St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-07-03

This gross imputation, thus foreshad-
owed to me, led me to appear in person
at the church on that evening. there to
await the reading of the forthcoming
report. This report, when it came t,
be read, brought me the following move
intelligence, namely. "Whcreas IL copy
of the charges was put into the hands
of the said TiltOn on the 18th of OctO-
Der, and request made of him that he
should answer the same by the 23d OF
October etc.
| do not know to this day whose hand
it was that drew the report, and there
fore | am happily saved from an often
sive personality when | say that the
statement which | have here quoted is
Numerically the opposite of truth foI
instead of my having been requested ia
answer the charges, had been requcs-
ted not to answer them.
After the public reading of the above
report, | arose in the meeting and said
in Mr.. Beecher'S presence that if had
slandered him | would answer for it to
his face; to which he replied in an
equally public manner. that he had no
charge whatever to make against me.
vi. Next, growing ont of the church'>
singular proceedings in this, came the
Congregational council, of which YOU
were moderator.
The above facts and eventS-wlich |
have mentioned as briefly as possible.
emitting their dctailS-will serve as
sufficient groundwork whereon to base
the correction of the niust and iniu-
riOuS statements which You have un-
Willingly given of my participation and
responsibility in the ease. With the
Congregational theories and usagc>
which you so ably discussed. | have no
conccrn-you are probably right about
them. But as to all the essential facts
growing out of my relationship to Ply
mouth church, You have been wholly
miSintolmed-as you will see by the
following proofs:
|. lou say that | retired from the
church. giving no announcement of my
50 doing To amy proper officer: i'll other
words. that | stole out secretly. letting
no one in authority know my purpose.
\ our language concerning me is aS fol
lows:
His position WAS that he had termi-
mated his membership four wears pre-
viou>l y-not hy requesting the church
(aS by its rules he might have donc) to
drop his name from its roll," etc.
You then ask
''lS this the beautiful on-stringcncy
of the covenant which connects the
members OF that church with the body.
and with each other? What sort of II
covenant is that which can he dissolved
ut any moment. not merely by mutual
consent. nor by either party giving no
tice To the other, but by a silent vol-
tion i'll the mind of either -
The above is il thorough mis-state-
ment of the manner in which | left
Plymouth church.
On the very first occasion of my meet
ing the chief officer of the church after
my retirement from it. ] gave notice To
him of that retirement. At Il later
period | repeated this notice to the
other officers of that body. In evidence
of this fact. | adduce the following eX-
tract from recent card 10y Mr. Thomas
). Sherman, clerk of plymouth church.
published in the Independent of June
II. 1874. He SAYS:
Long before any charges were pre-
terred against him. Mr.. Tilton distinctly
informed the clerk of the church and
various other officers and members (niv-
self included) that he had withdrawn.
and that his name ought to'be taken off
the roll"
II. You say that | have either "a
malicious heart or Il crazy brain" |
know the tuuntain-head of this opinion.
While the council WAS in session in
Brooklyn. the following startling para
graph appeared in the Brooklyn Union
of Saturday, March -. 1871:
MIR. SHEARMAN ON THE STU ALTON.
AT the close of thc services Il Union
reporter approached Mr.. Bccchcr for
the purpose of getting his views as to
the council. but he declined to he inter
viewed. Mr.. Shcarman. the clerk of
the church. however, was communica-
tive. He said he had received no in
tlmation aS vet what course the council
would pursue. In regard to the sean
dial on Mr.. Bccchcr. he said SO far as
Tilton WAS concerned he CTilton) WAS
out of his mind. off his balance. and did
not act reasonably. As for Mrs. Tilton.
she had occaSioned the whole trouble
while i'll Il halt-crazed condition. She
had mcdiumiStic fits. and while under
the strange power that possessed her.
often spoke of the most Incredible
things, declared things possible that
were impossible, and among the rest
had Slandcred MIR. Becchcr. Mr.. Tilton
himself had acknowledged that all the
other things she had told him in her
trance were false and i'm
possible: then why, asked Mr.. shear
man, should the scandal on Mr.. Beecher
be the only truth in her crazy words ?"
My attention was not called to the
above paragraph until after the council
had adjourned, and its members had
gone to their homes. At first. | was
not willing to believe that the clerk of
Plymouth church same officer
whose name had been officially signed
to all the documents which the church
had just been sending to the council i
could have been guilty of so great an
outrage against truth and deccncy as
the above paragraph contained par
ticnlarly against Il lady whose devout
faith and life are mt the farther
nst possible remove from SpiritualSm
pr tanaticiSm of any kind. According
~ procured the following sworn state
nent by the reporter certifying to the
lccnracy of his report =
KINGS COUNTY. -.
Edward +. Denyse, reporter of tbc
Brooklyn Union, being duly sworn, de
posed as follows
At the close of the Friday evening
meeting in Plymouth church. March y.
1874, |. in company with another mem
bcr of the press, requested Mr.. Thomas
u. Shearman, clerk of the church. to
communicate t" us for publication any
Iacts or comments or opinions which he
might wish to make concerning the
congregational council then i'm session