The Richmond palladium., 1874-07-29

themselves. We give them in the or
der of date:
BRooKL june q, 1874.
GENTL EMEN:
In the present state of the public
feeling, owe it to my friends, and to
the Church and Society over which l
am pastor, to have some proper inves-
tigation made of the rumors, insinua-
tions, or charges made respecting my
conduct, as compromised by the late
publication made by Mr. Tilton.
have thought that both the Church
and Society should be represented;
and I take the liberty of asking the
following gentlemen to serve in this
inquiry. and to do that, which truth
and justice may require. l beg that
each of the gentlemen named will con
slider this letter as if it had been sep
arately and personally sent to him,
namely:
From the Church.-Henry W. Sage,
Augustus Storrs, Henry M. Cieve-
land.
From the Society-Horace B. Claf-
lin, John Winslow, S. V. White.
l desire you, when you have salts
fed yourselves by an impartial and
thorough examination of all sources
Of evidence, to communicate to the
Examining Committee, or to the
Church. such action as may then seem
to you right and wise.
HENRY WARD BEEcHER.
To Messrs Sage, Claflin, and others.
Having ascertained the willingness
of these gentlemen to serve as request
ed, Mr.. Beecher addressed the How
ing letter to the Examining Commit
tee Of Plymouth Church:
July 6, 1874.
DEAR BRETHREN:
Iinclose to you a letter in which |
have requested three gentlemen from
the Church and three from the Socie-
ty of Plymouth Church gentlemen of
unimpeachable repute, and who have
not been involved in any Of the trials
through which we have passed during
the year, to make thorough and i'm
partial examination of all charges or
insinuations against my good name,
and to report the same to you, and |
now spectfully request that you viii!
give to this Committee the authority
to act in your behalf also. 1t seemed
wise to me that the request should
proceed from me, and without your
foregoing knowledge, and that you
should give to it authority to act III
your behalf in so far as thorough
investigation Of the facts should be
concerned.
HENRY WARD BEEcHER.
The Examining Committee, recog-
nizing the representative character of
the men thus appointed. unanimously
adopted the action of the pastor, and
formally authorized the gentlemen
named to act as Committee on its
behalf, and report the result of their
inquiry for its information and further
action.
The committee commenced its work
on Monday, June 18th, and will pros
ecute it to the earliest possible COM
pletion.
MEMBERS OF THE INVESTIGATING
COMMITTEE.
The information given below con-
cerning the gentlemen composing the
Committee of Inquiry is taken from
tilt udllN pdpCIS, Dut III
it the Christian Union endorses its
correctness:
Henry w. Sage is deacon of the
Church and trustee of the Society.
As business man and citizen he is
widely known. He is an extensive
dealer in lumber; a man of unbending
| integrity and recognized business sa-
gacity. His liberality is attested by
his giving $4,000 to found the ''Ly-
man Beecher Lectureship on Preach
ing" in Yale College; 100000 to
found the Sage COLLEGE for Women
in Cornell University; $4,000 toward
the building of church in Ithaca, n
Y, his former home, and by his gen
erous and discriminating private char
tiles.
Augustus Storrs. of the commission
| house OF Storrs Brothers, is mar
known and respected in brooklyn anc
in business circles in New York. He
is member Of the Plymouth Churcl
Board of Trustees, Treasurer Of the
Society; man of ample means, anC
kind, charitable disposition, cleal
sense, and consistent Christian charac
ter.
Henry NJ. Cleveland was originall,
Connecticut man, and did good ser
vice a few years since on the Stat
Board of Education. He has been
member of Plymouth Church som
fourteen years, is member of tn
Examining Committee, and in busi
ness is a keen sighted, genial, honor
able man. He is a member OF tn
large paper house of H. G. Hubert
| Co.
Horace B. Clafin, one OF the Trus
tees of the Society (and, with the ex
ception of its President, James Free
land, the Oldest member of that Boar
in service, not in years), has alway
been known as one of the foremos
men in the affairs of the Society, on
whose generosity, integrity and abilit
are facts Of public knowledge.
John Winslow is the District Al
torney for Kings county, appointed b
, Governor Dix, and is member Of tn
, law firm of Van Colt & Winslow
, this city. He is a sound lawyer, re
spected citizen, an honest man. II
partner, Judge Van Cott, is leadin
| member of the Church of the Pilgrim
t CDR. r. S. Storrs), and was on til
e special committee calling the late Coz
gregational Council.
/ S. V. White, the Church Treasure
t is prominently active in all the Fl.
D mouth Church and Sabbath Scho,
\ work. He is "A banker and broker
Y New York, man of high reputatio
for inte gritty and success.
: -~ &c. -o--
@ Merciless Judges.
e One of the most notable phase
t Of the Beecher Tilton business
the eagerness with which meG ar
:. women making no profession
correctness Of life are, and ha,