The interior journal., 1874-08-21
TINE PLYMOUTH INVESTIGATION.


OF July lnst, ! gaN' w eNnlcit, 'ohlnT'"'n-
sivc, and solemn dental 10 the charrs made
by Theodore Tiltcn against me,
That denial now rcrcet and re-aAirm. I
also stated In that communication that ]
should appear before your Committee with
n more detailed statement, and cNplanaticn
Of the facts In the ease. -Four years ago,
Theodore Tilton fell from one n the proud.
est editorial chairs IN America, where he
represented the cause Of religion, humanity
and prosperity, and In few months there
after, became the advocate aud representa-.
tive Of victcria Woodhull, and the friend OF
her strange cause. by his follics he was
bankrupt in reputation, in occupation, and
In resources.
The interior history, Of which ! am now
10 give q brief outline, is history Of his
attempts 10 50 employ me as TO rcinstate
him In business. restore his reputation, and
place him again upon the cminencc from
which he had fallen, II is q sad history, to
the full meaning Of which have but re-
Gently awakened. Entanglcd in a wilder.
ness Of complications, ] followed, until
lately, false theory and delusivc hope,
believing that the friend who assured me Of
his determination aud ability to control the
passionate vagaries Of Mr.. Tiltcn, TO restore
his household, TO rebuild his fortunes, and
60 vindicate me, would he etDial to that
promise. His self-confcsscd failure has made
clear to me, what fer long time rdd not
suspect, the real motive Of Mr.. Tilton.
Mr.. Tilton was first known 3. me rs re-
porter Of my sermons. He was then youth,
Just from school, aud working then on the
New YORK Obscrrcr, and from this paper he
passed to the Tadcpeadest and became a great
favorite with Mr.. Bowen.
When, about 1861, Drs. Bacon, stcrrs and
Thompson resigned their places, became
editor Of the hdcpeadent, to which ! had
been from its start n contributor. One Of
the inducements held out TO me was that
Tilton should be my assistant and relieve
me wholly from the routine office work. In
this relation ] became very much attached
to him. We used to stroll to the galleries
aud paint shops and dine often together.
Ills mind was opening freshly and with en-
thusiasm upon al questions. l used to pour
out my ideas Of civil affairs, public policy,
religion and philanthropy. OF this he has
often spoken with grateful appreciation, and
mourned at a later day over its cessation.
August was my vacation month, but my
family repaired to my farm in June or July,
and remained there during September and
October. My labors conining me to the city,
] took MY meals in the families Of friends,
and from year to year ] became so familiar
with their children and houses, that went
in and out daily almost as in my own house.
Mr. Tilton often alluded to this habit, and
urged me TO do the same by his house. lie
would often speak In extravagant terms Of
his wife's esteem and affection for me. After
I began TO visit his house he sought to make
IL attractive. lie urged me to bring nav pa
pers down there and to use the study to do
my writing in, as il was not pleasant to
write at the Office of tide Independent When
] went to England, in 1868, Mr.. Tilton took
temporary charge of it, my name remaining
fns a a th.t. hah h..
sible editor. Friendly relations continued
until 1866, when the violent assaults made
upon me by Tilton in the IadepcIdcd on ac-
count of my Cleveland letters, and NV tenn
porary discrimination Of the publication Of
my sermons in that paper, broke off my con-
nection with it. Although Mr.. Tilton and
remained personally on good terms yet there
was coolness between us in all matters of
politics. Our social relations we're very kind
ly, and as late as 1869, at his request, sat
TO Page some fifty times for portrait.
II was here that first met and talked with
Moulton, whose wife was member of Ply
mouth Church, though he was not me mber,
nor even irregular attendant.
During the whole period never received
from Mr.. Tilton or any member Of his fam
lily, the slightest hint that there was any
dissatisfaction with my familiar relations to
his household. As late, think, as the win
ter OF 1869, when going upon an extended
lecturing tour, he said, % wish YOU would
look in and see that Libby is not lonesome,
or does not want anything" or wordsto that
effect Never, by sign or word, did Mr. Tilton
complain of my visits in his family until af-
ter he began to feel that the Hdependcnt
would be taken from him or did he break
out into violence until on the eve of dispos-
session from both the papers, the Indcpen,ieni
and the Brooklyn Union, owned by Mr.
Bowen. During these years Of intimacy in
Tilton's family was treated rs father or
elder brother. Children were born, children
ded. They learned to love me and to frolc
with me as If were one of themselves.
love them, and had for Mrs Tilton a true
and honest regard.
She seemed to me an aifectionate mother
and a devoted wife, looking up to her hus-
band as far above the common race of men,
and turning TO me with artless familiarity,
and with entire confidence. Childish in ap-
pearance, she was childlike in nature, and |
would as soon have misconeeived the conf
dence of the little girls as the unstudied af-
fection which she showed me. Delicate in
health, with cheerful air, she was boundless
in her sympathy for those in trouble, snd la
bored beyond her strength for the poor.
she had the charge one time of the married
women's class at the Bethels Mission School
and they perfectly worshipped her there.
gave Mrs. 11lton copies of my hooks
when published. | sometimes sent down
farm flowers to be distributed among dozen
or more families, aud she occasionally
shared. The only present of value | ever
gave her was on my return from Europe in
1864, when ] distributed souvenirs OF my
journey to some fifty or mere persons, and
to her | gave a simple brooch, of little in
trinsic value.
So far from, sunn,s;,., ,ha, ,,,,, ,,,.,....,,.
and influence was alternating Mrs. Tilton
from her family relations, thought, ON the
contrary, that il was giving her strength and
encouraging her To hOldfast upon a man ey-
identity sliding into dangerous associations
and liable to be reversed by unexampled
self-coneeit. ! regarded Mr.. Tilton AS In "a
very critical period Of his life, and used to
think il fortunate that he had good home in
fiuences about him.
During the late years of our friendship,
Mrs. Tilton spoke very mournfully TO me
about the tendency of her husband to great
laxity OF doctrines in religion and morals.
She gave me to understand that he denied
the divinity of Christ, the inspra ion of
Scripture, and most Of the articles of ortho-
dox faith, while his views Ne TO the sanctity
OF the marriage relations were undergoing
constant change in the direction of free
love. In the latter part of July, 1870, Mrs.
llltoh was sick, and at her request ] visited
her. She seemed much depressed, but gave
me no hint OF any trouble having reference
10 me. ] cheerod her as best could and
prayed with her just before leaving. This
was our last interview before the trouble
broke out in the family. describe it be-
cause II was the last, and its character has a
bearing upon the latter part OF my story.
CONCERNING ALL MY OTHER VISITS.
II is sufficient TO say that at no interview
which ever took place between Mrs. Tilton
and myself did anything occur which might
not have occurred with perfect propriety
between a brother and a sister, between a
Iather and child, or between the man Of honor
and the wife of his dearest friend, nor did
anything ever happen which she or ! sought
10 conceal from her husband.
some years before an open trouble between
Mr.. Tilton and myself, his doctrines as set
orth in the leaders Of the hdepead,Hf,
'roused storm of Indignation among repre-
entatiye CongregaiiOnalists in the West,
md as the paper was still very largely sup
'osed TO be my organ, was written TO ON
he subject In reply, ] Indignantly dis
laimed all responsibility for the views eX-
ressed by Mr.. filton. Ny brother Edward,
hen living In Illinois, was promisent in re-
lOnstranees addressed 10 Bowen, concerning
he course Of his paper under Mr. Tilton's
ID was understood that MIR.
owen agreed that in consequence of the
arisinu auf af This Fa1uausfF