, 1875-07-22
THE BEECHER CASE.
British Comments upon tho re.
suit of tic Trial.
a Division Of Sentiment Among the
Nonoonformists,
What Tho London, Manchester, and Dub
iii Papers Say.

I'LL IAperS Sny.
Tho New York Sun Asaerts that Judge
Noilson Believes that Booohcr
Is Guilty.
BRITISH VIEWS.
ACTION or CONGREGATIONAL MINISTER'S IN LON
nun.
Eondon 7fntts.
On Huntnv evening very curious incident o.
eurrod At The City Tomplo In reference to the
Ioealar trial. At tha oloso Of a Eermon from
Acts, H., 81, oil the Rynlpnthy and affootton due
from All Christians to faithful ministers, Dr..
Parker alvorsed to tho oaso OF Mr. Horny Ward
noocisr, of whom ho sNoke 81 tlIo most cruelty
porHecutel man alivo. Ono bright fcaturo
IN tho melancholy affair hal heoh tho loyalty
with which Mr. l,oscller'a flock had stnck to
tloir oaluunntoa lnstor throughout hia siz
montl1B tlory ortoAl. lie could hot help thtnk-
ting TINT thoy al,ould acnd both lninia.or Aid
peoplo kindly n,cssagc. and Ilo Ind drawn ul'
tho following telegram, which he hoped they
would authorize him to forwatd:
10 tbs Rtr. Henry Hard U<srhtr, C.l|nmtir srftt,
j'rooktNn: Iile cnugreaat'nn atFeinl'cd this s4nath
rcsrouis Ia Dr raska e'l,,rst 10 telegraph ra.era'
greetings to The rahloE a1!l q lynaa
Church. 1t AahUrG6 alt. BG0Elef u 4{H Eonllnlcu c&uS
ftcnco nfl love. atti AlankB his nnh1a people Tor
nIholang him 80 stoadast'y Ill tho tHIo Of Lis drc0t
AiIlilion.
DR.. rnrncr suggested that, aa thu moas DO
nlonstrativo why Of declaring ti!cr assent, tAono
who agreed with linn H,o,!d rise from tl'olr
Reats. On this appeal tho whole congregation
stood up, and the lnousago was accordingly dia-
patched. Yesterday at uoon DR.. rarkoF mot at
tile vestry Of The City Temple tue lsoTs. DR..
ali Fnr 4Ttb whom tllD
following address to tho lscy. Ionsy Ward
Deocher vaH drawn up, nnsl now lies there Tor
signature until Friday ncxt, incuaive: a
We, tis undersigned Congregational m!hialcrs rosf-
dent III lltnlol a, Tho ntgnl,orh", d.sr'' IN sidw
Tic Hcv Henry Ward lccc,cr tlo strongest assurance
OF continued cun'leHce anA nHalatcn loYr Aaf-
Ing eGe o ~ ia o oat s o
esta uf ths uurctI If chtst tlrnughuut tho world w'
rnfeIGneGy aui heartily thank Am1gy 10! u%t %e '9
GArlstnn character of nuE hunnred n,hrr, wllpa
now afcctlonaely commend to Tho rtote't1on a'ld
blessing VI onr common Lord.
Ep1ToatA1 COMMENTS or THE "TIs1Es."
. Bono proceedings at tho City Temple which
no report this murning, suggest so1nn cnr1os
tcaectious. Plsinoistl, Church, Of 'shich Alr.
Horny Ward 1ioecllRr in tho pnEnr. and tue City
IGtn1lIe, oYar whrh Or. Parkor ~ iesideB. ar9
aod in their ecclesiastical organization but tho
ALLIANCE BccnlA to tend much further tila,l Gould
bnvo bcou anticipated. N'o need mt enter par
ticn1ar!y into tho history Of tho trial which las
tnBt bcGn brought to nn Intellectual co',lun0D i'll
Nov York. Substantially, Mr. Uuochcr msplaco,i
OH hia defense OIL char:a vi having committed
adultery witl, thu wifo OF r. T,ltoil. ono Of tho
members Of his congrcgation. It can ilardly DO
B1ll that 1o Inns been acttlti tGh Tor tho JHry hasc
been discharged without giving asottllct, tilo Of
them, 1t il said, being III his fuyor md tl,roe being
RdverRo to him. Snch result antountA tu tho
uaeful Scotch verdict 0f " Not proven" but ttls
,,yI3 t,o r1nH for r1,Lo
conclusion vita rttpcct 10 tho Apoci.lc ,cclsa-
ton agaiuHt Mr.. Dcecher. Independently how
ever. Ut this isHuo tho tral las furnished mont
singular royolat,on of tho habits aud procood-
Jugs OF tho pastor and congregation OF Plymouth
Church. For no lcEs than nix months thu Amor
jcan newspapers hnye boon reporting pyileuco
Respecting tho relations OF Dir. noeclter to sumo
membstB OF his congregation, which would, to
Aay tho least. not 10 dGetlcl wholesome readlug
by tile English public. The stranEeBs rast Of
this eyidcnce, moreover, has buon furnished by
Mr.. Rccclhr lilnsclf lie has depicted the af-
foctiun Which suLHia:cd botw0nn 1iMBclf and
fomale member pf hiA iluck III so Remarkably
warm that 1t is cettany not surprising It Should
have boen tBun1erntaod by the lauy's husband.
Mr. peoclos. 1t IL vel lnoWn, las very strong
waJ Of expressing himself in tho pulpit, and
sntno warmth Of imagination into tho rogions
Of Gocal iutercunrso. 1t IL not surprising
jury SHOULD haya been tumble to como to i
conclusion respecting him. for hlB own uounBol
could ouy explain some Of his lottorB to hlr.
Tton on the ground that hla habits or cxprcs-
sion vera su sinsularly Vehement tllat lio 0rdI-
.uEy Interpretation could Le placed upon them.
Unt Mr., Beec!Ier not alone In THU remark
milo Herios Of revelations. Mr. Tiiton md AIR.
1toulton, With whom he ind lung beeu on tor1na
OF . similarly snperhu.nau friondship, exhibited
not loss extraordinary characteristics, aud noth
Ing 30 unacoouutnble, on any customary Bppo-
Bition. as tho relations Of those throo poruo1-
ages, has oyor boen Been even III Amotica. Tho
society, in fact, amid Which Mr. Boocher moved
In Plymouth Church IL evidently one Of thoAe
eccentrcities Ut humanity which may bs quite
harmcsA III a country with Hgnany Bafety-yalYes
an A1noricn, but which woua run considerable
risks IN this country Of offending againHt tho
practical vtuw wo take Of one or two of Tho SIM
plor commandments, rs we'll aH at tho customary
ptoprfaties Of lifo. -.
1huro ia 10 taucl love md Affection through
out these proceedings :hat il would, perhaps, bo
out OF pltco to Judge them by tho colder light Of
1cason. We suppoae tbero must 10 some Why of
understanding Mr. Deacher and hls congregation
which IL ouly opcn ttuHo who arc familiar with
tho particular form Of ecclesiastical mystery
which Dr., Tarkcr aud Ills frioudH Oh bot6 atles
of The Atlantic represent. but We cannot help
thinking aucl "nob!o Bymnathy" littlo liable
to Do mlslntarpretcl, and that il might, with nd
vantage to atr. Deecher himRelf, havo boon OK
pressed with ltttle more discrimination. Tho
Plymouth Church. ~ tlieir telegram OF 'grate-
ful thanks, y recommend to Or. Parkes's flock a
porusaI Of tho l2lth Psalm, in which Mr..
beachor,s Honl is very appropriately described
al eachplns Nko bfu out OF tho Snhrc Of tho
fowlor. Dut little caution for tho future
would have been worry mach In pi&oo. We
must own We cannot raise ourselves to tho
! "entnuslasm Of these English Congregations
!, alists, and thore IL ''noblity" about tlloir
gtntitnde which 1t requires Plymouth Church
congregation 10 appreciate. We cannot suppose
for \ nlcsnont TINT anch respectable porB0us ap-
provo tho Nooplatou1o modo Of indu1ging affeo-
t!onA, and We recoil from imagining tho consa-
Qnences Of Dr.. Parker yielding 10 any such Bym-
Eathattc impulses TOW ard his fes,Ials adluirurs.
We Gnu undeEstend their being slad that minla-
ter OF their communion shoull have 1ehutted
tho Erayest moral charge which could DO brought
agalust h1n. I,us thia "eutiroly favorable"
"honorad btothcs" {eveals 4 depth of cuthuui.
attic telow-feouug which, 10 my tue least, would
not nave been anticipated in such sober persons.
Wo strongly aasiso them, howesor, to abstain
from nny further sormons on tho subject OF
they viii bs auseiy in danger OF boug misun.