The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-10-15

was mean and dishOnOrable If Beecher
were guilty, and its use by Moulton can
be. imagined only upon the superstition
that Moulton then believed him guilty.
II, however, he was innocent, then GER
tainly there was not only nothing mean
or-dishonorable, but simply and precisely
what'he should have done, but he makes
no reply. How could he avoid saying at
once: Why, sir, meant Why dishonor-
dbIef Theodore TiltOn charged me
with infamous conduct toward his wife,
and directed me to 60 to her house,
where she would confront me, and /
went, and instead of making the charge,
she told me that il was all false--that
this infamous rascal had compelled her
to tell false and atrocious story to my
ruin, and she voluntarily put in writing
my complete vindication." To stranger
comparatively, to whom no confession
had been made, and conscious of inno-
cence and the wrong done him. Beecher
is different from any and all other men,
ifhe did not say something Of this kind.
1t does not appear, however, from his
statement, that he said one word, but
gave up the paper. 81 gave the paper
to him, and after few minutes talk,
he left" Not word appears to have
been spoken by Beecher before, nor does
hegive word of what was said in the
few minutes talk after.
The very next day, Jan. 1st, Moulton
calls again, in the evening. Mr.. Beecher
INDUCES in great deal of rhetoric be-
fore coming to this interview, and COM
mences by saying that Moulton in man.
ner was kind and concillatory, and says,
l did not need any argument Orper-
suasion to do or say anything which
would remedy the injury of which /
occasion, il not the active cause" What
injury? With the facts as he says he
knew them to be, with the character of
TiltOn as he says it had been disclosed to
him, with his conduct toward the young
girl in his family as she herself had told
him, with the treatment of his wife SO
cruel and abusive as it had been told to
him, both by the wife and Bessie Turner,
and, above and over all, the stupendOus
crime that he had committed toward
Beecher himself, and the devlish malig-
nifty which he had shown in compelling
his wife to utter the false and afro
cious statements" which she had just
made-with these facts before him, he
knew he had not wronged Tilton, and
he could by no possibility bring his
mind to believe that he had wronged
him. This can not be the true explana-
ton. There is wrong to a man, and it
is scarcely possible TO conceive OF more
than one which the pastor of a church
must apologize for through mediator.
In rI in
wrong but one, the pastor can go directly
to the parishioner, make his explain alton,
make his apology, and receive forgive
ness. 1t is significant and almost con-
elusive fact that the apology is made
through another. 1t addstO its force
that it comes through one who acted as
the friend of the party making the ruin
Gus charge.
But the manner of the apology is not
more suggestive than the matter. From
the beginning to the end the words have
peculiar and appropriate Specification in
referring to one wrong; they are wholly
inappropriate and unintelligiblc in re-
ferring to any other than the one wrong.
1t is to be remembered that Beecher had
been charged with infamous conduct, for
he says so, toward Mrs. Tilton, before this
apology was written. 1t is also to be re-
membered that there had been wrung
from him, the very night before, the in
strument which he had obtained to dis
credit the charge. He had had no COM
municati0n with Tilton from the mo-
ment the charge had been made. In not
good taste, he says, Tilton commenced a
set Grafton" on December 80, and he
was excited by various emotions, not
very unpleasant ones, until the charge of
improper conduct, and this charge over
whelmed him; all others seemed to be
lost sight Of as naturally they would be (;
and then Tilton sends him to his wife to
learn the truth of his accusation. He
left TiltOn, with that accusation upon
him, but goes upon mission in reference
to that, and, two days after, he makes his
first communication to TiltOn in these
words, addressed to the friend: My
Dear Friend Moulton--I ask, through
you, Theodore Tilton's forgiveness, and
humble myself before him as do before
God" This being the FIST reply to Til
tons charge, the first word intended for
his ear, after the charge, to what does it
refer? "He would have been better
man in my circumstances than / have
BEEN" Keep in view what Mr.. Beecher
said of TiltOn's character and conduct
before then, and how is it possible to give
other than one Interpretation? 81 can
ask nothing except that he will remember
all the other hearts that would ache 2"
What but the crime which Tilton had
charged upon Beecher could make other
hearts ache 81 will not plead for my
SELF / even wish / were dead but
others must live and suffer-" Ay, If, like
Judas, he shall go out and hang himself,
with this terribleSwrong exposed, others
must live and suffer. What person of
sense can see any more than one thing
to which this is applicable, when lie re-
members that it is Beecher's first word
to Tilton after the charge. will die
before any one but myself shall be in
culpated. All my thoughts are running
out toward my friends, toward the poor
child lying there, and praying with her
folded hands" Why do his thoughts
thus run? There is one wiong-the one
Tilton charged him with, and to which
this is his first reply--which affects friends,
and which affects the poor child-but
only one. Beecher can not stop then to
say how like some sculptured marble of
the old world she looks. "She is guilt
less, sinned against, bearing the trans
gressons of another. Her forgiveness |
have" No matter what the wrong is, it
is one in which Mrs. Tilton participated
was made to participate through my
transgrcssion, and she has forgiven me.
If any one can apply that language to
anything but adultery, and that, too, Of
the most startling and shocking kind,
through the influence of minister Of
the gospel over confiding sister, it will
certainly be pleasant, if not profitable
reading. ~ humbly pray to God to put
it into the heart of her husband to for
give me-" 1t is enough to say of this
that it suggests, If it does not imply, that
the wrong was marital wrong. 81 have
trusted this to Moulton in confidence"
These words are in Beecher's hand, and
thew are suggestive. If the apology was