National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-08-15
,CR RBECBER.s 6TATEHENT

Pausing IN the progress Of the develop
ments Of this extraordinary case at the
close Of Mr.. Baecher's reply to the charges
made against him, with full reference to
what has gone before, and no reference to
what is to eome-in other words reviewing
the whole situation as it was presented yes.
terday morning With Mr.. Beecher's closing
sentences to tie oOmmittee-we should have
no hesitation, were we upon his jury, in
pronouncing the charges against him mot
proven" HI. Beeeher's defence, In what
ever light it Is considered, is really Won
derful paper. A chapter from personal life
history-whst We are accustomed to look
upon as the prosaic matter of-fact history Of
the every day life Of this modern nineteenth
century-!t SURPRISES in interest dramatic
incident plot and counterpart anything
which the mos imaginative or sensational
novelist has for quarter OF century dared
to present to the public as probable or pos
sible. In one way or another every passion
of human nature enters into it. Ambition,
love, vanity, envy, hatred, with despair,
malice, treachery and falsehood, all 60 to
fill up the tsbleau which is presented to us.
In addition to the four principal characters,
standing out In bold, unpleasant light upon
the canvass, we have a throng of minor
persons and 8 combination of lesser inter
ests crowding the scene. Look at the pic
ture. The most famous preacher Of his
country, distinguished editor, artists and
lawyers, 8 weak woman, and two or three
bold, bad ones little children. some living.
some dead; gray haired men and women OF
another generation, who wish they had not
lived to see 30 great g woe; rich and pow
erful church, and above and surrounding
all murky atmosphere Of scandal and de-
famation, shrouding in its poisonous mists
what we have 50 long looked upon as good
and pure and sanctiled. The whole sub
ject is sickening to even the lowest type Of
our humanity, debauching and democrat
izing to the youth and innocence Of almost
the whole world-foT there Is no land
where the name and fame of Beecher have
not gone, and where the terrible ACCUSE
tons he is endesvOring to sweep away will
not be spoken of and read.
In mere literary point of view, no one
could have written the reply which he has
written but Mr.. Beecher himself From
the first sentence 20 the last it is Beecher,
and BeeCher alone, in conception, thought
expression, style, except possibly in those
angry sentences wherein he brands Tilton
and Tiltons friends and associates with
fraud and faisehood and crime; for 1t is not
the nature of Beecher to wound and de-
stroy with his eloQuenCe but rather to ad-
monish and lead up to what is beautiful and
good. However men may differ from him,
however they may condemn his latitudina-
rianism in spiritual things, there can be no
doubt that the world is better that he has
lived, and that his broad and catholic spirit
has had an influence only for good upon his
generation. His defence is studded with
the most exquisite passages, which more
than sustains the great reputation he has
made, and which, If he had written nothing
else, would prove him to be man Of rare
and splendid genius. 1t is not presented,
perhaps, with the force and viger in which
Tilton couched the assault upon him, but in
Ahb P4ASALl eAAAA C4A4Gok4CSo II DTEelokLDll
carries with it the conviction that he has
spoken the truth. For nearly six years he
was evidently the centre Of a conspiracy.
In that conspiracy was primarily this man
TiIton-the man whom he first met as q
reporter of his sermons, young, snthu-
siastic, whom Beecher in the fullness Of
his fame, with reputation that extended
over two hemisphere took by the hand
and led up step by step, until he placed him
In tbs "proudest editorial chair in Amer
lea" second only to himself in honor and
influence In the opinion Of thousands and
thousands Of his countrymen. Tilton was
barely twenty-five when he was made,
through Beecher's influence, the editor
OF the Independent. The position
gave him the most exalted ideas of
his own importance. Meanwhile, the
families had become intimate, and Til.
tons home was open to Mr.. Beecher at all
times. As he says himself, During these
',years Of intimacy In Tilton's family was
Created Is father or elder brother. Chill
''dren we're born children died; they learned
'to love me and to frolic with me as II /
'Was one Of themselves" By and by came
the sbb tide in Tilton's fortunes. Strange