Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-02-26
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TRACY ON TILTON,


That is severe indictment of Theodore I'll
ton made by Lawyer Tracy in his opening for
the defence in the Beecher Trial nothing
aterner, more relentless has been heard in
Court Room in these latter days but most
even minded persons will be disposed to admit
its essential truth. Incorrect, possibly unfair,
ii may be in some respects, but i'll its arraign-
ment of Tilton an unconquerable egotist, as
a man who would sacrifice home and friendship
and blessed peace OF mind upon the altar
of his vanity and greed for personal recognition,
there will be few who have calmly followed the
Developments of the Brooklyn Scandal to dis
pute. Whether it s just to claim that because
Iilton is proved out OF his own mouth TO be this
sort Of character that therefore lie must have
lied all through about Beecher is another mat
ter, and we do not propose to endorse all that
Gen. Tracy said until we learn the whole ground
of the defence and are impressed by its truth
but the controlling forces i'll Tilton's tempera-
ment none the less clear and he Is shown, no
matter what may yet be proved, thoroughly
selfish man.
And this is good deal to have established to
entire satisfaction in such muddle az this
scandal case. For if we admit absolute envi-
III beiit d NillCu IL
ruthless striking down of everything which in
terferes with self, logic may fairly carry us II
long step further. 1t becomes clear why Ttoh
was envious and Jealous of Beecher and desired
to get him out Of the way. We can even un-
derstand how the feeling might have grown into
a sort of mania with Tilton, until he realized
that he and Beecher could not breathe
the air OF Brooklyn together. Tie younger man
had been raised by the elder, i'll Manner and
had OF late heard it said that but for the great
Preacher the ambitious young orator and writer
would never have been prominent, how Beecher
cleared the way for him on the h,depend.at, in
effect, made him what he was. This was worm
wood to his abnormal ssensitiveness. Then after
being as he thought firmly fixed in the proud
est editorial chair in America" the former occu-
pant Of that high place started rival
journal, and carried it on so energetieally
that the Independent soon found its claim to be
the head of the religious press questioned, and
to some purpose. But for the establishment of
the Christian Union there would very possibly
have been no Beecher Scandal for which fact
snnuied people will blos4 that Journal constaut-
Iy.
That there was love between Mr.. Dcecher and
Mrs. Tilton Is sufficiently clear and Mr.. Beech
er was so imprudent that even verdict of ac-
luittal can never altogether clear him. Tilton
learned all this, aud it ls easily conceivable
knowing what We do now Of his dis
positon,-that he thought the conditions all
favorable to his plan Of getting rid of his rival.
lie had even on this showing grievance, and a
great one, for another man had won his wife :
love. Let that not be forgotten in Judging him,
nor that Mrs. Tilton in one of her ''exatatione, ;
or alterations as palmer folks would say, may i'll
truth have confessed in the "Topsy fash
ion. The end is not yet we only contend that
AZ the Gaze stands very strong light has been
thrown Oh Theodore Tiltons character and mo-
tves.