National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-08-24
rs REECBER GUTLTYP

Is BEECHEh u UIL1 II
Mr.. Moulton's statement, printed in full
in our columns Saturday morning, Is GER
tainly strong paper, and will 60 far to
convince large number Of people of the
truth of the accusations against Mr.. Beecher.
The mutual friend" of thetwo contestants,
possessing the friendship and esteem of Mr..
Beecher until within very recent period,
entrusted with the keeping of all the horri-
BILE details almost from the beginning, he
bears the testimony that Tilton is an in
jured man, and that the Plymouth pastor is
unworthy to stand in the Plymouth pulpit
and is one Of the worst men in the country.
Is he TO be credited7 Does he tell the
truth?
1t must be recollected that Beecher, In
bis answer to Tilton, denies the charges
from first to last, and makes counter accu-
sation of blackmail upon him on the part
of Tilton and Moulton. Moulton denies
that there was any blackmail; and
asserts that again and again Mrs. Tilton and
Mr.. Beeeher confessed their crime to him,
and that certain letters and papers referred
to that crime and not to something else, as
Mr.. Beecher intimates. Moulton presents
some strong proofs in support of this posi-
tioni but they can hardly be considered
conclusive In the case. As for Mrs. Tilton,
she is on all sides of the question, so that
her testimony is really good for nothing
unless when supported by collateral proof
As it stands now, it is simply question Of
veTacity between Beecher and MoultoD,
and those who believe in the innocence of
the former will not believe that he is guilty
until Mr.. Moulton's statements are in some
way corroborated.
The New York E0sniRg Post which has
all along endeavored to be impartial in the
matter, In an editorial upon the subject says:
CLEARLY either Mr.. Beecher or Mr.. Moul.
ton is guilty of deliberate lie. 1t Is also
'fclear that, SO long as Mr.. Moulton's char
'facter remains not otherwise publicly i'm
''peached thanitis at present, the public have
"a right to entertain an honest doubt which
'fof them is the liar. The report of the
committee of investigation is not yet made,
'tond may help to remove the doubt iii
''does not remove it, then we perceive no
method of doing so except through the
searching process of On investigation In a
court of law" This is the general YER
dict of the press. Some of the Beecher pa
pers, however, do not hesitate to take
stronger ground against Moulton, as, for
instance, the New York Tribune, which
says: Meanwhile, the case remains before
'the same patient public which has followed
'fit so long with sorrowful curiosity. In
credible weaknesses have been disclosed
'fn il, and terrible blunders have been
made by the defence at every stage of its
progress. But we mistake the wisdom
land justice Of the people If the great
preacher and beloved pastor is condemned
without much stronger evidence than
'tMr. F. D. Moulton seems able to pro-
''duce." The Herald, at the end of q
long article, declares: eve fain would
''have believed the great clergyman had
''never fallen. We would fain believe it
''now, if we could see any possible way by
(which he could escape out of the meshes
(which bind him. Moulton, pressed to
speak by the onslaughts of Mr.. Beecher
'tand Mr.. Beecher's friends, has spoken ct
''last, and, panied as we are at the result
eve cannot disregard the fact that the
plymouth pastor is crushed, unless this
terrible witness against him can be shown
''to be a monster of viilainy, duplicity and
''falsehood.
The World sums up the case as follows:
" All Mr.. Beecher's and Mrs. Tilton's let
" tiers now made public go to prove that
"Tilton and Moulton fired every shot.in
" their common locker in the first Tilton
" indictment, which, indeed, by its garb-
" ling and its omissions, was more damag-
" ing than the whole letters and documents
" since published prove to be. Not one
" item Of actual evidence or trustworthy
" testimony has been brought forth by
tMoulton which adds a new difficulty
cor inconsistency to the explanation al
ready put forth by Mr.. Beecher in his
" narrative and cross-examination.
The committee Of the church, which has
all the testimony before It, much more than
has yet been given to the public, ore, we
ore told by the telegraph, convinced of Mr.
Beecher's innocence, notwithstanding the
Moulton broadside, and will so report. 1t
is charged that the gentlemen who COM
pose 1t are all Mr.. Beecher's friends, ap-
pointed to acquit in any event. They are
undoubtedly friendly to him, but in the
present temper Of the public mind we cannot
conceive that they would dare take so great
a risk, so terrible q responsibility, If they
knew that he was guilty. For his acquittal
would mean his continuance as the pastor
of Plymouth church. The report will GER
tainly do good deal to form public opinion
on the subject and settle that which is SO
unsettled at the present time. But it is to
the courts that after all, we must look for
the final and lasting decision. Suit has
been entered by Tilton for criminal inter
course with his wife, and we are told that
Mr.. Beecher has directed, or will direct,
that proceedings be commenced sSainst
Tilton and Moulton for libel In the one
trial or the other we shall get at the truth,
and probably not until then.
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,