Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-08-15

sion School, and they perfectly worshped her
there.
l gave Mrs. Titon copies of my books
when published. l sometimes sent down
flowers to be distributed among dozen or
more families, and they were occasionally
shared by her. The only present of value
ever gave her was on my return from Europe
in 1868, when distributed souvenirs of my
Journey to some fifty or more persons, and to
her gave brooch of little intrinsic value.
SO far from supposing that my presence and
influence was alternating Mrs. Tilton from her
family relations thought on the contrary,
that it was giving her strength and encourage
ing her to hold fast upon man apparently
sliding into dangerous associations, and liable
to be immersed by unexampled self conceits.
regard Mr.. Tilton as In a very critical
period of his life and used to think it FORUM
ate that he had good home influences about
him. During the late years of our friend
ship. Mrs. Tilton spoke very mournfu ly to
me about the tendency of her husband to
great laxity of doctrine in religion and morals.
She gave me to understand that he de1ied the
divinity of Christ, the inspiration of the Scrip
lures and most articles of Orthodox faith,
while his views as to the sanctity of the mar
riage relation were undergoing a constant
change in the direction of free love. In the
latter part Of July, 1870, Mrs. Tilton was
sick, and at her request | visited her. She
seemed much depressed, but gave me no hint
of any trouble having reference to me. |
cheered her as best could and prayed with
her just before leaving.
This was our last interview before the trou
BILE broke out in the family. l describe it be-
cause it was the last, and its character has Il
bearing upon latter part of my story. Con-
corning all my other visits it is sufficient to say
nat ,pfa t,h vN1a
between Mrs. Tilton and myself did anything
occur which might not have occurred with
perfect propriety between a brother and sister,
between a father and child or between a man
of honor and the wife of his best friend, nor
did anything ever happen which she or
sought to conceal from her husband.
Some years before any open trouble be-
tween Mr.. Tilton and myself, his doctrines,
as set forth in the leaders of the Independent,
aroused storm of indignation among the
representative Congregationalsts in the
West, and, as the paper was still very large
ly supposed to be my organ, was written to
on the subject. In reply, Indignantly dis
claimed all responsibility for the views ex-
then living in Illinois, was prominent in the
remonstrance addressed to Mr.. Bowen, con-
corning the course Of his paper under Mr..
Tilton's management. 1t was understood
that, the proceedings arising out of this re-
mOnstrance would remove Mr.. Tilton or sup
press his peculiar views, but instead of that
Theodore seemed frmer in the saddle than
before, and his loose notions of marriage and
divorce began to be Swallowed editorially.
This led to starting the Advance in Chicago
to supersede the Independent in the North
west, and Mr.. Bowen was made to feel that
Tilton's management was seriously injuring
| ~ T.l.
that his position was being undermined by OPP
ponents or his views, with whom he subse-
quently pretended to believe l was in league.
Vague intimatons of his feeling toward me
ascribe to this misconcepton. l had taken
no step to harm him.
| After Mr.. Tilton's return from the West in
Dec. 1870, young girl whom Mrs. Tllton
had taken into the family, educated and treat
ed like an own child Cher testimony l under
stand is before the committee), was sent to
me with an urgent request that l would visit
Mrs. Tilton at her mothers. She said that
Mrs. Tilton had left her home and gone to her
mothers in consequence of the ill treatment
of her husband She then gave an account of
what she had seen of the cruelty and abuse
on the part of the husband that shocked me ;
and yet more, when with downcast look she
said that Mr.. Tilton had visited har chamber
in the night and sought her to consent to his
wishes. / Immediately visited Mrs. Tilton at
her mothers, and received an account of her
home life and of the despotism of her husband
and of the management of a woman whom he
had made housekeeper, which seems like a
nightmare dream. The question was whether
she should go back or separate forever from
her husband. asked permission to bring my
wife to see them, whose judgment in all do
mestic relations l thought better than my
own, and accordingly second visit was made
The result of the interview was that my wife
was extremely indignant toward Mr.. Tilton,
and declared that no consideration on earth
would induce her to remain an hour with a
man who had treated her with an hundredh
part of such insult and cruelty. l felt as
strongly as she did, but hesitated, as always
do, at giving advice in favor of a separation.
1t was agreed that my wife should give her
final advice at another visit.
The next day when ready to go she wished
a final word, but there was company and the
children were present, so l wrote on piece
of paper II incline to think that your view is
right and that a separation and settlement
of support will be wise, and that in his pres
emf desperate state her presence near him is
far more likely to produce hatred than her
absence" Mrs. Tilton did not tell me that
my presence had anything to do with this
July previous he had extorted from her con-
fession Of excessive affection for me.
| On the evening of Dec 27, 1870, Mr.. Bow
en- on his way home called at my house and
handed me letter from Tilton. 1t was, as
nearly as l can remember, in the following
terms:
"Henry Ward Beecher For reasons which
you explicitly know, and which forbear to
state, l demand that you withdraw from the
pulpit and quit Brooklyn as residence.
(Signed) THEODORE TILToN."
l read it over twice and turned to Bowen
and said, 'This man is crazy, ""This is sheer
insanity" and other like words.
Bowen protested to be ignorant of the con.
tents, and handed him the letter to read.-
We at once fell into a conversation about
Tilton. He gave ME some account of the rea-
sons why he had reduced him from the editor
ship of the Independent to the subordinate
position of contributor, viz: "That Tilton's
religious and social views were running the
papers but he said that as soon as it was
known that he had so far broken with Tilton,
there came pouring in upon him so many sto-
ries of Tilton's private life and habits that he
was overwhelmed, and that he was now con-
sidering whether he could consistently retain