, 1875-02-26
but ono s1nueo ar pa!liation which hs could offer
| to his ouu accusing consoicuoa for ths o1onac,

te bis own aceusing consoieuoo for tas oaanao'
M nAp nor INTENTIONALLY BONE wsoNa,
that, though hn might hava bocn cuirably caro-
loss, ho tkd not boon consciously guilty. OF *nJ
cnninck tending to cnconrhEn alleged aaoctloh.
hut such dofenso involved the Implication that
without suggestion from him N any cncouragn-
ment on ll.s part, and c was ttabarred from nny
sucl, plea hs NIL tho tnasncts OF . gent'o,nan ~
woll ss By his genuine respect aud affection for
could havo induced himself 70 mako
H., hAye boen full defonso. II y tho
solemn duty Of Clergyman to plovent suol dis.
aeter from arising out Of his associassonr Will.
eco and to ropresn tho asat sympton,s Of Dan.
Eorous s1ecsion for him Oh tue part of married
women. This, gentlensn. Ii tho sinlpl, aud oh
vious meaning Of that language III Dccohnrs
etatemout which bas bcou 70 maltclously mud 70
dishonesty pery'ertod for tho ands Of th'a sroat
situation. A charge, tho most terrible that could
possibly confront a man IN hts position, for It
would bo easy TO show that, under tho circMm-
s,anees ;.;a,s charge Of inpnso proposals w9u!d M b
tory. ss1c, Charge has been suddenly sprung
upon him like = thindorGtap FROM clear slsy,
not from ganoonading hsrfoIntn who orders
him ont OF brooklyn At the nuzzfe OF ahent OF
By ady-bs S' treua, sus hts ohia s''s almos@ eN
In her normal condition, purn and good
aud truthful. How stunning tho surprise, how
horrible The complieaslonl Is 1t possible, thas
II 60, what dtabolcal mxclnation haa lca 10 II
and what must be- tho final rcsuft7 ue has rn-
cetvod from her. indect, a frank retrhction, with
fearful expressions of regard, and touching
account al tho means by wlsels abe was driven
10 such m act; but hardly arc shoae consoling
accounts cold before he ia informed Of retrnc-
tinn. Thnn is he indeed broken IN hoalth and
dist aotod fn mind, aud All these troubles h1vo
boen brought upon family for many, ycafa and
still 50 dear to him. and ho q ministor Of tho
Gospel, who Inns boon to thcso people aa =
fathcr. He, tho mnn by wllnso Agency al this
ruin las been brought about. Whom VIC con.
aidsr tho swift succosaiou Of imngos presented
tho past. had reason to apptchend plunge Into
public conflict with jealous husband. anu with
no other defonso than ha oTn sinplo wnrd Of
honor. cau no wonder that Doechor WAS deeply
agitased and axeitod mau?
but Ibis is not ali, The pastor Of Plymouth,
Church, surrounded by troops Of friends. might
havo rlskcd eren this terrible conflict, II lo wore
absolutely FREQ from blamouorthness and 1t
las boeu froely askod. How could ho apologize
to husband who brought false charge sssiust
tircly dropped The charge Of improper
advances, md mother then nor ever aftorward
alluded to It,. But using the language and man
honor @ Or to she srath Of what i.e s.ia ho found no
difficulty In convincing DosDhar that thB unhappy
woman who, IS ho we'll knew, and as los hun.
band knew. had always lovol Bcecher with .
ta1ing attentions and sympathetic interest into
AZ ACTUAL PASSION FOE IItx,
which had deatsuycd her domestic pcneo. and
chs struggle betFses, which kna her sense Of
duty hna shaste1ed her mind. That this VAS tho
fact. Nc have narcady shown TINT Boocher WAS
made fully to believe. And did NOT this
afford more satisfactory cxplanntion OF her
mystegoua charge than his previous tnpposilion
that 1t was e1toIted from hor BY hor cruel hus-
band Nothing vas moro natural than that
should imagino TINT tho object Of hor lovn had
solicited her Affection. Nothing moro natural
tbaa, IN m. hour Of rcmofss hnd OF man-
th distraction: that shn should confess
only loved, bus had been loved. For whcra Ia
tho woman living who will froeiy confess that she
hnd loved without encouragement and without
solicitation This supposed state OF taoa nlcnred
ier to the family, And relieved the husband from
al suspicion Of conspiracy against his paator.
but where did 1t leave tho pastor hiusef3 It male
Ills dofonso impossible 30 long ns tho accusation
brought sgafnat him Has not coarse and vulgar
tn is terms. ue waA nos floe from fault. lIia
own Coincidence condemned him, although he
welt know that hc had uevor said an improper
word nar oneEca an improper carcss. Yet ho
COULD NOT DENT TIE CHARGE or HAVING nE-
aBLxD THE woMAN'a AFFECTION,
Without imputang to her tho dolicacy Of "thruet-
ing her Affection upon him unsought." TMs ia
whnt hs satd !: uo would die befpre lie would.
This Is what he said in hla statement 1Ast ALL
guat, ttas ho had always found It itnpossib!o to
did hs shrink from such defense
that ho would not use It to
juAtify himself before hts own conscience, hut
nssnncd at once that WinBomo wav he must
I, t. t. A.
affection Of this.Wifo from her husband. and ia
this charge, which vAs tho only ol0 intimstnd by
PLEADED GUILTY nEsonz MS OWN CONSCIENCE,
and before hi8 God.
Mr. Beecher, on tho nigh. Of Jau. Ia, 1871,
full Of tho conviction that 10 was Eeaponstbio
for tho distracted montRl condition aud
domestic ntsery OF the woman 10 loved
With ~ pure an Affection ~ any of you, gen.
ot an hour d. " B.eeher waiksa thas saa door,
giving utteEanca ~ o1notions 10 tntonsc in lam
gungo 90 axtravagans that tho aolf-possossod,
kesy'syed gentleman Watching him there almost
forgot the delight q tho triumph IL the plosaure
half crazcd, hs pours out tho most polquant
sc!f.reproaches without limit For, gentlemen,
You kno~ that men express themselves about
their sins generally IN tho inverse rato to tholr
Svs:s sss''nsg 4 ill., tS tss: assnd.st s'nas,a s
occasion, excited almost u frenzy by pity aud
1emorso, gave way to his mighty sorrow In 9
vocabulary wl,cso eonhro riohoesa. and fullnoas
wo may well imagine. There Il no doubt,
gentlemen, TINT tho paper originally called
"tho letter Of apology" but moro
recently tho "letter Of contfi ion " was written
by Tho mutual frlend At thls interriow Of Jan. l,
1871. but. in regard 10 oycsy other fact concern
ing its preparation, .defend.ot and Moulton will
DO iu conflict. It will bc obsersed that.
vlale bloulton ssys that tho conversa-
ton lasted two hours, and that
Doochor was greatly excited, yot ho uAnes but
three topics ot eo..yeIsa'ion' ND oil 10 relates
attsen minutes. 1ndced, 10 gtatos but iittlo Of
Importance occurring on that day, except tho fact
OF tho writing Of tlis ietsos. He adnita that tho
preparation OF TIM paper was auggcssod by a
reniark Deeehor made during that conyo1saton.
But in another part Of his testimony. he says
that tho paper WAS
pnErAnxu At TILE UEo1saHo or THE CONVEX
sArIoa.
Hs ahYs 1t was dictated by Doeeher dolibarata-
", aoutanco by houtenco, and that Ito wrote It
down ~ lictato1; aud that the paper WAS not
In Doecher'a words. but oYery sonleucs Of his
construction, while Bodchof wul tail you.
phntlemen that this unDer ty0B DrennrH1