Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-08-29
EVENING STAR.
PLYMOuGH-s PASTOR.
ICouttnued from arst PAGE. !

VACCINATIONS or TrLToN
| and mutual friends. These two. whatever else
| they wanted or designed, did not believe their
purpose would be then subserved by publicity.
| Tilton soon became gracious and kindly; but
| what shall be said Of moulton, who now asserts
for the first time that adultery was the offence?
Is IL possible this man is so low In HIS moral per
/ ceptions as TO believe that a minister of the
| gospel and that, toe. of Plymouth church, could
staId up before his church and tie world
| against the crime OF adultery? No!
| Iilton says his wife was possessed OF the idea
that adultery with her pastor was ali psht, and
| 10 Sin; that she did not discover hes mistake
| from reading st. Paul, but CIR fifth 6suhts but
| We have no evidence that the hslluctTsson had
reached and tainted the diplomatic mind Of
| Moulton.
1t is right that we should say here ehst we 90
| rot believe the sinless character of adultery
was q dogma believed in CT even knownto Mrs.
| Triton, except, perhsps, notion OF the
| Woodruff school, OF which her husband had
become disciple, and with which she had no
| sympathy.
There is but one fair conclusion 30 be drawn
from Moulton's letter of June LIST TO MIR. Beecher.
| He knew that Beecher had been falsely accused
| OF impure advances, and that be desired in
truth were published he could stand. Knowing
| this, be said 50. Whatever Moulton may say
DOW, since his malice has been excited by GER
tain exposures Is of little conseq uence. He now
| openly stands with Tilton, where he has been
| from the beginning.
We conclude. therefore, in vsssR of these
| facts and circumstances, that the origina |
| charge of impure advances, false though it
| was, las been dropped by these sccusers, and
| adultery at this late day has been substituted
| as an sfterthought. We brand this perform
| ance az fraud, that ought TO end ali contro &.
versy as TO the innocence of Beecher. After
| this Moulton assumed the position Of mutual
friend; series OF letters and steps began under
| his advice ard direction TO suppress the scan
| dial, which TiltOn threatened TO bruit abroad,
and to restore Tilton TO position and employ
| ment. Beecher trusted the whole matter TO
| Moultop, as he protested to be able to control
Tilton, and was willing to relieve him (Bescherl
of trouble when other great labors were so
| pressing.
Much has been said, and not without some
justice, of the extraordinary words and tenor of
| Mr.. Beecber's letter; but In interpreting thess
letters 1t must be remembered first that Mr..
| Beecber, under the excitement of deep-feeling
uses strong words and emotional expressions.
This is. and always has been, a marked quality
of his mind. Second. In this sore trouble he
| was dealing with Mr.. Tilton, who had shown
| himself at times tickle, malicious, revepgeful
and mercenary: In the light of these facts
| there is not a letter from Mr.. Beecher, nor an
| act of his, however ill-iudged, through these
| four years of anxiety and grief, that cannot De
| accounted for upon the plain theory that he
| WAS lighting to suppress an outrageous scandal,
| which consisted of false accusation against
him made by reputable womsn: and further,
| that he was endeavoring to help man whom
1 he felt he had unduly injured in business mat
tiers upon representations which he was alter
| wards made to believe, chiefly by Mr.. Moulton,
| were not well founded.
| The statement of this branch OF the case
| would not be complete without reference u the
l fact that MIR. Beecber had a warm friendship
for Mrs. Tiltop, which began in her early wo-
| manhood, and that Mr.. Tilton, reciprocating
| this friendship, began, as her domestic trouble
| came On to look more than ever to Mr.. Beecher
for sympathy and advice. That this feeling on
| Mrs. TIlton's part became, under the circum-
stances, so strong as to diminish the proper in
| fuence that belongs to every good husband is
| not unlikely. In the course of events, and es-
| pecialiy in December, 1870, Mr. Beecher re-
ceiyed the impression from Tilton and MOulton
| that he had estranged Mrs. TIlton's affections
1 from her husband. The possibility that such a
fact as this might be added to the RESPONSE bill
| ity then resting upon Mr.. Beecher constituted,
as he expressed it in his letter OF February 5th,
rounded him" This vas to him the occasion Of
deep grief and anguish. Sr. Beecher con-
| ceiyed that possibly he had been derelict In
duty, he the strong man and pastor, 10 not re-
pressing at once
| ANY UNDUE AFFECTION
| for him On the part CT this distressed christian
sSs sanS S mot sst Sr sympathy tia,
| but express our regret st two errors into which
| it is apparent Mr.. Beecher fell. While we re-
| ccguize the appalling disaster which seer-a I'd
| imminent when he was confronted by pr o.
| sedly injured husband, with a charge OH <te
| part OF Lis wife of an impure proposal from him
| TO her, a disaster which threatened to brand
| with infamy a name which through wears OF
| public service as 3 phi anthrOpist and minister
| of God, had maintained the most hOnors able
| place in the worlds esteem yet We feel that in
| an hour of sUch Generalization as this calamity
might justly v OTk, the pastor should have sought
| counsel from christian men of his own brother
| hCCd, rather than rely upon the counsel of a
nan of whom he knew so little and whose char.
| acter, Gs the sequel proved, he so sadly mis-
Judged. And it is also apparent from Mr.
| BeecheI's own statement, in view of the pro-
found sorrow into which he was plunged, and
tie expression which he gave TO his feelings
| IL at he had erred in not guarding so closely his
relations with the family of Mr.. Tilton, that
there could be 10 possibility for fear in his own
| mind, even Of an undue affection by Mrs. Tllton
for him through any needless friendship OF
sgeDcy OF his.
THE MISERY IN T1LToN's FAMILY,
which Titon's own cross examination and the
evidence OF Bessie Turner and other witnesses
TO others whom he ret bonna 70 Drossst to
the last moment, TO say nothing Of the great in
terests of his beloved Plymouth church, and
other interests OF high concern, all OF which
must be involved if publicity should be given to
the false and scapdalOus matter that was seek
| ing expression from the heated and malicious
/ mind of Theodore Tilton.
| Will innocent men pay blackmsil? Will in
nocent men, and especially clergymen, fight az
for their lives TO suppress an injurious scandal
even though it be born of extortion, fslsehood
| and revenge? These are questions that I'M
happily history has too often answered in the
| affirmative. 1t is easy, now that we see what
| manner OF men Tilton and Moulton are, to won
| der that Mr.. Beecher should intrust any inter-
| est Of his to their keeping. When we look back
| upon the record made Dy this sad story, we feel
| like visiting even upon the suffering head and
heart OF our pastor the severest censure. The
| charge made by the accuser is one easily pre-
ferred and not easily disproved. 1t is not
| enough for the accuser to say: 1 make this
| charge; now let it be dsproved or be taken as
| confessed. All tribunals, both ecclesiastical
| and legal, in their wisdom have required, in
| determining charges of this kind, such proof
| o. facts and circumstances as to point unmis.
takably TO the guilt OF the accused, and not con-
sis'ent with any theory OF innocence. Under
| the guidance of these precedents and principles
/ 1t Is essential TO observe that there Is nothing
whatever disclosed by the evidence that proves
that the accused parties have ever been found
| together under any suspicious circumstances,
| such as In some unusual house or place, con-
sulting together in some secret way to avoid
| observation and exposure. There is no proof of
| clandestine correspondence, nor attempts In
that direction. Mr.. Beecher's letters were, AZ
rule, opened, arranged and read by his wife
| She testIfies that she has read and answered az
many as one thousand in three months. Such
| as reached the Christian Union office were open
| ed by others, and those that went to the church
| were opened, by the direction of Mr.. Beecher
by the clerk, before being placed on the desk
| No sort of restrictions were opposed rs to his
| letters. The usual facts and circumstances sug-
| gestive of wrong doing are utterly wanting In
| this case. What, then, does the case, as put by
| the accuser, rest upon? Upon mere words and
assertions, supported by DO circumstanc what
ever that are the usual indications OF adultery.