Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-05-28

10 NC III SOOu Sliiits- HiS. Ih'oh anu 'i'
lady witnesses for the defence were al
absent.
Ex-Jujgc Porter arose and began his sum
ming up for the defence. lie said Gentle
m,i.-you have beon for five months in ser
vice Gf Tilton, under mandate of a power
which you were bound to obey. Ny client
has, since the beginning of this suit, dealt
in scripture principles when they struck
him on one cheek he turned to them the
other. Theodore Titon charges the delen-
dant with adultery. There was plain speak
Ing on the part of the prosecution. The
wife of the plaintiff was faithful even to
self-sacrifice, and now she was scorned for
it.
Before the evidence was closed on the part
of the prosecution it seemed to the defence
that the Jury weIc impressed with the dra-
matte and artistic skill with which the pro-
secution was gotten up. If it rested there,
not one juror bat would say that the action
never ought to have been brought.
Now, however, the jury will be prepared
to say this case stands alone with the great
lichborne caSe-as the two greatest impos-
lures in the history of the Jurisprudence OF
the nineteenth century. But here the de-
iendant Is surrounded with phalanx of
friends to sustain him.
On one side were Tilton and Moulton Mrs.
Moulton and Kate Carey. These were par
ties who appeared as sponsors of accusation
against man whose name i tower of
strength not only 10 his church but to the
city which boasts him. its noblcSt citizen
and the country which he illumines by his
genius. There they saw fabricators and pub
fishers OF accusations, and recommend 1t to
the confidence of the Church Of God and of
the country Against that the defence has
a Jury of the yicinage 1t was one Of the
features of the old English law that every
man was to be tried by those who knew
him. There was in favor Of the defendant
the unanimous voice of his yicnage.
The confidence Of wife. children and
grandchildren and the unbounded confidence
of three thousand worshippers in Plymouth
Church, the merchant princes Of Brooklyn
and New York, the mechanics, artisans, la
borers, those who look up to him with crate
ful ami reverend regard even the chrlsten-
ins of hearts of young children who love his
udllc anu Will i've 10 hlt-~ us lltAipI1 NAtl
jury and counsel are mouldering in the dust,
nay more, the larger young men and women
and children who love and honor him, when
Iiiton and MoultOn's perjury are proclaimed
lie enjoys, moreover, the confidence, almost
unanimously, OF his professional brethren,
not only OF his own denomination, but Of
every other denomination in christendom.
False accusations are frequently made.
He who said thousands of years ago, Thou
shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighb0r," knew the weakness of men.
Every malice, greed and revenge often seek
and breed contagion, but Ia tribunals Of
justice innocence Is secured. Truth l. strong.
Next to Almighty, She needs no stratagems.
These are shifts that error resorts 10. Err
ratio men like Tilton, cunning men like
Moulton. think truth Is that which is boldly
asserted and stoutly maintained. They ask
with Plate, Nv bat l. truth ?' but when
these men come into Court Of Justice with
their Infamous accusations. they must sub
init to the ordeal justice has ordained
OBSTACLES N TIE WAY or TIE PROSECUTION.
The first obstacle these men accusing an
aged and honorel clergyman meet i the
shield which is placed By the legal presumr-
ton OF innocence; that shield meets them At
every stage of the case that shield Is a pro-
lection which the law extends TO every man
and woman not proven 10 be guilty. The
second obstacle they meet Is the defendant :
oath of his innocence and hers-thc oath of
an honest man-of man who was never
ioresworn. that oath Is isabSolu.ely conclusive
in his favor. coupled with the presumption
Of innocence unless oycrbornc by overwhelm-
ing evidence of guilt.
The third obstacle they meet i the Tn
hemished character ami unspottcl purity of
life of the woman up to the very day when
this accusation was made.
Another obstacle was the fact that Iilton
and Mculton for four years, by their words
and acts, lal>iicd such accusation, both in
writing and otherwise.
Another obstacle was the fact that Tilton
cohahited and slept with the lady accused
and remained for four years in family rela-
tions with an alleged adulteress. They meet
another obstacle in that they, both Moulton
and lilton, admitted they were here with
the oath on their lips OF having an open hos
iility against defendant.
They encountered another obstacle in the
fact tha: they lied To conceal it, as they say.
and the question arises if they are not lying
now There was an old maxim Of Roman
law which provided that witnesses were 10
be weighed in the balance. and here in oar
scale they had Henry Ward Beeehcr and hi-
life, and Tilton and Moulton with the record
of their lives. We were accustomed to be
licye in truth not by numbers OF those who
spoke, but in the probability % stories hold
in regard to the matter
Who was the alleged culprit? \ man
three score years OF age, seli-disciplincd
well poised, not merely a Christian, but a
veteran Christian and minister. man who
from his youth up had dedicated himself Il
I God and religion. In his boyhood he Wa
raised by Il mother who was an angel Of
mercy if ever God sent one upon earth llt
was not trained upon lessons Of lust, but hi
received the tender and gracious schooling
! Of tender mother, from whose lessons ht
passed to labor in the field Of God. Wher
the defendant was going from one log cabir
to another preaching the word Of God, h'
| left no mark or trail OF the seducer behlnl
him. If he was true to his wife and virtue
in these early days of his ministry. could II
| be believed that he had fallen now
MRS. rILToN's LETTERS TO THEODORE.
Here is letter written the 10Th of Jan
uary, 1869, right ont of the hot-bcd of adul
terry, if there ever was adultery, here righ
in the season when these two houses wer
polluted with these unholy debauchers
| Theodore Tilton at the West. Mr.. Beccher i
is true at home: here is the language of tn
adulteress to her husband. Tell me II in al
your observation Of human affairs, or if ac
cording to all the probabilities by which yo
Judge of human conduct, it is possible thi
letter was written by an adulteress:
THURSDAY NooS, Jan. &c. '6g.
DEARLY BELOVED IT is with delight and for rC
| freshment that have an opportunity Afforded IN,
! to set down. after an interruption, To write an
think Of you Oh. my own husband, could hu
enjoy our cunpanionship now Il little while
Now here is that same feeling | read t
YOU in the preceding letter, before anythin
of this kind happened, thus taking blame
herself because he is not contented with hi
home
can't unders tand why woman welrics OF fin
ing generous seliishneSs and many little hateiu
| spirits perpetually going about me when you aT
| not with me to bless me, and make enjoy ment pos
| sible you are bowed with my sins. am wear
when your presence is withdrawn. an unfaithir
/ when | should have been lilthlul. ! am ungene
| Gus when should have been magnaLimous. / al
selfish, you are unseliish.
Here is letter that every man who la
ever had children can appreciate = NJ
sweet, you must realize the little unborn
growing" Did ever an adnlteress writ
thus to her husband Tor an unborn bastard
Never, never Did ever woman writ
thus to her husband in the confidence of
coniugal love and have such letter As tha
published in the newspapers and commente'
on through the land as an evidence of licen
tiousness?'' VIII you write to mother :?
She wanted all her friends to love him, bu
he hated to have any of his friends love hci
have never been precisely able to CON
prehend why it was that it was though
needful to publish theodore Tilton's priyat
letters to his wife /; lit is true they eontai
snecrs at Mr.. Beecher it is true that the
contain a great deal of self-Sloriiication
is true that in literary point of view the
are well written; but it seems to me eve
my friend Judge Morris would not tell hir
- xx,., ,,a.a.,cary IN puhiisb his nAx, 1--we lai