The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-07-07
Our New York Letter.
The Verdict-A Substantial Acou;,,,I-
Strange Aspects OF the Great Trial.
NEW YORK. July ). 1S75.

| cessful the prosecution has certainly proved
disastrous failure. The burden of pIoof was
on the accusers, aud they have not made out a
case. still doubt whether a verdict of ac-
| quittal could have been prevented, but for Ithe
presence in the jury box of Moulton's friend
Jeffries. He was there to stand out, and evil
dence, argument, expostulation were all wasted
| on him. The two who united with him in
making up the minority were probably open to
reason. Indeed there is credible authority for
stating that they each cast ballot for the de-
fendant in the course of the deliberations but
their final vote must be held as conclusive
proof that they leaned to the plaintiffs side.
And as Jeffries was immovable from first to
last, there was no alternative but disagreement
Unquestionaby the immediate effect of this
result was to produce a feeling of keen dis
appointment among Mr.. Beecher's numerous
friends. They counted upon a victory, for
though they We're perfectly aware of the inti-
macy between Jeffries and Noulton, they felt
confident that the former would ultimately sue
cumb to "the inexorabe logic of facts and 90
| with the majority. Beyond all dispute the de-
| velopments of the trial have strengthened the
faith of the Plymouth people in the innocence
of their pastor. From the beginning they
| were certain the charges against him must be
false, at the end they are sure of it. And they
| could not be brought to comprehend that a sin
gle juror after weighing, measuring and anal
yzing the testimony adduced could upon oath
| declare that it warranted conviction.
But the miscalculation of Mr.. Beecher's
| parisbioners arose from the fact that the out
| side world did not know him as they knew him.
| 70 the mass of mankind he is simply an in-
| tellectual colossus, of wonderful gifts, great in
| eloquence, great in learning and exceptionally
| endowed with all the qualities which raise
man to conspicuous eruinence. TO those in
nearer relations with him he is a alarge-hearted,
kindly natured Christian gentleman, whose sin
certy and guilelessness are pictured in his
| frank, ingenious face, whose purity and truth
| have been attested by blameless and honora-
BILE life. They Indignantly repel any imputa.
| tion upon his morality as utterly inconsistent
with all they have ever seen or known of him
during career in which by reason of his call
| ing and the variety of his labors he has al ways
been a central figure of o Iservation and crti-
| csm. In their view it is impossible that he
should have committed heinous offence and
| inconceivable that anybody should believe he
| did.
1t cannot be supposed that all the world will
| sympathize with this unquestioning faith in
any human being. There are a great many
perfectly worthy people who believe that the
| unregenerate heart is '.deceitful above all
] things and desperately wicked" There are
plenty of cynics who are always ready to ac-
cspt the worst theory in respect to every act and
| motive of their fellow beings. And there are
not few, l fear who are so painfully conscious
| of their own inherent depravity that they are
glad to receive any evidence that there are 9TH
ers subject to like propensities and frailties
with themselves. A disagreement of the jury
| gives all these classes pretext for pursuing
course of detractiOn against Mr.. Beecher, but
doubt whether favorable issue would have
suficed to restrain them. Parties who did not
withhold their adverse comments till decision
was rendered could scarcely be expected to
| aequiesce in a judgment that was not to their
| liking.
However. notwithstanding the possible con-
troversies that may ensue in regard to this mat
| ter, it is fact pretty cOnclusvely established
| that Henry Ward Beecher has grown stronger
than ever in the affection and devotion of bis
| people. The trial has proved to him a refining
| crucible. Magnificent as he was before in dc
| ton, pathos, fervor and spirituality, he has
| gathered fresh inspiration from his experiences
| of adversity, and breaches with power and
| effectiveness never surpassed by mortal man.
And it is delightful to see how glorously
Plymouth church stands by him. Their verdict
| is unanimous. If he has lost something of the
confidence of men who knew him not he has
gained still more in the enhanced fidelity and
| aff Of nd
| To be the object of such boundless trust and
tenderness is a compensation for the long
| series of prosecutions which have tended to
vitalize and intensity the regard of which he
is now receiving such constant and hearty
manifestations.
In reality Mr.. Beecher is entitled TO con-
| gratulations on the finale of tie drama in
which he has borne the leading part for a
twelyemonth. And by the same token it is
impossible not to feel pity and compassion for
those who have wroDgfully accused him. Bad
as their conduct has been the retribution is
scarcely less awful. 1t seems to me not by
any means impossible that the original charge
was the result of blind and morbid jealousy
rather than of actual falsehood. There are
| several circumstances which lend plausibity
| to tine supposition. There is nothing to show
there was even a confession of the alleged
offense. On the contrary lit is the most in-
ere 1ibe of all the propositions in this extraor
dinary history that an estranged wife return
ing to her house after a three weeks absence,
intent upon regaining the affections of her
alienated spouse, should have set about it by
admitting that she had committed the sin for
which there is no forgiveness. And in this
l.
is very significant. 1t would be strange indeed
that if in all this careful preservation of paper
the one that was most essential, If it ever ex-
isted should have beeu destroyed. The blame
that Mrs. Tilton imputed to herself, in her sem
| timental outflow of self-reproaeh, was that she
had unconsciousy permitted her regard for
her pastor to supplant the attachment due to
her husband 1t was unquestionably an error
| of thought, not of act. But as time wore on,
Tilton brooded over this revelation, magnifed
it, and gradually wrought himself into the be-
lief that it meant actual instead of ideal guilt.
| Apparently it took him six months to arrive at
| that conclusion. But when he did become
thoroughly possessed with this idea, it haunted
and crazed him. He did the most extravagant
| and absurd things, as appears from the whole
mass of testimony elected on the trial
| There is no wonder that Mr.. Beeeher was
alarmed at bis conduct, and endeavored to
paefy him, but as everybody sees clearly
enough now it would have been thousand
times better for him to have met the scandal
at the threshold, than to have suffered it to
gather force for four years and then be obliged
to tramDle it down.
am even reluctant to admit that Moulton
willfully bore false witness. He got all his in
formation of the character of the charge from
Titon. They two talked of it as if 1t was that
offense and no less. And when he subsequent
ly affirms that Mr. Beecher himself acknowledge
ed as much, am inclined to be charitable and
imagine that he had got Tilton's conversations
So mixed up with Beechers that he might have
been mistaken as to the actual fact. This is evil
IDENTIFY reasonable explanation of Mrs. Moul-
toms testimony She lived in the midst OF
perfect ocean of talk on this delectable theme,
and had got her mind so completely imbued
with the fancy that Mr.. Beecher had violated