The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-13
HERALD WEDNESDAY, B75-TRIPLE

laughed without restraint. From this mood he did
not recover during much OF the morning session,
and carried all along face OF amusement which
was out OF relation to the solemn exhortlng man.
ner OF the speaker.
HORROR OF GREAT DARKNESS.
What can be the horror OF great darkness In
which he spent most oil his time 1t was brOodlng
over this matter and the vision that was ever be-
fore him. That was the horror OF great darkness.
He saw Children worse than orphans he saw q
home desoated, and he saw men, aged men.
bowed down IN grief and desolation. and he ga W
men who blushed at the crime Of which he was
accused. 1t was thus he lived In the horror OF
great dafkneSS TOLL SLOWLY
Judge Morris used the words "horror OF great
darkness" with deep, resoundlng eject, and the
sunlight had flushed the yellow window curtain,
when suddenly, at twelve O'Clock. the City Hall
bella particularly solemn. slow and funereal
Dell-Degan to toll the chimes OF noon. Morris
stopped. For q minute or more the deep and
solemn vibrations rolled slowly through the listen
ing court and rae smile died from Mr.. Beecher's
face. He looked as II the sound was q welcome
one, and threw his head back as II inhaling the
music from the cupOla
PICTURE OF REMoRsR.
IIfe would be pleasant II could see that rebuilt
which was shattered" What is it that was saat-
tered What mad he TO do with the shatterlng
What does 1t mean The answer has already been
given in the mind OF each OF you gentlemen. IL was
home that had been shattered, and 1t was he sh IT.
built, life would be sweet, but i've In the hor-
rOr OF q great darkness. But TO nve ON the
sharp edge OF anxiety. relnorse, lear and despair
cannot be endured much longer. Everywher such
thoughts are spoken by Mr.. Beecner NO man un-
derstands the meaning OF the English LANGUAGE
better than ne and when he used that terrible
word .remorsen he confessed his guilt. The word
itself is a confession OF guilt and implies CRIME
behind 1t 10 cause or produce feeling OF remOrse.
The very meaning OF the word Is Ito bite again.
Remorse is something which keeps biting ITS VIC
sayss:Ee"Wnen remorse IS blended with the lear OF
punishment 1t constitutes the supreme wretcned-
ness OF the mind" TINS was his observation-disclosures
blended with The lear OF punishment, TINS constant
dread OF discovery carried with 1t Its own punish
ment No wonder 1t would engender IN him, Us one
SUPREME wRETCHEDNEss OF THE MIND;
no wonder that II Should as another author has de-
scribed, have drawn MIN nigh to the grave. There
are many kinds OF human wretchedness there is
poverty, sickness, bereavement; there are varl-
Gus types OF anguish, agony, heart trouble; but
remOrse Is the supreme WreLcnednesS OF the
mind" And that was Mr.. Beecher's condition OF
mind when he used that word "remOrse;" and
when he used that word ne confessed to oil
ducing the supreme wretc0edness OF the mind,
the guilt which makes remOrse possible, the
guilt which bites and gnaws upon MIN, biting
like q serpent and singing Ike an adder.
Bear IN mind that at this time ne was suffer
ter to Bowen relating charges of moral de-
hnquency made by Bowen had not been made
pu0llc, because that did not see the light OF day
Mr.. West had not at that time notified Mr. Beecher
that h. intended to prefer charges against Mr.. Ill
ton and MIR. Bowen, IN which was the specification
averring that ON the Sd OF August, 1871 and 1870,
Mr.. TilOn had told mrs. Bradshaw that ne had dis.
covered a criminal intimacy between Mr. Beecher
and Mrs. TltOn, to which specification her name
was attached as a witness. Bear III mind that al
this time Mr.. 1llt0n had not appeared Plymouth
church and there confronted his pastor with the
question whether he had spoken falsely OF him or
not. Bear In mind that AZ this time the council
That SO disturbed the de lendant nad not yet been
n or NOVnmhpr
tory steps looking to that council taken. Bear in
mind that Mr. rilton's
LETTER TO DIR. BACON
had not yet been published, because that was not
published until the oath Of June. 1874 At The time
he was living IN this horror OF great darkness at
damned, none OF these things had been made pub
lie. They had just had q successful pew renting
In the church he had Just delivered course OF
lectures TO the theological students In New Haven
with great success, and which had added to his
already great fame. They were then thinking OF
as the "sllver wedding" the twenty-tfth year OF
his mlnslratlons IN That church. And at this time
prosperity, surrounded by powerful friends and
resources unlimited, with fame as broad as
Christianity and civilization, at this moment, at
this time thus situated, thus circumstance and to
the eyes Of the world standing as the foremost
preacher OF the age, with nothing, SO FAR as the
world knew, to cast q shadow across his pathway.
he offers 10 give 1t all up, he offers to step down
and out at the mere suggestion OF Mr.. Tllton!
HOW THE SPEECH WAS BEING RECEIVED.
This portion OF Morris speech was very striking
in It's mental philosophy. Comparing remorse to
various forms OF anguish, disease and penitence,
tine Judge said, "Remorse is the supreme misery
OF the mind." At this Mr.. Beecher seemed struck,
and again be threw his head back, looked down his
cheeks at Mr.. Morris, and studied HIM with q
mingled look OF admiration and sensibillty. The
effort of Morris, for dignity, accumuasive strength
and chaste behavior toward the accused
and the audience. was quite effective yes
terday. Partlsans OF MIR. Tlton were
not satisfied with the high level OF
the speech, but had expected that Mr.. Morris
would be less scrupulous OF the defendants social
and intellectual position. Alter time Mr..
Beecher's eyes grew watery. and he seemed
touched with remlniscence Of his years of dis.
tress Keeping this long secret. 1t is due 70 Judge
Morris TO state that Mr.. Triton approves OF his
camness and magnanimity, and that Mr.. Mou!tOn
says Mr.. Norris statement OF the case Is superior
to any paper which has yet been produced upon
1t. Tracy, Evarts and Hill speak to Mr.. Moulton
and Mr.. Tilton every day; Mr.. shearman is not ad-
dressed bJ either OF the two friends.
BEECHERs COwARDICE.
The claim is made now that, situated as Mr.
Beecner was Iearlui OF this Charge being made. 1t
was his cOwardice induced him TO act as ne mas
been acting Tor four years. Why gentlemen,
II there has been one dis lin cushing characteristic
OF Mr.. Beecher, IL has been courage-nls courage,
the MODS OF Liverpool and Manchester, you re-
collect how his praises rang throughout TINS broad
land Tor ms bravery, his Dodness and his courage.
And when he returnS--tLere facing hostile mob
a hostile crowd, surrounded bv strangers, he Is as
bold as lion but when he returns To this city OF
Brooklyn where he IS all powerful, surrounded
by powerful friends, and where one word from his
lips would nave crushed any man VINO dared to
utter false accusation against him, he is a cow
ard. An 1t Is
THE. COwARDLINEs5 OF CONSCIOUS GUILT.
The bravery lie manifested IN England the
mr. orr n m "A inSf1p In
his cause But here, surrounded by his church.
upheld as no man mas ever been by his church,
In the city where he was all powerful, when he
came mere ne was coward. WHAT Is it that
makes him cOwardf Conscious guilt; Tor mill
ions Of Iilt0ns with their ase accusations could
not frignten That man, f5ensatiOn.) Tilton with
his truth appeared before him, and he Is coward.
No, gentlemen, defend TO that extent the repu-
tatiOn OF the defendant He Is not coward ex-
Cept when Con sclous OF his guilt, and then we are
ali towards. When CONSCIOUS OF his innocence he
knows nQrear, car lace any danger; but ms cOur-
age all vanisnes In sight OF the great crime he
had committed. No man can be Grave, no man
be courageous, wneD he sees before him q
desoated home that he himself has made desOlate.
No hal ra bap ha ha.