Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-22
Frank MOultOn Speaks Out in
Full.
He Declares Beecher Confessed
the Crime to Him.
His Version of BOWen's Stories
about Beecher.
The Deluge Coming.

The Deluge Coming.
NEW YORK, Aug. 21.-At the praye
meeting of Plymouth Chmch to-day, it wa
stated that the report Of the investigator;
committee would not be presented unit
next Friday evening.
The papers in the suit against Beeche
by Theodore Tilton were served on Thos
G. Shea7nan, Mr.. Beecher's lawyer. thi:
morning, the damages are laid at one hnR
dred thousand dollars, and the allegation:
are for criminal cohabitation and cOnverSa
tiOn with Mrs. TiltOn. The counsel fol
Tilton is said to be preparing complaint:
for libel against the Ne1 York Tribune
the Nelo York World and the brooklyn
Eagle.
NEW YORK, Aug. 21.-The Daily Eren-
ing Graphic furnishes, in advance of pub
lication, proof sheets of the complete state.
ment of Francis ID. Moulton. Mr.. Moul-
ton prefaces his statement with the follow
ing
Card 90 the Public.
1 became party, almost accidentally, in
the unhappy controversy between Mr.
Beecher and Mr.. Tilton. l had been a
friend of Mr.. Tilton since my boyhoOd, and
for Mr.. Beecher, l had always entertained
the warmeSt admiration. In 1870 learned
for the first time that Mr.. Beecher had
given Mr.. TiltOn so grave a cause of Of
fense that if the truth should be made pub
lie, great national Calamity would ensue.
| believed that the scandal would tend to
undermine the very foundations Of the so
cial order, to lay low a beneticent power
of good in our country, and blast the
prospects and blight the family of one of
the most brilliant and promising of the riS-
ing men Of the generation. Thus diSas-
trOuS deemed il, and, still regarding il 50,
| determined to Try to avoid il. For near
ly four Years have labOred most aSsidu-
Ously to save both Of these men from the
consequences of their acts, whether Of un-
wisdom or passion-ac acts which have al
ready seriously involved them in needless
and disastrous quarrel, which is made the
preteXt Of pouring out on the community a
food of impurity and scandal, deeply af-
fecting their own families and threatening
like whirlpool, If not settled, to draw
into its vortex the peace of mind and good
repute Of a host of others. More than
all, | saw that, because Of the trans
greSSiOn of another, innocent children
would be Eurlened with load Of oblOQuv,
which would weigh most heavily and cru
ely on their young lives. All these con-
SiderationS determined me to take an active
part in the transactions which have since
become so notorious. This decision in
volved me in great anxiety and labor, for
which the hope of saving these interests
could be my only compensation. Even
that reward had now failed me, and, instead
Of il, an attempt is made to throw on me
part CT the shame and disgrace which be
longs To the actors alone. One of them,
whom l have zealOUSly endeavOred to serve.
has seen fit, with all the power of his vast
influence and matchleSs art as a writer,
10 visit on me the penalties
Of his own wrong doing, at the same time
publicly appealing TO me to make known
the truth as if it would justify his attack
on me. / feel that the failure of my exer-
tions has not been owing to any fauIt of
mine. | worked faithfully and sincerely
under the almost daily advice and direction
Of Mr.. Beecher, with his fullest appTOba-
tion, confidence and heaming gratitude, un-
til, as / think, in an evil hour for him he
took other advice. have failed, and now
strangely enough he seems 10 desire to
punish me for the sad consequences Of the
folly, insincerity and wickedness of his
present cOunselOrs. Mr.. BeeCher, in his
statement, testifies that he brought this in
veStigatiOn without my knowledge or ad-
vice. Even While mourning what seemed
to me the utter UNIV isdom Of this proceed
ing-I had done all | could hOnorably 10
avoid the catastrophe and L have kept silent
| saw with sOrTOW that
this silence was deep injury Of the friend
Of Try bOyhOOd. Prompted by a sense Of
duty not to one only out to all the parties
involved, l denied the united and public
appeals made TO me by Mr.. Beecher and
Mr.. Tilton to produce the evidence in nv
possession, partly because l felt that the
injury thereby done to Mr.. TiltOn was far
less calamitOus than the destruction which
must come on all the interes.s | had for
years tried to conserve, and especially on
Mr.. Beecher himself if | should comply
with this request; but stated clearly that
in one emergency should speak, namely:
in defense OF my own integrity Of action
if it should Wanton'y be aSsailed. l left
Mr.. Beecher Untrammeled by tie facts in
my hands to defend hims 4 without
the necessity of attacking me. b the pub
liShed accusations of Mr.. Beech1r affecting
my character, my own self respect. the ad-
vice of friends and public justice make it
imperative that the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth should now be
fully declared.
l give to the pubic therefore, tbs state
ment | had prepared to bring befTe the
without the alteration or addi-
ton of a sentence and scarcely a word. |
Certainly without the change Of a single |
syllable, since l read Mr.. Beecher's state
ment and evidence, or because of it. This |
paper withheld from the committee when |
before it, in a last despairiug effort for |
peace, at the earnest solicitation Of some of |
Mr.. Beechers friends, and with tie apprc- |
val also of some of the most valued OF nv
own. l do not now give il to the commit |
tee, but to the public, because its |
production concerns myself rather than the |
principals in the strife. 1t is made for my |
own protection against public accusations, |
and not TO aid the party TO the controversy. |
For the needless and cruel necessity that |
now so imperatively cOmpels its product on |
have the most profound grief for which |
there is but single alleyiation. namely.
hat the disclosures of the facts at this time |
can scarcely work more harm to him whom /
at first tried TO befriend, by Withholding |
hem from the public than they would have |
,auSed him in January, lSIl. when but /
Or my interference, the public would mo,r
have been put in possession of |
he whole truth. Mr.. Beecher forces m
-enderS fruitless four wears Of constant and |
sincere efforts TO save him. Ii leaves him
md Mrs. TiltOn in almost the same posi-
ion which it found them, excepting i'm 50 |
ar rs their own late disingenuOus untruth-
ILLNESS in their solemn statements may
over them in the estimation of the world.
reserve 10 myself the right hereafter to
eview the statements Of Mr. Beecher i'm
contrast with the facts rs shown by the
documents herewith subioined and others
which have at my hand, the production of
which did not seem to be necessary until
Ome portion OF the published evidence of
Nr. Beecher demanded contradiction.
FRANCIS ID. FOULTON.
MOuItOls's Statement.
The Graphic publishes the full statement
# Francis ID. MOultOn, prepared two weeks
go for the Plymouth committee, i'm lieu of
which he afterwards gave them a briefar |