Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-05-22
A Leading German Jurist on the
Scandal.


A Leading German Jurist on the
Scandal.
Prof. 4. Renaud, of the Heidelberg Uni
versity, has published an article on the Til
ton Beecher case, from which we extract
the following sensible opinion -
Having carefully examined the opening
address of the plaintiffs counsel, the evil
dence of the plaintiffs witnesses, and the
opening address of the defendants cOun-
sci. | cannot but arrive at one conclusion,
and from conversation with many of my
professional brethren, who take an equal
interest with M self in this great trial, [
herewith deliberately contend that 1t is the
conviction Of the legal minds of Germany,
Austria and France, that the plaintiff,
Tilton, has no case whatever; and to us
it is matter of surprise that under the
laws of America, he should not have been
nonsuited after his evidence was in.
In actions of this kind character should
always weigh more than anything else.
The plaintiff, from his own words, stands
convicted of having told different stories
on the subject. His charges against the
defendant grew more serious as his ami
mostly against him, from causes discon-
nected with the case, increased. First il
was alternating his wife's affections he ac-
cused the defendant Of. Then improper
proposals, then adultery. And, oddly
enough, while he prefers this terrible
charge against the defendant, he speaks
with maudlin tenderness, Of the, if his
story be true, infamous wife. From this
twaddle about the whiteness Of the sou
/ q A.; ,1I Or o1pna i,,YN mi an
minds would Justly infer that the plain
tih's mind is siugularly unbalanced His
moral perception, from the way he judges
her, would seem to be diseased. AnC
! this is proved by the disgusting letters Of
his, which American journals have pub
| lshsd with his consent, and it appears a
his instigation-an avalanche Astounding
! in the most prepOSterouS scntimentaliSm
such as would be ineXcusable in a love
sick boy, and which render full-gToWl
man-norcoyer, one who lays claim t.
refinement and intelligence-unit tt
mingle in decent society
OF Mrs. Tiltons confession and Mr.
BcecherS letters, he says This ConfeS
sion was, according to her statement
wrung from her at time Of great physi
cal prOStration. Such a declaration b,
wife in The interest Of her HUSBAND
should always be treated with the utmoS
distrust, even if she were in the best o
health, and not, as the plaintiffs wifi
seems to have been, imbued with roman
tic notions about love, religion, etc. Il
no German or French Court, | ventur
the assertion, would this confession hay
been treated with the slightest considera
ton.
The defendants conduct may have beer
indiscrect. But he is acknowledged to b
q cOnhding, warm-hearted man, ford o
given to eXtravagant languagc--a dcfec
into which gifted persons, especial
those who write and speak in public
great deal, readily fall. Consequently
would be extremely unjust to interprc
with literal rigor those letters of his
which the plaintiff uses to strengthen hi
case against him. TO be sure, the unfoI
tunate position in which the dcfendan
found himself in consequence Of the If
lection for him arising in an enthusiast
woman without his fault, while he helpe
to deprive, as we think very justly au
sensibly, the husband of lucrative joul
nalistic position, was haraSsng to hin
and, hence, he wrote those letters, III
, NOuDJCttlN vi lllC spun VI IIlC lIOlilCH
without reflection, and while strong il
iuences were brought to bear upon hi
heart, which, it seems, was only too cas-
ly softened and touched. Rut the prime
pal letter, the so-called 'letter of contr
, tion," addressed to the witness Moultol
who says the defendant dictated to hin
cannot possibly have been so dictated
Mr. Beecher. The ldtt0r is man
genius, a master OF concise language, ant
: us his writings superabundantly prov
accustomed to express his thoughts C,
herently, sensibly and logically But tn
letter, as piece of composition, is NJ
even respectable. The defendant c0ul
not have written or dictated it in tn;
: shape, even while prey to the most i.
tense agitation.
He thus refers to the "mySterous Mou
/ tom and his wife He is described as
J smart business man-practical, energeti
Y and endowed with hard, common sens
What drew him into this maelstrom of ba
passions? Friendship for the plaintiff, !
says. How can this cool, calculating
t mOney-making man have conceived az
+ liking for the vain, pufed-up, shalloN
minded utopist? Fire and water do NJ
mmgle. There must have been some hi
1 den motive for Moulton's anxiety to pa
4 ticipate in the quarrel between the plai
D tiff and defendant. 1t is one of Il
mysteries of this strange affair, and it
not quite clear if the defendants counsC
} in his opening address, hit the nail on Il
8 head in regard to the aims Moulton h;
', in view. court, however, would tai
the singularity of his conduct, and, abo'
all, his undisguised evaporation again
c the defendant, into consideration, al
S attach but very little Importance to h
evidence.
And as regards Monlton's wife-we
she is his wife, and had the most powe
d full incentive in the world to corrob
n rate her husbands testimony against Il
: defendant The acquittal of the latt
would be ruin to the witness Moulto
n With that alternative staring her in {
y face, what woman would not feel stron
ly tempted to help him? What cou
n could take her evidence, given with SUI
an alternative before her, RS entire
> trustworthy? In no German or Frent
court would it even be admitted and
seems horrible that it should have
v mush weight in the American court.
. Depend upon it, our Henry really mea
Il business. Several Western papers he