Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-06-25

cordlng TO their theory, enter
ed into a conspiracy to ruin Mr..
Beecher; but with each succeeding
effort the weakness of their cause is
more apparent, resulting in glaring
absurdities, running counter to all
previous experience, The testimony
forcthe plaintiff, 1 repeat, stands,
and ever will stand, unimpeached;
and, Notwithstanding the volumin-
Gus testimony introduced to blacken
Tilton's character, the time will soon
come, whgh in contrast with his willy
calumnia0br, he will tower above
him in exery moral attribute, like
colossusI Z. 5gss silt- ~ ~
Many are carried away by the
current of Mr.. Beecher's emphatic
and solemn denial, deeming it i'm
possible that he should be capable of
such astounding lying and hypocri-
sy as his guilt implies. Let us rea-
son together little on this point.
Mr.. Beecher says IN one of his let
ters to Moulton, "He 1ilton" had
co'acIo'aed has gqits's ofenSe and en-
treated me in the most solemn man
'aer not to 6etray his aoife nor 6GUe
has clstIC1reat TO a 6Ifght." !" This is
true. Tilton chad condoned the Of
fense." Beecher had also "hum-
jbled himself before Theodore Mlton
as he did before God" True he de-
nies this language, but it is in the
same strain and tending as all the
rest of his heart-breaking and re-
morseful letters, and is undoubtedly
his own. He not only humbled
himself, but his repentance seems to
have been sincere. Whatever ex-
PLANTATION could be made he would
do; but alas! he robs the household
of the Jewel of virtue can never
make restitution. Still he did what
he could. "Of course l cannot see
Elizabeth again, he sobs, but he
complied with the general purposes
of concealment. Such a crime, how
ever, was ghost not lightly to be
laid. "All the devices by which
they had tried to save themselves
had proved worthless" Then came
the statements and counter state
ments, then the whitewashing COM
mtitee, and finally Mr.. Beecher, full
.ly committed to the policy of deni-
al, falls into the hands of his lawyers
and is led step by step in the vain
hope of saving his great reputation,
and of diverting the disgrace which |
would fall upon the famous family,
into a labyrinth of wickedness un-
parallelled, in view of which we
justly stand appalled,.
Now, if these premises are correct,
what ought to be the attitude of the
community, and especially of the
church, toward this lubidinous priestP
There is a growing impression
among the common people that cler-
ical rakes are by far too leniently
dealt with. There has been a nota-
ble instance within a year, where
miNster was brought before an eccle-
StAtical court for seduction and bas-
tas6Y, and, in the face of the dying
statement of his victim, supported by
'corroborative evidence,
was allowed to go unwhipped of |
justice, simply from the fact of his
own denials. If the woeful day
shall ever come when the
Christian Church shall have even
the appearance of being corrupt in
its leaders aud teachers, or shall be-
come the partizans or apologists of |
m en- of dubious antecedentS, then |
the people will, with one accord,
conclude that the less they have to |
with the church the better. The |
question at issue, is not primarily be |
tween Tflton and Beecher T; it is far |
reaching and infinitely above the |
principals or their partisans, touch.
ing the very foundation of society
and morality. What a spectacle! |
This adulterous priest sitting astride
the neck of the church, and with |
the most brazen assertion voeifera- |
ting his innocence, and demanding |
the heads of the Witnesses who APP
pear against him! 81
1t is a significant fact that, while |
the Protestant Church has been
wrangling for a year as to whether
Mr.. Beecher's remorseful letters
were caused by crime or pecea-
dillo, the Church of Rome moves on
with little portentious pugeant and |
power to conquest. Special ENJOYS
from the Holy Father bestows the
Cardinals beretta in New York,
while Boston, Milwaukee and other
cities are made the scene of special |
proselyting effort. = Meantime, Mr..
Beecher breaches at the Catholics
on the jury, though ostensibly to his
church, substantially, that in all es-
sential matters he is at one with his
"dear and venerable brother, the
Pope" l predict that the children
of his "dear and venerable broth
err" whose hands are still red with
the blood of Christians of Mexico,
will reciprocate by rendering, as far
as they are concerned, a verdict of
aeqpittal. Rome would hardly lose
so good an opportunity to cast her
influence fer the division and dis
grace of Professionalism, thinking, and |
not without reason, that the masses
will turn away in disgust to the
church whose doors are ever open to
the poor.
To those who think, that l have
written too harshly, let me say that
time will soon 9vindicate the truth.
1t is impossible that the people can
be much longer hoodwinked. The |
legal dust will soon be brushed from
their eyes, and the author of q yoar's, !
scandal unprecedented in'the wofld's
history will receive the contempt |
and loathing which his crimes and
character prominently deserves,
''.'Iafa 'oil =. CoMMoSRR.
June 0, 1878. %
The school Question In Ohio.
AT n ratification meeting held in |