argued that TiltOn's story must be
gwen Beecher and his wife, and would not have lived
With the latter after the discovery Some contend that
II the story true he would have shot Beecheron
the Instant. Others would be content with hiding
or "a knock-dOwn. Anything but exactly what Tilton
the great jingle OF human nature, even when adorned
by the Christian profession are accustomed to look
followers be. Shall l forgive my brother seven
the Lords answer. lie did not cay you shall forgive
him everything except the seduction OF your WIFE,
Bible for anything t Is because 1t teaches the
duty OF forgiveness for the gravest as we'll as the least
"eenses And vet when Tiilon says lie forgaye there
IA metropolitan chorus OF denuncaton raised against
hIm In a Christian city because he did Mt do something
Inherent from what he says he did-something different
from what Christ explicitly enoiued should
We not concerned TO defend Tllton against the
his that they have not yet established their
point Of accusation viz that he was the Paramour
of Mrs Woodruff. Mrs. Tlton does not charge him with
iptdety TO his marriage VOWS, although her statement
is cunningly worded that hasy reading Off would
convey that IMPRESSION Mr.. Ton. when interrogated
upon the point denied the charge with considerable
heat Consequently IL rests upon nothing SO far, but
the fact he wrote the Woodruff bographya foolish
publication undoubtedly, aud which Mr. Tilton mas
probably regretted. When the grains OF fact are all
sed out of the abundant newspaper chatf with which
the Of TltOn has been winnowed there very
small grst left. Mr.. Tlton may be hbertine. liar,
and everything else yile but inconsistent he has not
been except far he has, times past defended his
defense being