Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-08-14
Tha Beccher-TiItOn Scandal.
BEECHERs STATEMENT.


statement, made to the committee:
Gentlemen Of the Committee --ln state
mant addressed To the pubic on the I'D oil
july last | gave an explicit, comprehensive qua
Solemn denial 10 the charges made by heodnre
JTl,on against me. That dcuial | now repeat
and reafirm. | also stated III that commun-
cutiuu that !. should appear before your CON-
m,ttee with more detailed statement, and an
expIauatou of the facts IN the case. For this
the tlme has now CONE; ,,,, .uc
E,ur wears aro Theodore 1IltOu fell from one
Of the urondest editorial chairs 10 America,
where he represented the cause OF religion, hu-
manity and patriotism, ana III le" mouths
thereafter became he assocIatc anu representa-,
tive OF Victoria Woodruff, aud The irlend OF
her strange CAUSE. BY his toes he was bank
rupt ia reputation, III occupation, ana III re
sources The interior history OF winch an
now TO give brici outline, Is the history 01 MS
attempts to so employ me as TO relhstaCc nun
in business. restore his reputation anu piace
hun again rppn the emiueure FROM which he
had fallen 1t is a sad history, to the luli mean
ing of which have but recently awakened.
E,ntaugIed in Il wilderness of complications
rniIowcd uu,i lately false theory aud deluslYe
hone, believing that the FREUD who assured
me Of his determination aud ability to control
thr nassuuatc vagarics Of Mr.. T;rndurc flIlou,
| +, rrst,rc his household. IL rcbu!u his Ior-
| ,unes. and 10 viudic1ie M would be equal to
thar pruluisc. His scli.cunl"$scd failure mas
made clear to me what tur Il long tune nlo
| not susnrct. the real motive Ut Mr.. Hilton.
Nv narration docs not represent slngle
| standpoint oIlv as regards my option OF heO-
| dore Ttuu. 1t begins at my cordial Intimacy
| vith him In his earlier career, aud shows my
u1nrntation and surruwlui, hut hopeful alice,
| ron for him during the period uf hlsulilal
waudcrings from truth and virtue. 1t dtscrlb-
es nv rencn,aucc over evils Detailing nlm oil
which was made to believe myself the cause;
NV perseycring and friendly disposed efforts to
save him and his family 10y any sacrifice Of my
self not absolutely dishonorahIe; my growing
conyIcliop that his perpetual iolhcs aud buud-
crs rendered his recovery Impossible.
can now see that he Is, aud has been from
the beginning of this difficulty, selfish aud
reckless schcmer, pursuing plan oil mlusled
good and hatred. and weaving about NE Il net
work of suspicion, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., pots
and lies TO winch my OVID Innocent words auo
acts, nay, even my thoughts OF Kindness to-
wards him have been made. to contribute.
These successive views Of him mlst be kept 10
view to explain my course through the last
four years That | was blind so loug rs TO the
real motive Of the intrigue going on around me
was due partly to my own overwhelming pub
lie engagements, partly TO my complete surren-
der of this affair au1 all papers and questions
connected with it into the hands Of Mir. Moul-
ton, who was Intensely co1iti:icnt that he could
manage it successfully. | suffered uuch but
| inquired little.
Mr. Mouton was chary to me OF Alr. llltOu 5
cuntilcnces to him, reporting to NE Uccaslonal-
" in a general way Mr. Titun words and out
| breaks of passion only as elements oi trouble
| which he was able 10 control. and as additional
proof Of the wisdom Of leaving 1t to him. His
comment Of the situation seemed to me, at the
time, complete, immersed as | was III lnccssant
cares and duties, and only too glad to be re-
lieved from considering details Of wretchcd
complications, the origin and facts Of which
remain 10 spite of all friendly intervention, a
perpetual burden to my soul. would not read
10 the papers about it. | made Moultun for a
long period my corfdant aud my ouly channel
of information. From time to time >uSMclons
were aroused in NE by Indications that 1llton
was acting the part OF an enemy.
But suspicious were rapidly ailaycd by his
own behavior towards NE in other moods, and
| by assurances OF Mr.. Moultuu, who ascribed
| the circumstances TO misunderstanding or to
malice on the part of others II is plain 10 NE
now that it was not until Mr.. TlltOn had fallen
into disgrace aud lost his salary that he thought
it necessary to assall me with charges which ne
pretended to have had 10 mind tor SIX months.
| The domestic otfcnse which he alleged was very
| quickly aud easily pun aside, but yet IN such a
way as to keep my feelings stirred up in order
that might, through my friends, be used to
extract from Mr. Bowen $1,000, the amount
of claim in dispute between them. With the
check for that sum iu hand Mr.. Tlltou slgucd
an agreement Of peace aud concord, not drawn
| by me, but accepted by me as sincere.
| The Golden Age had baen started. lie had
| that he was to head great social revolution.
With returning prosperity he had apparently
10 grivtS winch coul not be covered by his sig
nature to the articles of peace, yet the charges
10 that covenant made by him before signing it.,
and represented to me as necessary merely to
relieve him from the lmputa,ion OF having orig
dated and circulated certain old and shameless
| SANDERS about me, were really made, as 1t now
| appears, to leave him free for future operations
upon me aud against me.
| So long as he was, or thought he was, 90 the
road to new succ IS his Conduct toward NE was
as friendly as he knew how to make 1t. His
assumption of superiority and maguanimity,
and his patrouiZIng manner, were trltles at
| which could afford to smile, aud which pore
with greater humility since still retained the
profound impression made upon ne, as ex-
| plaped 10 the following narrative, that | had
been the cause OF an overwhelming disaster to
him, aud that his complete restoration to pub
lie standing and household happiness was a
reparatiou Justly required Of inc and the only
one which could make; but, with peculiar
genius for blunderS, be fell almost at everystep
into new complications and difficulties, ADD IN
every such instance it was his policy to bring
coercion TO bear upon my honor, my conscience
and my affections for the purpose of procuring
| his eXtrication at my expense
Theodore Tilton knew me we'll. He has said
again and again to his friends that ii they wish
| ed 10 gain any Influence over me they must
work upon the sympathetic side of my nature.
| To this end he has addressed himself steadily
for years, using as lever, without scruple, my
attachment to my irieuds, to my family, to his
own household and even my old affection for