The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-08-22
BY TELEGRAPH
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT
By tho Western Union Limo.
otleo Northwest cor. Of Main and Monroe Sts.
AT LAST.
MOultOn's Long Expected
Statement.
He AiIirms the Worst that has
been Said About Beecher.
The Secrets Of Years Made Public
Strange Charges of Crime
and Hypocrisy.


and Hypocrisy.
New York, August 2l.-The much
talked of forthcoming statement by Fran
els b. Moulton, in regard to the true his
tory of the BeCcher!Tilton scanda. has at
length been made public this afternoon,
and Is published as follows:
Mr.. MoULToN's CARD.
70 The PaLlic:-I have become n party,
almost accidentally, in the unhappy con-
troversy between Mr.. BecCher and Mr..
TilLon. ! had been n friend of Mr. Tilton
since my boyhood, and for Mr.. Beecher
had always entertained the warmest admir-
alton. In 1870 learned for the first time
that Mr.. BeeCher had given Mr.. TiltOn 30
grave cause Of odEense, that If the truth
should be made known to the public a
great national calamity would ensue. l
believed that the scandal would tend to
Undermine the very foundations of social
order, to lay low benifcent power for
good in our country, and blast the pros.
pects and blight the family of one of the
most brilliant and promising of the rising
men Of the generation. Thus disastrous /
deemed it and still regard it, and deter
mined to try and avoid it. For nearly
four years have labored most assidously
TO save most Of these men from the conse-
quences of their acts, whether OF unwisdom
or passion; acts which have already seri-
nt1altV tu synltaI tInu, ,,naJln,, 4
disastrous quarrel, which is made the pre-.
text Of pouring on the community flood
of impurity and scandal, deeply affecting
their own families, and threatening like
whirlpool, il not stilled, to draw into its
vortex the peace Of mind and good repute
of host Of others More than all, | saw,
that because of the transgression Of an
other, innocent children would be burdened
with load of obloquy, which would weigh
most heavily and cruelty on their young
lives. All these considerations determined
me to take an active part in the transac-
tiOns which have since become so notori-
Gus. This decision involved me in great
anxiety and labor for which the hope of
saving these interests could be my only
compensation. Even that reward has now
failed me, and instead Of il an attempt is
made to throw on me part Of the shame
and disgrace which belongs to the actors
alone. One of them, whom l have zeal
ously endeavored to Iserve, has seen fit
with all the power of his vast influence
and matchless art rs writer, to visit on
me the penalties Of his own wrong doing;
at the same time publicly appealing to me
to make known the truth, as if it would
Justify his attacks on me. ! feel the failure
OF my exertons has not been owing 10 any
fault Of mine. l worked faithfully and
sincerely under the almost daily advice and
direction Of Mr.. Beecher, with his full ap-
probation, confidence and beaming graft
tude, until, as | think, in an evil hour for
him he took other advice. have failed,
and now, strangely enough, he seems to
desire TO punish me for the sad conse-
gucnccs, for the folly, insinccrity and wick
edness OF his counsellors. Mr. Beecher in
his statement testifes that hO brought
on this investigation without my knowl-
edge or advice. Even while mourning
what seemed to me the utter unwisdom OF
this proceeding have done all l could
honorably to avert the catastrophe.
have kept silent, although saw with sor.
row that this silence was deeply injuring
the friend Of my boyhood. Prompted by
n sense Of duty, not to one only, but to all
the parties involved, l denied the united
and public appeals made to me by Mr..
Beecher and Mr.. Tilton to produce the
evidence in my possession, partly because
| felt that the injury that would thereby
be done to Mr.. Tilton was far less calami-
tous than the destruction that must come
upon all the interests l had for years
tried to conserve, and especially on Mr..
BeeChcr himself, il should comply with
this request. But stated clearly that in
one emergency ! would speak, namely, in
defense of my own integrity Of action, if
it should be assailed, and left Mr.. Beecher
untrammeled by the facts in my hands to
defend himself without the necessity of at
tacking me. Asto the published accusations
Of Mr.. Beecher affecting my character, my
own self-respect, the advice Of friends, and
public justice, make it imperative that the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth, should now be fully declared. |
give to the public, therefore, the statement
| had prepared to bring before tho Com
mittee, without the alteration or addition |
Of sentence, and scarcely word-cer-
tNinly without the change Of single syl- |
liable since read Mr.. Beecher's statement
and evidence, or because of it. This paper
| withheld from the Committee when be-
fore it in last despairing effort for peace.
At the earnest solicitation of some Of Mr.
Beechcrs friends, and with the approval
also Of some of the most valued Of my
own, do not now give it to the Commit
tee, but to the public because it is n pro.
duction that concerns ME rather than the
principals in the strife. 1t is made for
my own protection against public nccusa-
tions, and not to aid either party to the
controversy. For the needless and cruel
necessity that now so imperatively COM
pels.. its production have the most pro-
found grief, for which there is but single
allcviRtion, namely, that the disclosure Of
the facts at this time can scarcely work
more harm to him whom at first tried to
befriend by Withholding them from the
public than they would have caused him
in January, 1871, when but for my inter
ference the public would most nSsuredly
have been put in possession of the whole
truth. This publication, to which Mr..
Beecher forces me, renders fruitleSs years
of constant and sincere efforts to save him.
It leaves him and Mrs. Tilton in almost
the same position in which l found them,
excepting in so far as their own late dis
ingenious untruthfulness in their solemn
statements may lower them in the estima-