The New York herald., 1874-07-28
sidc Chances at Piymoath Church.


The question of Mr.. Bsecher's guilt or in
nocence IN the terrible charge made against
him remains i'll allegiance. Upon that ques-
ton Judgment has not been reached, nor
Will 1t como from the tribunal selected by
Mr.. Beecher. The testimony would close
the case were it not for the letters written oy
Mr.. Beecher aud Mrs. Tilton. We have ana
lyzed these letters. and until we have Mr.
Beecher's promised explanation of them we
can only arrive at one conclusion their
authorship makes it impossible for him to re-
main longer in Plymouth church IA teacher
of morals and religion. Nor do we see how
such an explanation can be made That, how
ever is with Mr.. Beecher. and until he has
the final opportunity it would be unjust ior
us to pass final opinion.
But what a picture of Plymouth church
religion we have in these inv lstigatons so far
as they go Here is Mr. Bowen, ieading
saint who carries Mr.. Beecher letter de-
manding his instant withdrawal from the
pulpit under threats OF exposure. Here is
Mr.. Tlton, another brilliant and most prom
ising saint writing that letter. not as an IN
jured man seeking repaation, but to please
Mr. Bowen, who wished to destroy rival
newspaper II never seems to have occurred
to the holy minds of Mr.. Bowen and Mr..
Tilton that if Mr.. Beccher had called a
policeman and given them into custody they
could have been tried for backmaii nor does
it seem that Mr.. Beeeher thought of doing
this prompt and manly thing. Again, we have
a saint of Plymouth church locking his pastor
in room and denouncing him as the author
of the ruin of his hearth He had known this
fact for months he had not spoken Of it be-
cause he had business relations with the pas
tor and his friends; but these business rela-
| tions had ceased. and the wrong at once
| assumed new life and was made to secure the
prompt adjustment of this most pious claim.
Then We have the pastor of Plymouth church,
an apostle OF the new dispensation, asking
parishioner to give him letter Of exonera-
ton. day or two after vs.. have Mr..
Moulton, third saint armed with loaded
pistol, compelling the pastor to return the
letter. We wonder that so little attention has
been paid to this loaded pistol. for the story
is one of the most dramatic, as it seems to be
one of the most authentic, incidents in the
drama Why does not the Plymouth cham
pon of muscular Christianity explain this
memorable interview? What did he mean to
gain by the loaded pisto3 What was the in
ducement that led him to go thus armed into
the presence of Mr.. Beecher? Did he warn
Mr. Beecher of his weapon? Had Mr.
Beecher any intimation that the Plymouth
saint was armed? And supposing Mr..
Beecher bad not returned the paper given
him by Mrs. Tilton what usa woald the godly
Moulton have made Of his pistol?
1t would naturally seem that Mr. Beecher
would have called another policeman and
sent his Christian antagonist TO the station
house to answer the charge Of carrying con-
cealed weapons, Just as soon as the saints be-
aforementioned had been tried for the utterance
OF a threatening b!ackmailing letter There
would have been an explosion and disclosures
to be sure; but what different attitude
Mr. Beecher would have held from what he
holds now! On the contrary, he enters into
covenant with those who menaced him with
ruin, according to a fourth saint, the sanity
| Carpenter, he offered to divide his fortune
and fame with one of them, and he dictates
a letter to another in which he wishes
he was dead. Whether the pious Moulton
bad the pistol in his pocket or not when
he acted as the amanuensis of the act of
degradation and shame does not appear in
any accessible narrative Of these proceedings.
But Mr. Beecher does not seem to have had
the feelings natural to man who had been
thus menaced and humiliated. for within few
ciate - Many, many friends has God raised up
to me- but to 10 one of them has He ever given
the opportunity aud the wisdom so to serve
me as you have" 'His hand it was that tied
up the storm that was ready to burst upon our
heads" How far Mr.. Beechers confidence in
the one friend of his life still continues it
would be curious to know, especially as We
read in the letter Of contrition these lines -
'.In trust with F. d. Moulton." 81 have
trusted this to Moulton in confidence" Any
where outside of Plymouth church the pos
session Of letter so shielded would have
been trust as sacred as death, But one OF
the accepted phases Of this extraordinary
manifestation OF religion, morals and honor
is that no one has questioned the possession
by Mr.. Tilton of letter ''trusted to Moulton
in confidence" We should think Mr. Moul-
ton would so far break his rule of silence as to
illustrate this point Whatever this investi-
CATION may determine it will be sure that
before any other Of this holy man. friends
intrust him with any document sin conf
deuce" they will be apt to ask whether his
confidence is necessarily shared with Theodore
Tilton
Mr.. Beecher's present attitude, however, is
only his own work. Whatever his offence
or his crime, his misery began when he pot