Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-18
The COWGrdIy and IndefenslbIa Conduct
Of the Sedueer Of Mrs. TiltOn-The
Policy Of Silence aud
Cancellation.
Beeeher's Letter Of Sorrow, Depression
and .6lOOm-The Flym0uth Orator
Compared with tie Seducer of
"Efle Beans"
Statement Of the House Furnishers-
What One OF th5m saw Through
the Crack Of the DOOr-"Caught
in the Act"

NEW YORK, June l7.-Mr. Beach to
! day continued his argument for the pros
! ecution in the Tilton- BeeCher case be
| fore an immense thrJDg. He refeIr5t
! to the session of the Congregations
! council, and criticized the letter o
! Beecher to MOultOn, in which he spOk
of DR.. StOrrs's address before that QuGS
Judicial body. What was Beecher's mo
tive for denounCing this gentleman? h
was friend of Beecher's of fifteen year
standing, a brilliant orator, a man L
whom people came in their troubles fOI
sympathy, and a christian clergyman
most eminent in his profession. On the
night Of December "a, 1870, Bsechel
learned that TiltOn had induced his wife
to make a charge against him (Beecher
"a charge disgTsceful before the law O.
God and society, and yet BeeCher comes
to TiltOn and bears with him tue highes,
admiration Of the woman, teaching
her that she was noble aud magn3ni,
nous; and this man high-priest of the
Lord, bound TO rebuke sin and the re.
cent false and 8trOcious charge. Bee3heI
took this man to his own bosom, and
eulogized him in bis paper, the Chris.
tida Union. How long would the chris
tian ministry be Teverenced il this man,
pastor OF the greatest church in the
world, was allowed to take to his breast
this liar and conspiratOr, according to
the theory Of the defense. When the
Golden Age was established BeecheT
contributed five thousand dollars toward
sprea ling corruption throughout the
world. The jury might be deluded by
the dignity of the defendant, and
they might think he was tOO-needful to
the cause of God to be feaTlessly judged,
but not thus would be the Judgment of
Him who judges the thoughts of the
heart, The counsel then spoke of
Beecher's public career as a minister.
orator, writer and statesman, a very'' Y or
lex" at the dinner table, and said that
the jury were asked to believe that this
man was so simple he could not defend
bis own character from attacks. TiltOn,
Moulton, and Mrs. Moulton, all stated
that he was charged with adultery, and
by word and actions he admitted the
charge. This man had sinned at the
altar, and had deseCrated his pTiestly
robes. Referring to the advice OF Mr..
Beecher to Mrs. TiltOn with regard to
q separation, the counsel said: Why
was il that, il the wife desired sepsra-
ton, and Henry Ward Beecher advised
it through 1871, 10, '73 and IA, this wife
remained true to her allegiance? Beech
er saw such disquietude in the house of
TiltOn that his gentle soul was suffering
the tOrments of the damned, and he was
standing on the ragged edge of remOrse
and despair. What form did the jury
attach to the circumstance that from
December 80, 1870, up to the sitting Of
the investigating committee, Beecher
had been acting in concert with Tilton
and Moulton to suppress all the whis-
perings Of that scandal? What did they
think of Beecher's letter in June, 1873,
to MoultOn, speaking of the stultifying
devices by which they saved themselves?
Why was Mr.. Beecher silent so long
il he was conscious Of his innocence? If
innocent, and had spoken, the dishonOred
fugitive from her home Mrs. Tilton)
would have to-day been purified and re-
deemed from all reprOach and stain upon
her character. What harm would an in
vestigstiOn have done if these things
told by Beecher were true? The jury
must reconcile these things, no matter if
Henry Ward Beecher stood in the way.
Justice must not swerve one jOt or title
out Of her path, and the laws of justice
must be fearlessly executed. Beecher's
recon- nendatiOns of the policy Of ST.
lence, and his persistency in that course,
were wholly inconsistent with his plea
Of innocence. Beecher deliberately prac-
ticed deception and was an accOmplice
in system Of lies to protect Mr. and
Mrs. Tilton, and to save, himself. The jury
were to consider whether these things
were consistent with the character of an
innocent and maligned individual.
Could the jury believe that Beecher,
when he appeared on the stand as wit
ness 50 jocund and gay, had q hardened
prefix nRture2 Beecher says in his let
ter, "God would take care Of him"
What did he want OF Gods care if he
was innocent and was pre-
pairing the document which was
to clear his character from every accu-
sation? With such man as Theodore
Tilton there was no salvation TO be eX-
pected. What was there to save Beech
er from? have strong feeling, and it
brings peace with it, that / am spending
my last Sunday and preaching my last
sermon. And this was the feeling Of
noble gentleman encOmpassed by doubts
and fears, who thought that at last he
could justify himself by standing up and
declaring himself innocent before the
world. How idle the talk that this let- !
ter was q challenge, and this man de. |
sired to separate himself from his part |
nership to fight against these accusa- |
tons. What cause was there for resign. |
ing, when Plymouth church believed |
BeeCher innocent, and you said you |
held it in the palm Of your hand? All |
It's members believed you. II you were |
going to give out a statement of your in |
lOcence, what filter place to issue it than |
rom the pulpit? Was there a men,
Der Of that congregation who could |
dispute your word, or was there q hard |
and bold disbeliever in the church who |
would doubt your words? All, no! If |
be contemplated a statement which |
should clear his honor, well and good. |
But II 1t was the truth, there was no |
leed 10 resign from the citadel OF his |
strength. But when, next day, he pub |
ished card exonerating TiltOn in the |
yes Of the public, he did not cOntem- |
)late this contest; for he would not arm |
lis adversary for the coming conflict. |
)n the following day he resumed the |
DOlicy Of silence, and continued on in !
lis efforts to suppress the scandal until
It last there was no cOncealment to be !
urther had, and he adopted the course
which be pursued before the investigat-
ng committee.
Here the court took a recess.
AFTER RECESS.
After recess Mr.. Beach continued his
ddress, and said there was one state
nent in this letter OF June /, 1873, which
lad excited much comment. This was
Seecher's declaration that he would
write q statement which would bear the
lght Of judgment day. This was in sc-
with the whole tone OF the
etter, which was full OF sorrow, depres-
ion and gloomy forecast. Did this
mean Innocence or brokent spirit re-
ulting from consciousness of q crime
which 1t was hopeless to conceal? Re-
erring to the letter from Moulton to
Seecher, in which the former said the
ccused could stand If the whole case
Vere published tomorrow, MI. Beach
rgued that MoultOn meant repentance
nd confession could wipe out Beecher's