The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-09-07

which the American public has ever beef
guilty.
Stlll,again the condonation of the Sife'
alleged offense, for years after the hus
band processes to believe it had beer
committed, raises its improbability well
nigh to an impossibility. Men, at least
know the sort of stuff of which men arc
made; and men know that consciously tc
lie down in dishonored bed would be 0
degradation from which no man could
rise without the loss of all that constitu.
ted his manhood. 1t is not the way Of
men to cohabit with faithless wives and
negotiate with the destroyers of their
peace. Conscious cuckolds have usually
that little remnant of manhood left which
prompts them to conceal their shame !:
and when one confesses to that shame.
tho motives With which the confession is
made must always rest under grave
suspicion. But we are not writing this
for the purpose of reproaching the au.
thors of this stupendous mischief. We
write it simply to say that the condona.
tion Of this alleged offense on the part of
the husband renders the reality of the
ofieDsc utterly Incredible.
And now, the point we make is this ::
that the incrediblencss Of the basis of
this great scandal should have shielded
both Mr. Beecher and Mrs. Tilton from
all belief in, or suspicion of, their guilt,
with the American public. Mr.. Beecher
has not had fair play. He has not been
regarded as guiltless until proved to be
guilty even with every probability in
his favor. 1t was 10 have been expected
that all whoremongers and adulterers,
and pimps and panders, would side
against him; but that good men and
women should have prejudged him, sus.
pected him, believed or half believed in
his guilt that men Of his own cloth
should have undertaken 10 prove his
guilt before all the evidence was render.
ed and sifted that, while engaged stead.
lily In his Masters work, preaching the
gospel Of charity, be should have been
obliged to bear the burden Of most un.
christian scorn, laid upon him by pro.
lessedly Christian men, is pitiful-is
worse-is so much worse, that we shrink
from using the strong words that can
only characterize it.
But the trial is over, and Mr.. Beecber
is not killed. He is so far from being
killed that he wss never before so much
loved and trusted The clouds enpepder.
ed BY the great scandal have not entirely
lett the heavens, but the sun shines, and
a rainbow of promise spans the sky. We
congratulate him and the church which
has illustrated the bcne6ceuco of his
counsels SO nobly, in its love and loyalty,
on the result. They should have had a
verdict 10 form as well as substance but
it will make no difference in the end.
Why this man, of all men, should have
been called to 60 down into the ocean of
this great sorrow, and been compelled to
association with its unclean forms upon
its unclean floor, the good God only
knows. That he has been washed clean
by the waters up through which he has
come is the verdict, at last, Of the ma.
jorlty of the American people, who have
done him so much injustice. For this
great and good majority, wc beg to say
to him that he is loved, believed in,
trusted honored, rovered more than ever
before, and that their prayer is that he
may have long, pleasant, and increas.
lngly useful life Dr.. J. G. HOLLAND
'ScrjJHer for September.