Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-07-22
NEW YORK.
Mr.. Beecher's Counsel Says he viii
he Fully ExOuerated-T iItOn's
Statements 10 a. Reporter.


Mr.. Beech-r's Counsel Says he Will
| be Fully Exonerated-Ti ItOn's
Statements 10 u Reporter.
New YoRK, July 22.-General Tracey,
counsel for Mr.. Beecher, says the in
vestigatien new being made by the com
mittee into the great scandal will fully
exonerate Mr.. Beecher. and will show
that the charge of criminality, which is
now for the first time made against him,
is entirely unfounded. Upon the publi-
cation Of Mr.. Tilton's statement yester-
day afternoon, Mr.. Beecher, who has
been seeking rest and relaxation. on his
farm at Peekskill, was telegraphed
for, and he accordingly hurried home,
arriving there at late hour last night.
The so-called apology OF Beecher to Til
ton was, it is claimed by Beechers
friends, never given to Tilton, and never
meant for him. 1t was written entirely
by Moulton, in the dusk of evening in
Beechers house. The whole matter, it
is claimed, was in a rough form, and not
intended to be Immediately given to Til
ton. The last sentence in the original
is widely different from the previous
portion. The letter proper was not
signed by Mr.. Beecher, but memoran-
dunn en- the other side of it was. Mr..
Tilton, in speaking with reporter, de-
MED that he authorized the publication
of the statement and said: 1T must
have come from the. committee.
They will rue the day when they saw fit
to give these facts to the public. There
were only two copies of my statement
in existence. One / gave to the COM
mittee, the other kept myself. went
before the committee this afternoon and
had kindly interchange with them. /
had no suspicion that the publication of
my statement was to be made either i'll
part or whole, 1t was a cruelty in Mr..
Beecher; it was crime against human
nature to have summoned me by public
proclamation signed by his name, in his
authorization of committee of six to
diyulge secrets contained in that state
ment No committee in christendom,
not though it were of Congress, or
of all the churches in the world,
or ali of the councils of the land,
could have extorted from me the
facts which l laid before Beechers
committee Monday night. Beecher
himself, by his public demand on me to
do so, admitted the fact, which ! had no
right to refuse except at a sacrifice OF
all self-respeet. Beecher alone, and
not his committee, could have brought
me to make this statement. Mr. Beech
sr and Mrs. Tilton together, for they are
both acting in union. have combined to
force me to do what no other earthly |
power could have done, and that is to d.
vulge facts which gave to the commit
tee; but did not give them SO much to
the committee as to Beecher himself.
He threw down challenge, and Mrs.
Tilton aided and abetted him in his de-
Tense. Mr.. Beecher struck last blow
at my good name, and Mrs. Tilton deser-
ted my house and home in order to take
part in this final attack. Nothing re-
NAMED for me but to stand on my manly |
right of self-defeRse; but can only ex-
press my grief at the publication of the
facts, which should never have gone
beyond the committee. For four years
past / have sought for nothing but
peace, but now that the struggle is
come, can say with as much pride as
sorrow, and with as much determination
as propriety, that the victory is mine'
because the right is with me-" Tilton
being asked where he proposed to live,
Nowhere; henceforth | have
no life. This is the end of all tragedies;
they eliminate in death. My duty has
been done.