The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-06-30
THE BEECHER SCANDAL.
TILToN SPEAKS.
A CONNECTING CARD.

A CONNECTING CARD.
BEEcHER PRONOUNCED GUILTY-HIs own SIG
NATURE PROCLAIMs T-LIGHr AT LAST.
NEW YORK, June 24.-Theodore rlton
published in the Golden Age this afternoon
a seven-column article touching the Beecner
scandal in defence Of himself against the
charges of the Rev. Leonard Bacon, moders-
tor OF the late Brooklyn council, that Tilton
has been a cowardly slsnderer of Beecher,
whose magnanimity alone saved him from
a disgracefnl exposure. Having suffered in
silence for four years from these and similar
misrepresentation put before the public by
Plymouth church, Mr.. Tilton says that
neither patience or duty will permit him
longer to conceal the actual facts from the
public. He then goes on To say that he has
never slandered Henry Ward beecher,
but on the contrary has sacrificed his own
reputation to suppress the truth about him,
and that he never has refused TO appear be-
fore a church and answer all the questions
regarding the scandal that might be put to
him. Tilton gives his reasons for severiDg
connection with the church as follows; "Af-
ter had been for fifteen years member of
Plymouth church, and had become mean
while an intimate friend of the pastor,
knowledge came to me in 1870 that he had
committed against me an offense which
forbear TO name Prompted by my self-re-
spect [ Immediately and forever ceased my
attendance on his ministry" He publishes
the following as an extract from document
signed by Beecher:
BROOKLYN, January LIST. 1874
/ ask Theodore Tilton's forgiveness and
humble myself before him as do before
my God. He would have been better man
in my circumstances than / have been. I
can ask nothing except that he will remem-
Der all the other breasts that would ache.
will not plead for myself. even wish that
i were dead.
[Signed.l Fl. w. BEEcHzR.
NEW York, June %. Among the docu-
ments which Theodore Tilton, in his long
open letter to the Rev. DIR. Leonard Bacon,
on what is commonly known as the Beecher
and Tilton scandal, is the following under
date OF May 1, 1874:
SIR-Mr. F. b. Carpenter mentions to me
your saying to him that under certain con-
ditions involving certain dissvowals by me,
a sum ofmOney would or could be raised to
send me with my family to Europe fora term
of years. The occasion cOmpels me to state
explicitly that as long as life and self respect
continue to exist together in my breast,
shall be debarred from receiving either d.
rectly or indirectly any presents OF other
favOrS at your hands. The reason for tbs
spare you the statement of it.
Yours truly,
THEODORE TILTON.
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Peekskill
Tilton follows this with reference to what
he declares the fact that although he had re-
ceived from the clerk of Plymouth church
on the 18th of May a communication an
nouncing that his (TIlton's) offer to appear
for trial had been read by the Rev. Mr.. Hall
iday, assistant pastor of Plymouth church.
and submitted to the examining commit. ee
by whom it had been rejected, Mr.. Hall
day bad some forty days afterward empha. =
caiiy denied to several newspaper reporter
that such an offer had ever been received
and branded the whole story as false from
beginning to end. The Rev. DIR. Bacon hav-
ing in his speech characterized Beecher as
the most magnanimOus of men, and referred
to Tlton as dog and knave, leading the
public to infer that the latter was i'm some
way the creature of Beecher's bounty. Til
ton states that he called Beecher's attention
to the offensiveness of the statement, and
insisted on its correction by either that gem
tleman or himself. Tilton closes his letter
to the Rev. DR.. Bacon as follows: at the
public have heretofore considered my silence
as inexplicaDle, let my sufficient motive be
now seen in
THE JUST FoRBEARANcE
which i felt morally bound to show a man
who had sent me a written and absolute
apology; but my duty to continue this
forbearance ceased when the spirit of that
apology was violated to my injury by its au-
thor his agents. These violations have
been multitudinous, and they threaten TO
multiply in the future, forcing me to protect
myself against them in advance. particularly
against the cumming devices Of the clerk OF
the church, who, acting as attorney, appears
to be conducting this business against me as
il it were case at law. Had the fair spirit
which / had right to expect from Plymouth
Church, at least for its pastors sake, been
shown toward me L would have
Mr.. Beecher's apology, and never during
the remainder of my life would have per-
mitted any public word of min to allude to
the offense or offenders; but the injurious
measures which the author of this apologyhas
since permitted his church to take against
me, without protest on his part, invOlyin
gross injury to me, which have been greatly
aggravated by your writings, b ave put me
before my country in the character of base
and bad man character which | trust is
foreign TO my nature and life. Under the
accommodating weight of this odium, uDiustly
bestowed on me, neither patience nor char
ity can demand that keep silent" Mr.
Beecher is now on: his farm at Peeksville
and to-day the children, teachers and
friends OF Plymouth Sunday school 90 there
renee OF the sixty-first anniversary of his
birthday.
BEECHER'S SENTIMENTS.
HE FEARS ON ACCOUNT OF oTHERs-To All
A wEEK-CARPENTER ExPLAINs-THE MYs
Terry THIcKENs.
NEW YORK, June 27.AAt consultation
on the Tilton letter last evening by the Rev
Henry Ward Beecher and some friends, Mr.
Beecher is reported to have said that person
ally he was opposed to saying anythinl
publicly in reply to Tilton's charges. II
believed that the only effect of utteranc
would be to prolong the discussion o
the case. while il silence was preserved
the end would be speedily reached. He as
Sured the gentlemen that his bearing 10