Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-08-27
THE GREAT SCANDAL.
Statements OF fr. Beeeher and Mr..
MouItOn.
N II

VI H.
The following statement was submit
ted to the Investigating Committee py
Mr.. Beecher to-day:
GgsTLEaEg OF THE CoxsITTgE-In the state
ment addressed to the pubic on tne S~o vi o wi
emn denial to the charges made by Theodore III
ton against me- That denial now repeat and re-
affirm. also stated in that communication ina.
more detailed statement and explanalloh Oh the
facts In the case. n
the most prominent editorial positions in Amer
lea when he represented the cause OF religion,
humanity and patriotism and In Few months
thereafter became the associate ana har
strange cause. By his follies he was bankrupt IN
reputation. in occupation and In resources. Inc
interior history OF which am now 10 give prlei
outline IL the history Of his attempts to so en-
pioy me az to reiDstate him in business, restore
his reputation, and place him again upon inc EN-
inence from which he had fallen; IL u sac MS
tory to the full meaning Of which have but re.
Gently awakened, entangled in a wilderness OF
complications. / followed, until lately, ialse
theory and deusive hope, believing that me
friend who assured me Of his determination ana
ability to control the passionate yagaries OF MT
Tilton, to restore his household, 70 rebuild MS
fortunes and to vindicatc me, would be equal 70
that prom re. His selfconfesaed failure has made
clear to me what for q long time i did not sus-
peet-the real motive of Mr.. Triton. My mar
alton does not represent single STANDPOINT
1t begins at my cordial intimacy with him IN his
earlier career, shows my lamentation and sor-
rowfnl, but hopeful, affection for him during
the period Of his initial wanderings from truth
and virtue. 1t describes my repentance over
evils Detailing him, of which | was made to be.
lieye myself the cause; my persevering and
friendly despairing efforts to save him and his
family by any sacrifice Of myself not absolutely
dishonorable, and my growing convection That
| his perpetual folies and blunders rendered his
! recovery impossible. | can now see that he is,
ar baah fram q this ".
selfish and reckless schemer, pursuing plan
| of mingled good and hatred, and weaving about
me network Of suspicious, misunderstanding,
plots and lies, TO which my own innocent words
and acts. nay, even my thoughts, of kindness to-
ward him, have been made to contribute. These
successive views of him must be kept in view, to
explain my course through the last four years.
That was blind so long as TO the real motive OF
intrigue going on around me was due partly TO
my own overwhelming PUBLIC engagements,
partly to my complete surrender OF this affair,
and the papers and questions connected with IT,
into the hands of Mr.. Moulton. who was intense
ly confident that he could manage it success
fully / suffered much, but / inquired little.
Mr.. Moulton was chary TO me OF Mr.. Tilton con-
fdences 10 him, reporting to me occasionally in
general way Mr.. Tilton's words and outbreaks
on passion only as elements OF trouble which he
was able to control, and additional proofs OF
| the wisdom of giving it to him. His comment
on the situation seemed TO me, at the time, COM
piete, immersed as | was in incessant cares and
duties, and only too glad to be relieved from con-
sdering the details and wretched complica-
tons, the origin and the fSct of which remain.
in spite Of all friendly inA ention. a perpetual
burden to my soul. would not read in the pa
pers about it. / would not talk about 1t. made
Moulton for long period my contldant and my
only channel OF information. From tune to time
suspicious were aroused in me by indications
that Mr.. Tilton acting the part of an enemy
but suspicious were rapidly allayed by his own
behavior toward me in other moods, and by the
assurances of Mr.. Mouton, who ascribed the cir
cumstances to misunderstanding or to malice ON
the part of others II is plain TO me now that It
was not until Tilton had fallen into disgrace and
had lost his salary that he thought 1t necessary to
assail me with charges which he pretended TO
have had in mind for six months.
The domestic offense which he alleged was very
quickly and easily put aside but yet in such a
way as to keep my feelings stirred up in order
that / might, through my friends. be used to
extract from Mr.. Bowen $1,000, the amount OF the
claim in dispute between them. The check for
that sum In hand Mr.. Tilton signed an agreement
of peace and concord, not drawn by me, but
accepted by me as sincere. The Golden Age had
beef started. He had the capital to carry 1t on
for awhile. He was sure that he was to
head a great social revolution. With return
Ing prosperity he had apparently no
grfefs which could not be covered by his sigma
ture to The articles of peace. Yet the changes in
that covenant made by him before signing 1t, and
represented to me as necessary merely TO relieve
him from the imputation OF Having originated and
circulated certain old and shameless ISLANDERS
abont me, were really made, as now appears, to
leave him free for future operations upon me and
against me. SO long as he was, or thought he
was, on the road to success, his
conduct toward me was as friendly as he
knew how to make 1t; his assumption
of superiority and magnanimity and his
patronizing manner were trihes at which /
could afford to smile, and which bore with the
| greater humility since / still retained the pro-
! found impression made upon me, as explained
III the following narrative, that | had been a
| cause of overwhelming disaster to him,
| and that his complete restoration to pub,
| lie standing and household happiness was
a reparation justly required of me, and
| the only one which ] could make; but with a
peculiar genius for blunders, he fell, almost at
| every step, into new complications and difficult
| ties, and In every such instance it his
| policy To bring coercion to bear upon my
| honor, my conscience and my affections for the
purpose of procuring his extricaton at my
| expense. Theodore 1ilton knew me we'll He
/ has said again and again to his friends that IL
| they wished to gain any influence over me they
| must work upon the sympathetic side of my ma
| for four years, using as lever without scruple
my attachment TO my friends, to my family, TO
| his own household. and even my old affection for
| himself Not blind to his faults but resolved to
| look on him as favorably and hopefully as posi-
/ ble and Ignorant of his deeper malice, labored
earnestly, even desperately, for his salvation.
For four years have been trying to feed the in
| satiable egotism, to make the man great az he
conceived himself to be, to restore to prosperity
and public confidence one who, in the midst of
my efforts in his behalf, patronzed disrepntable
| people and doctrines, refused when / besought
| him TO separate himself from them, and ascribed
10 my agency the increasing ruin which he was
1 persistently bringing upon himself. and which /
was doing my Utmost TO avert II was hard 10 do
| anything for such Ia man l might az well have
tried to fill sieve with water. In the latter
stages Of the history he actually melted and ere
ated difficulties, apparently for no other purpose
| than to drive me to fresh exertions. refused 10
1 indorse his wild views and associates. The best
4 ! could do was to speak well of him, mention
| those good qualities and abilities which / still
| believe him to possess In his higher moods, and
keeping silence concerning the evil things which
! / was assured and believed had been greatly ex-
| aggerated by pubic report. ! could not think
| hifa'so bad rs my friends did. l trusted to the
1 germs of good which thought still lived In him
| of my persistent selfsaerifce.
Mr.. Moulton came TO me frat as a schoolmate
and friend of Mr.. Tilton, determined TO reinstate
him, always suspected, without regard to my
interests. but, on further acquaintance with me,
undertook and promised TO serve his friend with
out doing wrong to me- He said he saw clearly
how this was to be done to restore peace
| and harmony 10 Mr.. Tilton's home and bring to a
/ happy end all MISUNDERSTANDING. Many things
/ which he counseed absolutely refused hat I
| after the friendship had grown up between us.
| seemed 10 me wrong. My confidence In him was
1 the only element that seemed secure In this con-
| fusion of tormenting perplexities. To him /
wrote freely in this troublous time. while / felt
| that secret Vaccinations were going % around
me, and echoes OF the yilest ISLANDERS concerning
| me were heard in unexpected quarters. When
| some OF my near relations were set against me-
and the tatte of a crowd OF malicious
/ women hostile To me- on other vrounds ,,a.