Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-08-20
BEECHER'S STATEMENT.
Gentlemen ofhe Committee:

explicit, comprehensive aud solemn
denial to the charge made by Theodore
/ Iilton against me: that denial now
repeat and reaffirm. ] also stated in
that communication that / should ap-
pear before your committee with a
more detailed statement and eXplana-
tiOn of the facts in the case. Four
years ago Theodore Tilton fell from
one of the prOudest editorial chairs in
America, where he represented the
cause of religion, humanity and patri-
otism and few months thereafter be-
came the associate and representative
of Victoria Woodruff and a friend of
her strange cause. By his fOllies he
was bankrupt in reputation, in occu-
patton and in resources. Hhe history
of what l am now to give brief out
line is the history Of his attempts to so
employ me as to reinstate him in busi-
ness, restore his reputation, and place
him again upon the eminence from
which he had fallen. 1t is a sad his
tory, to the full meaning of which
have but recently awakened, entangled
; in Wilderness of complications. l
followed until lately false theory and
a delusive hope, believing that the
friend who assured me of his determi-
nation and ability to control the pas
sionate vagaries of Mr.. Tilton, to re-
store his household, to rebuild his shat
tered fortunes, and to vindicate me,
would prove himself equal to that
promise; his self-confessed failure has
made clear to me what for long time
l did not suspect, the real motive of
Tilton. My narration ;does not repre-
sent single stand point only as regards
my opinions of Theodore Tilton. 1t
begins~at my cordial interview with
him in his earlier career; shows my
sorrowful but hopeful affection for him
during the period of his initial wander
ings from truth and virtue, it describes
my repentance over evils befalling
him, which l was made tc believe my
self the cause; my preserving friendly
dispOsing efforts to save him and his
family by any sacrifice of myself not
absolutely dishOnorable, my growing
convictions being that his perpetual
follies and blunders had rendered his
reasoning impossible. L can now see
that he is, and has been from the be-
ginning of this difficulty. a selfish and
reckless schemer, pursuing plan of
mingled gall and hatred, and weaving
about me netW work of suspicious mis-
understandings, plots and lies, to
which my own innocent words and
wishes---nays even my thoughts. of
kindness towards him---have been
made to contribute. These successive
views of him must be kept in view to
explain my course through the last
four years. That / was blind so long
AS the real motive of intrigue going on
around me, was due partly to my own
overwhelming public engagements,
partly TO very complete surrender of
this affair, and all papers and questions
connected with it into the hands of
Moulton, who was intensely confident
that he could manage it successfully. l
suffered so much, but l inquired little.
AIR. MoultOn was chary to me of Mr..
TiltOn's confidence to him, repeating
to me occasionally in general way
1iltOn's words and utteranceS of pas
sion-Only as elements of trouble which
he was able to control, and as addition
al proofs of the wisdom of leaving it to
him. His comment of the situation
seemed tn me at the time, complete.
Immersed aS | was i'm incessant care
aud duties, and only too glad to be re-
lieved from considering the details of
the wretched complications, the origin
and facts of which remain, in spite of
all friendly Intervention, perpetual
burden to my soul. l would not read
in the papers about ii; / would not
talk about it. I made Moulton for
long period my confidant and my only
channel of information. From time
to time suspicious were aroused in Inc
by indications that Mr.. TiltOn was
acting the part of an enemy, but my
suspicious were rapidly allayed by his
own behavior toward me in other
moods and by the assurances of Mr..
MoultOn, who ascribed the ciIcum-
stances to misunderstanding on the
part of Tilton. 1t is plain to me now
that it was not until Tilton had fallen
into disgrace and lost his salary that he
charges which be pretended to have
had i'm his mind for six months. The
domestic offence " hich he alleged WAS
very quickly and easily put aside, but
yet in such way as to keep my feel
ings stirred up, in order that / might
through my friends he used to extract
from Mr.. Bowen 1000, the amount of
a claim in dispute between them. For
a check for that sum TiltOn signed an
agreement of peace and concord, not
drawn by me, but accepted by me as
sincere. The Golden Age had been
started and he had capital to carry it
on for awhile. He was sure that it was
to head a great social revolution. With
returning prosperity he had apparently
no griefs which could not be covered
by his signature to the articles of peace.
Yet the changes in that covenant made
by him before signing it, and repre-
sented to me as necessary merely to re-
lieve him from the imputation of hav- !
ing originated it, and that his complete
restoration to public standing and |
household happiness was reparation !
justly required of me and the only one |
which could make. But with pc
culiar genius for blunders he fell almost |
at every step into new complications |
and difficulties, and in every instance
it was his policy to bring coercion to
bear upon upon my honor, my con-
science and my affections, for the pur-
pose of procuring his eXtrication at my
expense. Theodore Tilton knew me
well. He has said again and again to
his friends that if they wished to gain
any influence over me they must work
upon the sympathetic side of my ma
ture. To this end he has addressed
steadily for four years, using
as lever my attachment to my
friends, to my family, to his own house
hold, and even my old affection for
and circulated certsin old and
shameless ISLANDERS about me, really
made, as it now appears, to leave him
free for future operatsons upon me and
against me. So long as he was or
thought he was on q road to new sue
,ess his conduct towards me was as
friendly as he knew how to make it.
His assumption of superiority of mag
and this patronizing man
wore types at which / could afford to
smile, and which bore with the great
'r humility, since 1 still retained the