The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-02


ers. AS early as 1861 or 1862 Tilton
frequently urged Beecher to visit his house
In this manner, urging the regard which
was entertained for him by his wife.
Beecher at length complied to some extent
with these solicitations. Mrs. Tilton, who
was the real defendant in this case, was
woman of small stature, childlike nature,
and of a morbid religious enthusiasm. Til
ton himself had said that II she had lived in
the early times of the Catholic church her
name would have been surrounded by
halo. She was
ENTIRELY DEVOTED TO HER HUSBAND,
looked up to him in everything, and con-
suited his every wish. She watched with
pride his progress. but was doomed to the
sorrow of seeing him blinded by egotism
and surrounded by fatterers, losing his hold
upon what she believed to be the founda-
lions of religion. She tried with tears and
prayers to turn her husband to the right,
/ and she looked to her trusted pastor to aid
her in this labor. II Tilton had but followed
the advice in the beautiful letter which
Beecher wrote to him in 1867, he would now
have happy home. Yet we are
asked to believe that at the
trying to save her husband she committed
the very sin against which she was warning
him in 1868. Tracy continued: Beecher
sailed for Europe, leaving Tilton in sole
charge of the Independent. In the absence
OF his former guide Tilton's jealousy of him
was increased, but he still maintained the
outward form of friendship. In 1865, on the
night OF November 80, he wrote to Bsecher
letter, in which be spoke of mis- long affec-
! ton for Beechsr, of their intimacy, and of
the obligations which he owed to him. He
begged Beecher in this letter to forgive him
for any word or deed of his which
had given offenss and also spoke in it Of his
religious depression. In this Year, 1866,
Tilton became managing editor OF the indie
pendent, and in his egotism took every
method of showing his independence of
i Beecher, whose equal or superior he now
considered himself to be. He took aovan-
tage OF political differences to make such
violent attacks on Beecner in the Independ-
ent that the latter was obliged to dissolve all
connection with that journal. The
Pretext for these attacks was
Beecher's Cleveland letter. which had
been read in evidence advocating moder-
ate policy towards the South, a letter which
read now, nine years efterward showed
Beecher to be no less eminent as a states
man than as a pastor. But the views of the
extreme men prevailed, and Tilton at that
time, as he had testified, found himself with
the majority of his party. TiltoD, in his
editorial chair, was surrounded by ex-
tremists of every sort, who found in him a
mind disposed TO take the most radical view
ofevery subject.
/ ALARMING CHANGES
took place in his religious sentiments, as
appears from his own testimony and from
his letters. AS also appeared from his own
testimony and from that of Mrs. Bradshaw,
this change was q cause of great sorrow to
his wife. Gen. Tracy, to illustrate this, read
extracts from Tilton's letters already In evil
dence, and from Tilton's testimony before
| Yo boI Sd
that his change of opinion in regard to
the divinity of the Savior had caused
his wife greater sorrow than any
other event in his life except
this scandal. In this extremity Mrs. Tilton
appealed to her pastor and the latter talked
with him kindly on the subject. Beecher
also wrote to him the beautiful letter 10
which he had already referred. The speaker
I read this letter already introduced in evil
dence In which Beecher said he thought Til
toms religious views were undergoing a
: transition state TO which many of most
thoughtful men were subject at some period
of their lives. Bsecher gave Tilton words OF
sympathy and kindly advice, referring TO
his own experience. at the close of the let
ter he said he had given up
newspaper, a statement the importance
o. which would become apparent later in
the spring. Gen. Tracy then said that Til
toms views. also, underwent an important
chsDgei in regard to the relations ofthe sexes.
. Believing that a great social revolution
was impending in. regard TO the matter.
TiltoD, according to his usual custom. en-
braced the radical side. He made this sub
jet a matter OF free aud full consideration
with his associates who visited at his house,
l rsten the between seGund tb sea' sssc
! was proper which was attended by mutual
love. These views and these associates were
extremely offensive to his wife, and source
OF even greater anguish TO her than the
change.in his religious opinions. In 1866
filton induced his wife, against her will, to
: invite to her house young lady whose &C.
: lquaintance be had made in the West, and
, with whom. there was no doubt, he was
deeply in love, as appeared from his
own letters. 1t was his own init
, macy with this woman which nearly
, DROVE HIS MoTHER-IN-LAw TO INSANITY.
! The lady in question, seeing the danger to
l her from Tilton's admiration, finally loft
and broke off her relations with him. In
! his letters to his wife Tilton spoke OF
: his friendships, as he called them, for va
rious women with q freedom which was as
] tOnishipg. In a letter written to his wife
on the 18th of February, 1867, he referred 10
2 his intimacy in a certain Western family
3 which he had visited, and said that his whole
life would have been different If his Wife's
3 mother had been a woman ike Mrs. -,
( and if he could have been sheltered
I under such a roof as that of
Mrs IS instead of breathing the atmos-
phere of Livingston street. He also spoke
> of having carried the Livingston street mil
dew on his garments for years, and said that
if he returned to Brooklyn at all he should
return better man. Gen. Tracy then said
that the family referred to in this letter was
that in which the young lady already re-
ferred to was one of the daughters, the young
3 lady whom he afterwards took to his own
| home. Could husband infiict a greater
, cruelty on wife than by writing such a
letter? In January, 1868, Tilton's criminal
! conduct had become too notorious for con-
cealment, and his wife in one of her most
exalted moods taxed him with his sins.
3 Conscience stricken he fell grovelling az her
feet and she gave him her free and gener-
Gus forgiveness. The letter read in evil
. dence showed hat at an interview between
: | Z ho fur0 m fha litnrr Of Lar