New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-24
BY TELEGRAPH.
NEW YORK.
BECKER Speaks Cp Like q Man in De
fense Of Mrs. Tilton's Honor.


fense OF Mrs. Tilton's Honor.
New YORK, July 23.-Lsst evening sew
eral Of the .deacons Of Plymouth Church,
with Mr.. Shearman, Mr.. Ross and General
Tracy, met at Mr.. Beechers residence, and
after council lasting about three hours,
drew up the following statement OF Mr
Beecher for publications:
do not prepare 1T this time detailed
examination Of the remarkable statement
OF Mr.. Theodore TiltOn. ] recognize the
many reasons which make it of transcend.
AM importance to myself, the Church and
cause OF public morality that l shall give
full answer to the charges against me. Bat
having requested the committee Of investi- |
CATION to search this matter to the |
bottom, it is to them that ! must look |
for my vindication, but can not |
tation Of Mrs. Elizabeth K. TiltOn, upon |
whose name in connection with mine her |
husband has attempted to pour shame on
one least deserving Of such diegrace. l
knew her from childhood; che has been
under my eye, and since reaching won an
hood she has had my sincere admiration
and affection. cherish for her pure feel.
ing such as q gentleman might honOrably
offer to Christian woman and which she
might receive and reciprocate without moral
scruple.
l reject with indignation every imputa-
ton which reflects upon her honor or my
own. My regard for Mrs. Tilton was per-
fectly well known to my family. When
serious difficulties sprang up in her house,
hold it was to my wife that she resorted for
counsel, and both of us, acting from sym
pathy, and, as it subsequently appeared,
without full knowledge. gave unadvised
counsel, which tended to harm.
l have no doubt that Mr.. Tilton found
that his wi1e's confidence and reliance npon
my judgment had greatly increased while
his influence had waned in consequence Of
a marked change in his religious and social
views which were taking place during those
lest her children should be harmed by the
views which she deemed vitality false
and dangerous. was suddenly and unduly
aroused to the reality of the impending
danger by the disclosure Of domestic
distress, Of sickness perhaps unto death, of
the likelihood of separation, and the scat
tering of a family every member of which
had tenderly loved. The eject upon me
of the discovery of the state Of Mr.. Tiltou's
feelings surpassed in sorrow and excitement
anything that had ever experienced in
my life.
That nv presence, influence and counsel
brought to beloved family sorrow and
alienation. gave, in my then state of mind,
a poignancy to my suffering which hope
no other nan may ever feel. Even to be
suspected Of having offered, under the priv.
ileges of n peculiar and sacred relation. an
indecorum to wife and mother,
one who is sensitive to the honor Of
womanhood. There were peculiar reasons
for alarm in this case on other grounds,
inasmuch as / was then subject to Gel tain
malignant rumors, and fagrant outbreak
in this family would bring upon them an
added injury derived from these shameless
falsehoods. Believing at the time that my
presence and counsels had tended, however
unconscously, to produce a social catas-
trophe represented as imminent, gave ex-
preston to my feelings in an interview with
mutual friend. not in cold and cautious self
defending words, but eagerly taking the
blame upon myself and pouring out my
heart 70 my friend in the strongest Ian.
guage. overturned with the exagerations of
impassioned sorrow. Had l been the evil
man Mr. Tilton represents, / should have
been calmer and more prudent.
twas my horror Of the evil imputed that
filed NE with morbid intensity. At the
very shadow of it, not only was my friend
affected generously. but he assured nae that
such expressions, if conveyed to Mr.. Tilton.
would soothe the wounded feeling. allay
anger and heal the whole trouble. He took
down the sentences and fragments of what
had been saying to use them IS media
tor.
A full statement of the circumstan ces
under which this memorandum was made
shall give to the investigating committee.
That these apologies were more than ample
to meet the facts of the case is evident, in
that they were accepted and that our inter
course was resumed to friendliness; that
Mr. Tilton ratified it in writing, and that
he has continued for four years, and until
L. ar--:th his vyifo Is
it cOnceiv able, ii the original charge had
been what is now alleged, that he
would have condoEed the ofense, not
only with the mother Of his children, but
with him whom he believed to have wrOnged
them! The absurdity as well as the faisity
of the story ia apparent, when 1t is cOusld-
cred that Mr.. Tilton now alleges that he
carried this guilty secret OF his wife's lnt-
deity for six months locked up in his own
only, that there might be reconciliation
with me. Mr.. TiltOn has since in every
form of language and to multitude OF
| witnesses. orally and in written statements,
and in printed documents declared his faith
in his wife's purity. After the reconciila-
| ton of Mr.. Tllton with me every considera-
| tion of propriety and honor demanded that
| the family trouble should be kept in that
| seclusion which domestic affairs have
| right TO claim as a sanctuary, and to that
| seclusion it was determined it should be
confined. Every line and word of my pri-
| vate and confidential letters which have been
| published is in harmony with the state
ments which l now make. My published
| correspondence on this subject comprises
| but two elements, viz: The expression OF
my grief and that of my desire to shield the
honor of pure and innocent woman. do
not propose to analyze and contrast at this
time the extraordinary paper OF Mr.. TiltOn,
but there are two allegations which can
not permit to pass without special notice.
They refer to the only two incidents which
| Mr.. TiitOn pretends to have witnessed per-
sonally, the one alleged scene in my house
while looking over engravings, and the
other a chamber scene in his own house.
His statements concerning these are alb,
solutely false nothing Of the kind ever
| occurred, nor any semblance of such thing
They are now brought to my notice for the
| first time.
To every statement which connects me
dishonorably with Mrs. Elizabeth K. Illton
or which IN anywise would inpugn the
honor and purity of this most beloved
Christian woman, l give the most explclt,
| comprehensive and solemn denial.
| HENRY WARD BEECHEH
Mrs. Tilton's Statement.
Mrs. Til5ons lstatementiis published. She
begins with the expression that the IN
perative necessity which is forced upon her
to pick anew the pains and sorrows she had
for the last ten years daily schooled herself
to bury and forgive, is the saddest act OF
her life.
A sense of the perversion of her life
| faith, almost compels her now to stand
aside until God himself delivers her. Ye,
she sees in the act of her husband an urgen,
call, to which she shrinks not to reply in de
tail To the twenty-second article Of ar