The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-04-23
THE TILTON-BEECHER TRIAL.
rtnh Day OF Bcecher.. Testimony.

Ftrh Day OF Beecher's Testimony.
AFRIL THE principal feature OF Mr.. Beech
er's testimony 70. day was his explanation u
What Is known ~
This letter Mr.. Eyarts read, sentence by sen.
tence and Mr.. Iecchcr explained at length, and
frequently with great effect, the calamitcus cir
cunistanccs which had drawn from him such
agonizing expressions Of rcmorse. This letter
Is from Bcechcrt0 Moulton. February, ls72)
Eyarts lreading nom the letter. No man
can the difficulties that environ me unless he
stands where do. To say that have a church
on Inv hands is simple cnough-but 10 have the
hundreds and thousands N men pressing
me- zach one with his keen suspicious or anNisty
or zeal; 10 see tendencies which, IL not
stopped, would break out i'm dubious de-
Tense OF me, To stop them without seem
hg 70 do SO; 70 prevent any one
against 4 which had their beginning years be-
lore this; 10 keep serene, as II were not alarm
cd or disturbed, 10 bc cheerful at home and
among friends when i suffering the tor
ments of the damned, 10 pass sleepless nights
often, and yet 10 come up fresh and full for sun
day-all this may be talked about, but the real
thing cannot be understood from the outside, nor
it, wearing and grinding on the nervous
system"
o. Now sir what were the occasions or sub
jects of suspicion, or anxiety, or alarm, or dis
iurbance which you refer to in this PASSAGE A.
| referred ~ the anxiety which had with the
troubles in Tiltons family, and in which
lad felt myself 10 be culpably careless In their
ordinations, shared cOncurrently with
his wishes aud MOulton's that they should not be
made matter of publicity, and that they Ger
tainly shonld not be dragged into my church and
be made the subject of church inquiry. Ii Was
that part Of the trouble that. through the letter
was an occasion Of poignant suffering. The pre-
ceding conversations and explanations with me
turned this ground That had damaged
TltOn's name. fame, position and pecunary re-
sources, that had given the weight ~ my great
influence (as II was pleased 10 be caled) % Bow
en-, and therefore to the propagation OF those
stories which had furnished him. II was there
fere only reasonable thing for me 10 restore
him, az far as my influence went, the good name
that he had.
MIR. Beach II strikes me, your Honor, that
this l. argument instead Of testimony; 1 hope
IL will be restricted as far as possible.
Eyarts continuing the letter. II my de-
struction would place him Tilton ali right. that
shall not stand m the way. am willing % step
down and out. No one can suffer more than that
that do suffer sacrifice me without hesitation
81 you can clearly see your way 10 his safety and
happiness thereby. do not think that any thing
would Ice gained by II. should be destroyed.
but he would not be saved, and 4. and the chill
dren would have their future clouded."
Y. Now, cir. what did you refer 10 in regard
90 any statement or admission Of your own in
this clause OF the letter. A. | undertook Ia
clear him from every lmputatiOn that affected
his character. except those which belong 10
his latter associations with sOcialHtc ideas
and with the MoOdhulls. IL "a com
mon ground between us that Elizabeth
and her domestic troubles were 10 be shielded ia
silence. could not undertake 10 dos things
without bringing the whole matter up IN such a
way that il would be disclosed couldn't under
take 90 clcarhiH character In regard to his senti-
ments upon sOclalistc questions rat. could not
do but I'm regard "a the other-in iegard TO his
household. Elizabeth and the children-if he
wished that on my part % be dragged out and
made a subject OF investigation, my opinion then
was, and through all the years, that that
could never come into the church without destroy
ing that church. and would step down and out
seiore any thing should ever destroy Plymouth
Church had an exaggerated idea, but u was a
real idea, that before any thing of that kind. l
wouldsuffera any thing. but that the church should
stand Then as for him and his wife and the
children, this j. not exactly the language of lit
erary or logical statement. but the language Of
bursting into tearsl-as when Paul said II
could wish myself accurscd from Christ for my
brothers sake or. "a David said over AbsO.
lon ''M oud to God that had died for thee.
IA my going out Of the church and out Of the min
istry, and - the destruction OF my professional
life would restore things as they were had the
feeling certainly when wrote this letter 20 give
them all willingly 20 put things back as they
Eyarts continuing the letter)-s'In one point
Of view l could desire the sacrifice my part.
Nothing can possibly be 20 bad the horror
much Of nv time. I look upon death
az sweeter faced than any friend | have in the
world. Life would be pleasant II could see
that rebuilt which IL shattered but 20 live on the
sharp and ragged edge Of anxiety. remorse, fear,
despair, and yet Ia pat ON all the appearance Of
serenity and Happiness, cannot be endured much
loIgti.
.. Was that clause an expression Of your
views and your feelings, in view Of the situation
as you have narrated III A. Yes. sir in feeble
words; ~ there had bccn any stronger in tie
English Language, should have put them in
q. Now, cir, IN these clauses, OF any Of them
in this letter, as | have read Il Ia you, was
there present Ia your mind any thought
idea or memory al any criminal intercourse with
Mrs. Tilton. 4. Ne, cir, none at all, none at
all. had no need Of that. There was enough
70 my thought ina hurting friend. in destroying
a household, IN being unfaithful % the highest
honor % obligation. There was enough In that
90 torment me with the torTnents of the damned.
know Of no more horrible thought in this world
than TO betray or hurt friend. don't say that
other things are not worse. but say could SUI
fer As much for this AZ Tor any thing, II have
capacity To suffer.
The famous tripartte agreement was then
taken up, and MIR Beechcr gaze an account of
his share m IL. which consisted simply in signing
his name 20 IL.
Adjourned