Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-02-26
The Case for Mr.. Beeeher.

Many persons, in view Of the hideous mas
Of testimony that has been heaPed against
Mr.. Bsecher, are wondering how it is that
he is not crushed by it, why it is that he sits
in court, with his wife and his sons and
smiles u: the accumulation of horrors /; and
why the people of his church crowd about
him, and why he goes on preaching and why
Eyarts, a lawyer of national reputation. and
a gentleman Of the highest standing, pre-
sents himself in such a case, only to be over
wheimed in an avalanche Of slimy scandal.
Ii is our purpose to invite the attention Of
our readers to certain circumstances showing
what the theory of the defence must be. and
that there Is reason still to hope that the in
nocency of Mr. Beecher Of tie crime with
which he Is charged can be established We
are not about to urge the piauslbility cf
this theory. but will content ourselves with
presenting it As possibility.
Oar readers have noticed the recurrence
of the phrase - spiritual adultery or ~
Mr.. TiltOn phrased it in an article of Iii,
read in his cross-examination, - adultery Of
the soul" This, Tilton charged his wife
with, meaning that she loved Beecher. She
confessed it. ne was jealous of Beecher's
fame, and now came to look upon him as
usurping his place in his wife's affections
Out of this grew mOrbidne<>, wretchedness
and acute exaggeratiOn Of petty things
the aggrayation of all irritations-a state of
monomania. Mrs. Tilton Is nervous per-
son, worn with sickness, weary Of conten-
ton, afraid OF her husband, devoted to long
prayers and yigils,-a Il timid little woman,
imaginative, troubled with fancies, craving
sympathy and support. shrinking from con
tention, and often in dreamy state of mind
like an opium eater-a woman Of illusiOn>-
one who could fall into frances. She says
her husband was everlastingly nagging at
her about this crime of the soul, and en-
deayoring to give it physical Interpretation,
and especially to accuse Mr.. Bcecher. She
might, therefore. write or say anything,
without seriously affecting the case
But Mr.. Beecher's lettersi Well, there Is
the rub. The people might however, under
stood that Beecher in worldly affairs is. as
Tilton described him, boy" He knows
about as much about dealing with men and
women of the world-with those who might
cultivate his acquaintance and seek his init
macy with view of profting by it-as a
boy of 10 years. 1t has been remarked that
in personal affairs be is as foolish as Horace
Greeley, and that is saying great deal.
There was poor Mr.. Greeley, as honest as an
angel, and yet rascals seemed to have the
Inside track with him. lie allowed the
worthless son Of Vanderbilt to borrow his
money and impoyerish him. Add to Gree
ley weaknesses the exceptional cultivation
OF his emotional nature, habit OF writing
high-colored imagery about tribes, and OF
magnifying little things, especially with his
pen, and then remember that he has all his
life been preaching the doctrine Of self-sae-
rifee-the divinity Of bearing the sorrows
and the transgressions of others-and then
excite the boy man,-gray and yet sunny
with great, soft heart and tendere>t sus-
ceptibilities-with sense Of wrong-doing
mot crime, bat mistaken zeal that wound
ed friend y and cause that to be magnifed,
by an inns ginaiion all ahamc, to re,nOrse
and add To that II >ickening terror ot Hood
of shame that would darken the air, what
ever the whiteness Of his name, and poison
the wholesome earth. Here we have Beech
er, and out of those conditions it seems pos
sibe that such documents a. his letters may
be produced and vet he may not be crimi-
nal. Ia these cntanglemeuts, what one ut
tiers a. protest becomes to the other CON
fession word of self reproach for a trivial
thing is sounded abroad as cry OF despair.
The world is full of these msinterpretations.
The drama-iarce and tragedy-abOrnds
with them. History bristles with them.
- Trifes light as air" in other than the mis-
cradle scenes Of stinging jealousy become
- confirmation strong as proofs OF holy
writ of some preconceiyed notion. One
may walk very near the truth, aud yet he in
an abyss Of fl!sehood.