The Portland daily press., 1875-03-30

x.o.,nst Javne Ss Co. He invested some money
in abe Golden Age. and was in kindly relations
with IFS editor until Carpenter made the
,,ronos;tiou to place Mr.. Beecher at the head of
= soc,lar daily and send Mr.. Tilton abroad as
;rs correspondent, accompanying IL WIN SUN
.~,1a,atons as led Mr.. Schultz to characterize
+ba transaction as blackmallIng-a chSiso
which he has never retracted nor dlsdVo"eo'
From That hour he was virtually counted OUT
of the diminishing list of Mr.. Tiltons friends.
Mr. Southwick not only put his money into
the Golden Age, but actually strengthened lis
subscription list and circulation. He got as
mapy as fifty subscribers for it in single week.
When the life of Woodruff was first published
Southwck was literally showed under Win
letters of remonstrance from parties whom ne
had persuaded to take the Golden Age lie IN
turn demonstrated with the editor for writlns
such crazy rhapsody, but he exul'eu III li'
work, and avowed his purpose always 10 NC INC
champion and defender OF the oppressou "NA
illuminated. That brochure produceo WV
ness between them, but they still renamed on
amicable terms, till the publication OF tne Da'
con letters. From that moment MT. oou'i
wick felt that liberation of Tllton was uisioS" al
tv In Beecher. And he fairly represents Jug
fool;ng of trust, reverence, confidence and
offoction which prevails throughout the church
and conoreqation towards the gifted and Iowa
BILE pastor of the Plymouth society. He is one
of the many there who not only scout the bare
nossibility of Mr.. Beecher's being guilty, but
have no patience with anybody who is not pro-
nounced in the assertion of his innocence.
He made forcble witness because he was SO
thoroughly in earnest. His testimony went to
show that Mr.. Tlton had propensity to IN
dulge in somewhat loose accusations, touching
the moral character of his neighbors and ac-
quaintances-that he was given to gossip, and
that he had in the course of conversations on
the subject asseverated the innocence OF Beech
er and the purity of his wife. Counsel for the
plaintiff did not cross-examine Mr.. SouthWlcE.
The plaintiff himself watched him narrowly
and nervously all the time he was on the stand.
Perhaps as the last of the four influential
friends who had become hopelessly estranged
from him in consequence of his cruel attack
on Beecher, descended from the witness box, a
realizing sense may have come to him of the
severed associations, broken ties and social des-
olation which have resulted from his insane
effort to destroy the greatest preacher of
Christendom.
OF the feminine witnesses who have APP
peared during the trial not one has borne her
self more cleverly than Bessie Turner Ii
there were any instances of exaggeration in
her recital Mr.. Fullerton and Mr.. Beach COM
bined were unable to expose them to view.
There is no doubt she fibbed little about her
age, but that is weakness commonly as
cribed to her sex and therefore venial. If she
had stated her real age, which is u, the trial
would have thenceforth been a point of reck-
oning quite fixed in the minds of future sultors
and acquaintances. But the way she made
every date in her narrative correspond to the
figures % so as not to raise any question as to
her being older than that indicated dexterty
and tact. There is no reason for doubling that
the material parts of her story are correct Ii
she had been inventing the incidents she le-
lated with so much Evolutionary effect, her
sharp interrogators would surely have discov-
cred the vulnerable points in her tale. When
her direct examination was concluded, pre-
dictions were freely made that Judge Fuller
ton would annihlate her on the cross. Curl
osity was general to witness the pulverization.
1t proved an utter failure. He didn't shake
her in any material point. Her memory
slipped away from her occasionally. but her
self possession was absolute There was
nothing pert or fippant but she answered
questions respectfully and becomingly, and on
the whole she demeaned herself SO creditably
as to command the good opinion apparently of
the whole court room.
The end is not yet. The six committeeman
remain to be called, and 1 don't know how
many more. And last of all comes Beecher
himself. A weeks time is little enough to
assign him, reckoning lawyer weeks which
number only twenty hours, even when no
holidays intervene. Just think of it! When
people are talking about the length of the trial
let them remember that in an unbroken week
there is no more actual time spent on the case
than it takes to travel from Portland to Wash
ington.
In respect to the. final issue have nothing
to say, except that the friends of Mr.. Beecher
are radiant with expectation of triumphant
vndication. His counsel manifest cheerful
moss which can only have its source in the
confidence They zeal that they are on the win
ming side. YARMOUTH.