Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-06-03
EYARTS EXPATIATES.
The Absurdify OF Tilton's Conduct
Quffe Equal 90 that OF Beeeher's.

Quite Equal 20 that OF Beeeher's.
New YORK, June 2.-TLe attraction Of
the Masonic procession materially reduced
the attendance to-day at the Beecher-Iil-
ton trial. Evarts continued for the de-
tense, and said they would consider the
probable attitude, tone and reception Of
the accusation which marked the first in
terview between the accusing husband and
the adulterer. Was adultery to be treated
like q cut finger or 4 bruised arm when the
injured husband met the de6ler Of his mar
rage bed, and the shame Of his children
and his children's children? The jury
might imagine If there be al the bottom an
opinion on the part Of the accuser, and con-
sc.entiousness on the part Of the accused,
they would have an interview for which no
previous knowledge beforehand could have
warned them. Counsel would show them
that the plaintiffs story Of that interview
was a self-expOsed, self convicted inven-
ton.
The counsel would show them that the
plaintiff had covered h.s story with such
inconsistencies as made it appear iDCredi-
be. lie knew the law would not permit u
statement Of what occurred between him
self and bis wife, and be WOve il into mar
ratiye which he should tell the jury be had
related to Beecher. He said lie would
gid this story 50 it would be believed and
be was, as has been shown, the victim Of
his own shadOWy philosophy. The jury
had been shown how Bowen saw The folly
Of his attack on Beecher.
Mr.. Evarts then quoted from the testi-
mOny of MOuItOn as 10 his calling on
Beecher and telling him TiltOn wished TO
see him. This friend, as he called HIM
self, wanted to prOpitiaie the mind Of
Beecher in advance toward IIltOn, and 20
gloss over the stories told Beecher by
Bowen. MOultOn weighed h,s words and
chose his topics for objects. When Bowen
brought the letter to him and p ieaded his
friendship TO him (Beecher), IiltUn finds
Bowen had been using that interview with
Beecher fOr his own purposes, and Beecher
found BOWen's stories had acted on IiltOn's
mind and had driven his mind astray.
MOultOn had told Beecher he could show
him how
A Eeathen
would act in such a case, and preferred
heathen's friendship. In the old days Of the
apostles the heather delighted in tOrturing
and burning the Chr stiaus and vet MCUl-
ton said TO Beecher that ne would let him
see what a heathen would do if similarly
circumstanced. He wished 70 ascertain
how BeeCher felt towards him. He knew
Beecher loved his wife but lie wished 70
find out how be rewarded him. Evarts
considered the testimony Of TiltCn in re-
gard 70 this interview in detail, arguing
that the whole conversation was
absurdedly inconsistent with the charge
Of adultery under such circumstances.
Then he came 10 the interview between
the husband and alleged ParamOur, the
hour when all the passion, the anger and
grief the injured man would pour forth IN
food at such an interview. Yet TiltOn's
narrative of the meeting was entirely incOn-
siStent with such a situation. he began
BY telling Beecher be wished 20 blot out Of
his memory the letter he had written to
him, and a considerable part Of the inter
view was taken up in talking, not about
Beecher's relation with Mrs. TiltOn, but
about accusations made against him by
Bowen. 1t was plain TiltOn didn't
wish to ameliOrate BeecheT's feel
ings towards Bowen. He said Bowen
inspired the letter Of the 26th; that Bowen
wished to destroy the editor OF the Chris
tidn Union: that Bowen said Beecher was
a wolf in sleeps clothing, and that he bad
been guilty Of adultery for twenty I'VE
years. In this connection it was rather in
teresting to consider the reason TiltOn said
Bowen gave for not making the attack on
Beecher himself Bowen said be could not
initiate proceedings because, at the settle
ment of their difficulties, he had
forgiven Beecher his crimes. Now,
these crimes, according to Bowen,
had been going on for twenty-five
years. Where on earth did Bowen get the
power to forgive them. After all this talk
about this letter and about Bowen, TiltOn
came with his accusations against Beecher
and spoke about Elizabeth and her shame.
This aroused Beecher's interest, and he
asked Tiltnn what he meant by it. IlltOn
went on to declare his wife had made the
charge against Beecher in the previous
July, and that size had made il
under his pledge thai he would not use it
to Beecher's injury. Now if he had made
such pledge lie had broken it according
to his own statements. he had written
the letter Of Dec. Z6, which vas intended,
he said, TO strike Beecher to the heart and
drive him out of BfOoklyn in twelve hours.
Thus, at every step these people took, they
were obliged 70 acknowledge some action
infamous in its violation Of their pledges.