Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-12-06
nRs uorr.roN,s LETTER.

MRS. MOCt.TON7r hhss"
IL was a most uniortunats thing for
Plymouth Church and Henry Ward
Beecher that their joint persecution OF
Frank Moulton and his vile did not stop
b.for. they concluded 70 ezpsl the latter
from fellowship with the Church. This
las. act has raised q feeling Of sym
pathy for Mrs. Moulton. which other.
wise might not have been aroused. aud
the correspondence upon the subject In
especially severe upon Plymouth's
pastor. Mrs. Moulton has addrssssd q
second letter TO the Chureh-in reply to
the one granting her . trial BY q council
OF churches-which, in apparent sim
csrity a. we'll as cutting ksenness. Is un-
rivalled in the history Of the great
scandal. In Il. after avovins that she
discontinued her attendance at Plym.
outh Church solely because she was
eogniiant Of Beecher's crime, and that
the reason why she did not 20 else
where for worship was because Of his
opportunities that she should not do 30.
she says:
Beechrr surely ought to be the last
man in tho world to blanc me for what
I did in his behalf. He knows that i
could not speak the truth more perfect
ly than I have spoken II hore, II l was
standing this moment before Gods
throns Of Judgment. When Mr.. Tilton's
name Was dropped by you two years
ago. I told Mr.. Beecher that ! VA afraid
you would some time want to drop mine
in the same way. He then most earnest
" assured me that II should never DO
| done /; that he would see to II himself
that I should never be in any way in
jured by his church. I do not know
| how Mr. Beecher- knowing n well a.
he does the perfect truth OF what l say.
knowing how he used to weep at our
house aud heap shame upon himself for
his great sin. how often he spoke to my
husband and myself Of the utter despair
in which he would be except for our
comfort and help-I cannot zee how 1t
was possible for him to stand up and
read this letter 10 me In your presence.
without his very soul giving way.
There Is q depth Of sorowful earnest
ness in the above such asis seldom seen
in print. Language could not be found
which would more clearly convey the
ideas intended. When Mrs. Moulton
says that she could not speak the truth
moro perfectly II abe "wsrs standing
this moment before Gods throne OF
Judgment" the mind Of the reader IN
stinctivsly believes in her passionate
sarusstnsss - her sorrowful sincerity.
Not all the trial aroused such an Avenger
a. this prosecuted woman. And not all
the money. influence and arrogant ss-
sumption Of this wealthy Church can
place dissrsdit on this woman's word.
But il is in the conclusion OF tho letter
that q challenge again and again given.
Is oncs moro sent to Mr.. Beecher and
his Church. in the following convin-
cling language:
You say that Q far a. the Church or
the Committee know. I had never made
any statement impusning the purity OF
Bsecher except in acourt OF justice; but
in that very court I stated under oath
that I made precisely the same charge
| which I have since made In my protest.
and long ago TO one OF the leading men,
bsrs and officers OF your Church. telling
him that Beecher's sin was adultery. and
that he and Mrs. Tilton both confessed
IL TO me. II the statement was Islander,
I might months AGO have been called to
account for II. I never knew before
that false swearing in . court Of justice
Is an offsnse which the Church Of Christ
il unable 10 punish; and you do me in
justice II you think I lied In n public
manner In that solemn hour. that l lied
in order TO injurs = minister whom l
had loved as much as any OF you do,
and whom I had done my best to up
hold and comfort for three dismal years,
through the time Of an anguish which
no was carefully hiding from you.
Yours, EMMA q. MouLroS.
Here Mrs. Moulton avows A. she did
upon the witness stand. that Bsscher's
crime vas known 10 . leading member
and officer OF the Church long prior to
the trial. and that II il was SLAM
der il might long since have been
made the subject for investigation.
But tho climax Of sarcastic and nrs
strained bitterness is reached when she
says that she "nevcr knew before that
false swearing in . court Of justice IL an
offenss which the Church Of Christ Is
unable to punish" Taken altogether.
the letter in . remarkable document.
ons Of the most conspicuous in the an
malls OF this scandal. II would have
been better. far better. for Beecher and
his friends had the case Of Mrs. Moul-
ton been left without the action. which
has led to q revival Of the story Of his
weakness and its criminal con clusion.