New-York tribune., 1874-09-19
XVII.
XVII
WHY THE BACON LETTER WAS WRITTEN.

rvar s,nce ,s7o when quilted Plymouth Church De
canse NJ s pastors crime against family had Deen
year after year persecuted by certain meuoeiS A-
officers Of that church, persecution which ltS P
might and ought to have prevented, ana lor "ho
always held him responsibe persecution lnc,uu,ne
the production OF charges against me for sanderH
him. whereas the so-caed SANDERS, instead Oh Oei|
false. were true persecution including the uropp
of nv name from the roll in crafty deslgneu
10 cast opprobrium upon me, under an appearance y
official fairness by the church, o perseou''oD
involving a public insult TO my FANNY "
Mr. T. ,G shearman, Clerk OF the Nhu'e-'
for which he was compelled to apologize; perseeuuo
including the presentation to the Brooklyn COunc Oh
document In which Mr.. Baecher and hs church uo
Tended themselves before that tribunal on the grou
that had been dropped for Infringing dshonor on VI"
Christian name" whereas had been dropped because
Mr. Beecher himself the man who had prousu
dshonor on the Christian name;" a persecution 0u
mnating at last public implication cast upon INC "
the moderator Of that council, the Rev Leonard bacou
n n who after carefully STUDYING the records OF Ply
month Church In my case, decided from these tnae
was proyeD knave and dog" and that MT. beechei
behavior towards me showed him to be " the most mag
unanimous Of men,"
This accumulation OF wrongs resolved no longer 10
bear Iannounced this 10 Mr. Beecher, ana toiu iii"
that either he must correct Dr. Bacon ni'ieP
seutaons OF my conduct these would ruin me pc
fore the world 4 pfOVlueu du c1SJ ""J -
Beecher without confession OF his guilt anu even
without humiliation to his feelings, could assure Dr'
Bscop-and DR.. Bacon the public-that had aeeeu v"
wards Mr. Beecher the part OF far aud honoraOie '
waited three months for Mr. Beecher TO put tnis Pan
Tor some other) effect. But he did tchoose 70 o
brace the opportunty He negeced-perhaps disdalneu
it, then resolved-against Mr.. Moultons expos'ui"
TONS but at the dictate OF my sei1Tespec.-U
rescue myself from the false position in which Ply
and ira had placed me, ana 10
make a struggle u regain my good name which hao
done nothing to forfeit The best method OF vlndcaoh
which suggested itself to was to write puphc le
to Dr. Bacon giving the true reason or my retremo"o
from Plymouth Church, which was that Wrons "au
been committed against by the pastor IN evidence
which 1 quoted a few lines from his apology wen
knew that could thus make the world see at glance
(which IL dd) that was less the creature OF MT
Beecher's magnanimity than he was of mfne sought
and accomplished this purpose, and TINS only Ny 'no
Bacon letter, and did it solely in seh-defense'
Now. in 40 doing not only had no wish to compro-
mise my wife, but, the contrary sought, "hie rec
tifying my position, do the same by hers 10 TINS
end introduced the Bacon letter hr shearmah
apology to Mrs Tton together with eulosiste refer
ence to her in INV words "a lady OF deyout re-
ligous faith and life" The Bacon letter was thus
tribute TO- not an attack upon, Mrs Tllton
Mr. tBeecher by this tribute tand oy others
which / habituaIy paid 10 my wiie) that however
willing I might be 10 cope with him, was never
willing TO eudauger her No other man in the world
knew so well as Mr. Beecher did how strong an anec-
ton have always held-and shall always hold-fof
my Wife He had seen, by long observation OF my SYM
pathy for her. that his safest protection against any
possible resentment of mine was always In my un-
willingness 10 compromise this tender and wounded
woman. Accordingly, on the appearance or the Bacon
letter Mr. Beecher after coBrvng various methods of
meeting 10 which Mr.. MoutOn has described), finally
adopted the bold and wicked eIpedient OF appointing
a Committee TO inquire into the acts Of lady
whom he first led into adultery. and whom he then
delivered up TO tribunal for examination into her
crmel Never can l forget my sickening ast0nIsh-
ment, on her account on the day when, by pubic
proclamation from Mr.. Beecher's pen, and amid
the published clanOr of his partsans. lie called all the
world to witness that he had commissioned six commit
teemen TO inquire into his oense-hs ofense being also
hers so that an inquiry into it involved equally the ruin
Of both-Dut especially in all such cases. the woman
albeit the offender. On that ominous morning
shuddered for the fate Of the whom Mr.. Beecher
was thus ruthessy exposing TO the hazard OF public
shame.
Mr. Beechers design in this public inquiry into his
ofense" and apology was TO make bold pretense
;hat he had never committed any Ofense" nor ever
offered any "apolOgy." To make this pretense OF In
nocence the plausible 10 the public his agents had
previously arranged that this same day Mrs Titon
shoud take flight from her home to join Beecher In his
attack me; and she has recTOssed my thresh
old since that hour
Distinctly should it be borne in mind that MI
Beechers publication OF his challenge and Mrs Ttons
deserton TO him to sustain it. occurred the same
morning namely: July l., 1874 On that morning at
o'clock she Quilted the house, not return TO 1t and an
hour afterward the daily papers furnished to me-
containing under flaming headlines, Mr. Beecher's COM
mission to his Committee Of Investigation. These
two acts-one by Mrs. Tilton, the other by
Mr. Beecher-were parts OF one and the same event.
Joint attack on me-the two assaants striking their
opening blows at the moment. Mr. Beecher as
saut the public Of the two for it reached me
through all the newspapers that first mornng but
in order that Mrs. Ttons toward might lose no
force through lack of prompt publicity. Mr.. ovington
hastened to publish card in The Brooklyn Argus an
nouncing that Mrs. Tton. the previous Saturday,
had parted from her husband forever"
That eventful Saturday morning. the 1Ith OF July
found IN the strangest situation Of my whole life
a situation which had not foreseen, and which could
with difficulty reazea situation consisting OF the fol-
lowing elements First. had been publicly challenge
by Mr. Beecher 70 dIyulge TO church Committee the
story of his eriminalty with Mr.. Tlton and second
Mrs. Tton herself by her open deseron to her para
mour, had publicly seconded him this audacious de-
mand. What should dot After two days OF reflection
the most agonizing which endured-I felt 1t
duty to accept tns challenge; and in one week after
ward laid the facts before the Committee in 0 docu
ment now known as my sworn statement.
II will thus Be that my sworn statement not
given TO the Committee until the ninth day after Mrs.
Tilton's deserton from her husband, and after her
publicly joining his enemies who seeking by their
powerful ecclesiastical engnery 10 crush out his little
remnant OF a broken name. Had Mrs. rton remained
with me my sworn statement would never have been
made did the thought OF making such q statement
enter my mind until after her deserton but last,
when Mr. Beecher and Mrs Tiltsn publicly turned upon
me and demanded that should expose them, i had
open 10 but 70 state the plain truth and let
all the parties abide by the consequences.
Mr.. Mouton has shown how great Was my DESIRE dur
ing the earlier sessions Of the Committee 70 shield my
ii..I. sha