The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-08-27
AUGUST 27, 1874.

| my nuspanu anu are consulting;
| This paper was delivered to Mr. Moultun and
| the theory of the confession then was that Mr..
and Mrs Tilton should admit no more than the
solicitation but that endeavor to make an expla
1t was shown to those interested, | was told
the paper remained with me- Mr.. Moulton
TsGeyed no, no further GO. communication from Mrs
year, 1874. and that communication came
| to him in this wise: When Mr.. Tilton
! showed him his CDR. Baconis) letter, he most
| strongly and earnestly advised against its publi-
| cation, and said to Mr.. r. in substance that
while he admitted the wrong and injustice Of Dr.
| Bacon's charge that he (Mr. t. had lived BY the
magnanmty of Beecher. and that he was dog
| and knavc, when he (Moulton) believed he had
acted proper. and manly part in endeavoring to
50 stir the public mind that an in
yestigation would be forced upon him and
Beecher in some manner, and that the truth
| much of ii that Mrs. Tilton and Mr.. Beecher
| would be dishonored and destroyed and Mr. Til
ton himself be subjected to the severest criticism
MIR. Tilton insisted upon the publication
Mr.. Moulton was able TO get being
| that. whereas the letter originally read that
and his family revolving crime, as published
| i said :. an otiense committed against me. Mr..
/ that Q reconciliation might yet be effected be-
tween all the parties concerned, ana an exposure
| be thus avoided.
After giving brief note from Mrs Tilton, In
which she asks his forgiveness for having coupled
| his name with Mr.. Carpenters having advised
| the publication of the Bacon letter. Mr. Moulton
says that having now placed before the committee
his statement of facts concerning Mrs. Tilton, and
documentary evidence that he had to support
| them, and as they Numerically opposed to
nearly all that Mrs. Titon appears TO declare i'll
/ her published statement. he deems il his duty to
himself and TO his position in this terrible bust
ness to say that during this affair Mrs. Tilton has
more than once admitted to him and to another
| person. whom he does not to bring into this
| controversy, the fact of her infdelites with Mr.
Rn. har and hat Sh.. has nn6t th..nN
other than in written papers prepared for pur
pose which he had already exhibited.
Of he Of INF Mrs. WonShu II 'i with b
| case after the fall of 1871. He produces a letter
from Mrs. W: to Mr.. Beccher, to the effect that
| two of his (Mr. BIS sisters assaling her
character and that he (Beecher) knew that it was
in her power to strike back in very disastrous
| way, and demanding an interview The interview
| was held at which Mrs Woodruff desired Mr..
| Beechcr to preside AT her meeting in Steinway
Hall, and MIR. Titon also urged him to do so. Mr..
| Iiton subsequently presided at the meeting,
| thus, rs Mr.. Moulton believes, preventing Mrs.
| Woodhulls attack on the Beecher family being
made at that time.
Dee 30 1871, Mrs Woodruff sent letter
| to Beecher desiring that he would speak at
| Woman's Suffrage Convention i'll Washington, in
| the following month This letter Mr. b. returned
to Mr. Moulton with a reply and note to Mr..
Moulton in which he says: Il do not mean to
| speak on the platform of either of the two suf-
| frage societies. What influence exert prefer TO
| do on my hook, and do not mean to train
with either party and it will not be fair 10 press
| me in where do not wish to go
Other letters are given by Mr.. Moulton from Mr..
Beechcr in one of which, dated March p, 1872,
| he SAYS: II have been doing ten mems work
| this winter, partly TO make up loss, and partly
| because live under cloud, feeling every month
that may be doing my last work and anxious
| To make the most of it. When E-au sold his
| birthright he found no place for repentance,
| though he sought il carefully, with tears; but |
| have one abiding comfort. | have known you,
| and found in you one who has given a new mean
| ing to friendship
4 letter is also given from Mr.. Tilton written
in the fall of 1871 or thereabouts. on board of a
| passenger car the Hudson River Railroad,
| Mrs. Beecher being also passenger i'll the same
| car. Mr. Tillon SAYS in the letter.
| Mrs. Beechcr sits in the next seat. We are
| almost elbow to elbow i'll the paacecar. She is
| white haired and looks dozen years older than
| when last had near view of her. My heart has
been full of pity for her, Notwithstanding the
cruel WAY in which she has treated my good
name. Her face is written over with many vol
| umes of human suffering ] do not think she
has been aware of my presence, for she has been
absorbed III thought. II | am
ever to be vindicated from the sandcr
| which she has circulated, or which Mr..
| Bowen pretends to have derived from her and
Mrs. Morse, why would it not be well to get
from her and Mrs. Morse statement under
oath, by such process last evening docu-
ments made easy and harmless-of the exact
narrasions which they made to him and 10
othersg 1t would be well to have them say what
,ey hey sad to hm s Ny suen M nsghbar
keeps the dark and lurid past vivdly before my
|
her priesiy husband has been guilty of, believe
she would shed his blood; or, perhaps, sparng
him she would wreak her wrath on his victim.
After the publication of the tripartite covenant
was made Tton deemed, from the comments
from the press, that the statement reflected upon
him. and he desired that in some way Beecher
should relieve him from the imputation of having
| circulated slanderous stories about him without
justification. for which he had apologized. and
by advice of friends he prepared a card Tor Mr'
Mouton to submit to Mr.. Beecher for him (Mr.
b to sign and publish in his vindication.
Mr.. Beecher felt much aggrieved at this claim
on him by Tilton, feeling that The 6 matter , had
'riltons application in this regard by letter. un-
der date of June /, 1919, published in full in MIR.
| Bcecher's statement, and beginning My Dear
Frank: The whole earth is tranquil, and the
| heaven is serene Meanwhile charges We're
preferred against 1ilton for the purpose of hay
| ing him dismissed from Plymouth Church. This
action which seemed To threaten the discovery
| of the facts in regard to the troubles between
Beeeher and Tilton, ANNOYED both very much,
| and Mr.. Mouton feared that serious diff
| fcuty would arise therefrom. Upon consultation
with Beecher and Tilon. Mr.. NJ suggested plan
| by which that investigation would be rendered
unnecessary, which was in substance that reso-
| luton should be passed by the church amending
| its roll alleging that Tilton having Voluntarily
Withdrawn from the church some four years be-
| fore, therefore, the roll should be amended by
| striking OF his name. This course had been sug-
gested by Mr.. Tilton. In a letter to Mr.. Moulton,
dated Dec 81. 1871, Mr.. Beecher says to press ac-
| ton in the case would only serve to raise profit
| less excitement. there were already complex
ties enough. He suggests that il a letter Is
written it had better be very short, simply an
nouncing the withdrawal, and perhaps, with an
expression of kind wishes, etc.
But when the meeting of the church was held
for that purpose, ii was charged there that Triton
ad ad m it that If he had uttered ANY,
ISLANDERS against Beecher he was ready to answer
: them, AZ God was his witness. Beecher thereup,
the matter was dropped. But when the resou
ion was passed. instead of being put so as to ex
onerate Titon, it was declared, in substance that
whereas, certain charges had been made against
him. and as he pleaded to those charges non
membership. his name be dropped from the
roll. This action of the church very much exas
perated Tilton. who thought Beecher shouo
have prevented such result, and fhat ne
might have done 50 if he had stood by him fuiiy
| and fairly agreed. In that, however Moulton
believes Ti!ton was mistaken. because Mr. VII
liam +. West who preferred the charges agalns
Tilton, did it against the wish of Beecher and
without any consultation with him Meanwhiie
through the Intervention of Dr. Storrs ana otn
ers. an Ecclesiastical Council had been called
! The efforts of this council in attempting to dls
fellowship Plymouth Church were very displeas
ing to Beecher, and caused him much trouble, es
! pecially the action of DR.. Storrs, which ne cX
, pressed to Mr.. Moulton in letter
! dated March %, 1874, in which he say. says
i course has been an unspeakable outrage
+ After his pretended friendship for Theo
. dore he has turned against him N the mos n9:.
venomous manner, and IL is not sincere IN
professions of faith and affection Tor me are noi
low and faithless They are merely tactical. Hi
| object is plain. He is determined to force con
fict. and use one of us to DESTROY thc otner, iT
;, possible That is his game. BY stinging Thco
J dore he believes he will be driven INTO
/, course which he hopes will ruin me- II eve
a man betrayed another, he has. am In nope
that Theodore. who has borne so much, VIII p
: unwilling to be fail in Storrs hand to strike a
Y a friend There are one or two reasons, cmPnatlc
! for waiting until the end of the Council befor'
/ taking any action. First that the attack OF
D Plymouth Church and the threats against Con
Z | grepationalism violent that the pnDil
mind is to be absorbed in the ecclesiastical eie
! | ments and not in the personal. Second. II fly
/; mouth Church is dsfellOwshiped, it Will constl
l tnte blow at me and the church far severe
than at him. Third. that if the Counci
I | does not disfellowshp Plymouth Church
= a then undoubtedly Storrs will go OIL into Presoy
teranism. as he, almost without disguise, threat
L | ened in his speech, and in that case the eihPna
y | sis will be there. Fourth. at any rate. Whiie TN
fury RACES in the Council, it is not wise to max
Z any move that would be one among SO many
/ 10 lose effect in degree After the battle Is owe
:, one can more exactly see what ought to be done
! Meantime am as patient know how to be
but pretty nearly used up with inward excitement
+ and must away for day OF two ana niue AM
| sleep, or there will be a funeral
. While these proceedings were pending, tn
= Rev Mr. Halliday, the assistant OF Beechei
!. | called upon him and upon Mr.. Moulton to en-
deayor to learn the facts about the difficulties oe
II tween Beecher and Tilton, and Mr.. NJ. told hin
he did not think that either he or the church wer
justified in endeayoring to reopen trounl
l. which had been adjusted and settled
y the parties to it, and that it was bettel
% for everybody, that the whole matte
< should be allowed to repose IN que.
It which he saws: 8 Halliday called last night. ~
II toms with him did satisfy. but uls