New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-08
ton from the audience, and it was delivered with
much force Of manner and clearness Of statement.
THE PROCEEDINGS VERBATIM
Mr. BEECHER's TESTIMONY AGAINST Mr..
TIITON'S.

Mr. Evarts-It does not accord with my purpose, gen
tlemen OF the jury, does IL ut with the limitations OF
| time which my own sense Of my duty 10 you imposes
upon me- treat of all the random and scattered inter
views that thrown IN here and there during the years
that follow this important and decisive period between
these parties of December, 1870 and January 1871
have proposed TO that upon the occurrences OF that
week. resVects charges confessions, that week In
| December, the line set between these people, and
that thereafter any view there would to be no
expressions renewals either Of accusation or OF
admission; and in that view pass but lightly over an
interview of the Sd of January in which there are con-
tanned several passages that perhaps may be brought to
your attention, may already exist in your memory;
and will only ask your attention briefly TO them that
you may whether correct in my view, that
whatever is added after the period Of the last week in
December is OF no Importance, whatever view you shall
! take OF what occurred during that week
Now, Mr.. MOultOn having insisted upon MT Tilton,
who in treating Mr. Beecher with respect and con-
sderaton and courtesy in his house, very difficult
proposition to accept, If you believe that this injured
husband and this paramour stood in anOthers pres
with this imputed injury still existing matter
OF feeling resentment between them now after Mr.
Beecher had said l have stated TO yOu that the
expressions he had made to Mr. Moulton sincere.
and that he had this commseraton this regard for and
this desire to aid Mr. TOn, have according to Mr..
Tilton, this further statement He says-ths is Mr..
TiltOns view:
only for her. Indeed If you wish TO carry out the
demand which communicated 10 in your letter OF
Christmas Day, that should retire from my pulpit
have only to say the word and Will retire. The renting
of the pews shall not go on"
Now the utter impossbity Of either Of these state
ments obvious upon the undsDuted evidence In the
first place, how could Mr. Beecher say TO Mr. Tton II
you wish TO carry ont the demand in the letter made on
Christmas day when the whole agony OF Mr. Tllton in
the interview Of the 30th Of December had been TO
obterate that letter and that charge and to cOnciiae
90
It as if it had occurrcdi And how could Mr..
Beecher the Sd Attn Of January. 1871 talk Of The
renting Of the pews not gong on, when that had already
happened
have this request mafethat II it be necessary for
you TO make public recital of this case
What extraordinary idea 10 from Mr.. Tlton's
mouth when the socudes of his wife, as he says, had
prompted him TO to Mr. Beecher to il that
by even any exacerbations between Bowen
and Beecher nothing could possibly come out
you will give me notice m advance Of your intention
TO do in order that may either 60 out OF the world
by suicide or else escape from the lace OF my 1eh1H ny
a voyage TO some foreign land And, furthermore ask
you to do this favor-that whoever else in the wide
world is to be informed of the facts OF this case al least
she is not only your enemy but may very readily become
mime If you can spare her the pang Of having these
facts communicated tO her will consider that 1t is an
additional occasion OF gratitude
Now gentlemen, look at the absurdity Of this. The
object of this is make a vehicle of narrative that may
introduce confessions and wherever any gcart can be
found that can take anything of that commodity ill., Mr.
Tton always drives it up, in and out of season.
absurdity Of that situation between them, OF
Mr. Beecher's suggesting: oven, If publicity your
account -" which Tilton had been struggling against
with all his might all through that week. and urging Mr.
Beecher not to permit chance OF pubncity-hc says,
If 1t shall become necessary for your purposes to give
any publicity to this, why give notice. In order that
may commit suicide short of that that may retire
to Europe but finally if You do publish it in NewYork
and Brooklyn IL il does become known to the world at
large it that does not reach Mrs Beecher be-
that would be additional Dang 10 me that you
well might spare She is no friend of yours now. Mr..
TltOn. and she might become an enemy OF mine If she
heard this narrative"
He said also that he did not wish me to understand
that ne solicited any mercy for himself alone but only
do not beg at all for myself but for her she was not
to blame; was altogether at fault my sacred office
her guardian, not her tempter."
Now you will Observe gentlemen, that conversa-
ton might arise between these persons concerning the
state of things it had proposed in the evening of
the 30h OF December and had been made the subject OF
regret of disorder of feeling aud OF establishment in Mr.
Beechers mind at the revelation of the disaster in the
household the feelings of tins wife All that il
ssten with there being charge and no confession In
the that is claimed here. But that have su1i
GENTLY insisted upon Suffice il to say that in all future
you the great danger Of having
your intelligence imposed upon by substituting phrases
that applicable the impossible charge Of adultery,
instead OF phrases that have relation TO this disaster in
the family MI Beecher certainly reprOached himself
too and regard to which he expressed himself without
measure.
He furthermore told me that the relationship which
had existed between himself ana Ehzapeth had nor
always been marked by sexual in macy that the earlier
that only during the last year, little than a
year. said and that shortened 10y country yaca-
said that he did not know how he could Offer any niga
for himself and yet he said he wanted
fn he
sexual commerce had been through love, and not
through lust; that he had never met any woman
whom he had loved so WELL that he had
sought c0mpanonship in her mind that he had
taken manuscripts 10 her that she might be his critic;
and that the banie=-and this lie repeated two or
and not to her" And he added-and when he did the
came into ns eyeshe added some words like these
Tell before you can you possibly ever re-
nstatc Elizabeth IN your respect ana love Ihen NE
said that he was in great grief through Mr. BOwcns
ton In my case the termination OF my arrangements with
Mr.. BOwen's papers, and said he felt tnat MI BOwens
ments which Mrs Beecher had made 10 Mr. Bowen ana
to which he himself had made. though he said
erances than he He mentioned also that he had vOlun-
tary written letter to Mr. Bowen either that day
unknd references injurious statements which he had
made 10 Mr.. Bowen concerning me-
No doubt you in this Last part the entire conrIna
ton of the idea that Mr. Beecher at this time felt and
expressed TO Mr. Tton-I this period from the
time that the matter brought up matter OF diff
ference them in the msfOrtunes that had at
tended TtOnfet and expressed himself that the
mischief Of Mrs Beechers and of his intervention
with Mr. Bowen chargeable in degree with his
disasters in pecuniary point OF view Now, Mr..
Beecher III his evidence gives substantially this view OF
the matter:
I turned to Mr. TltOn, ard with far words than
am using now-I epitomize now. and state the sub
stance-I Mr. Tltsn, and spoke 10 him OF the
profound regrets that felt that had In way been
party subsidiary the injuries inflicted him by
MT bowen; and also said the disturbance his
household which had been OccasiOned by me- was with
out intention, and without my recognition at the time,
but that did regard IL being very serious and
that had the most profound for the disturbance