New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-15
TIE POWERFUL INFLUENCE OF A GREAT
INTELLECT.
The Court met at ID. In. pursuant TO al


The Court met at y. In. pursuant TO ad-
journnont
Mr.. Baaeh-Thers are few sentences in Mlcaulays
Mlsoeuanes III an essay reviewing Basil Montagus Le
Of Lord Bacon, which seem to me, gentlemen exceed
iaPiy appropriate and expressive To TINS mcmahon ON
the part Of all Of us kindly and ntegenty 10 cohsaer
tbs faults the vices of those who have mini siered 10
our intellectual enjoyment, either as authors, or ~
statesmen OF a. orators AMI these suggestions OF Mr.
Mscaulay meet worry many OF the sentiments Which nave
felt III rogars 20 tis case. ia regard 10 Mr. Beeeher ana
in regard Ia other distinguished, prominent men, ana
have no do,bt VIII find response in your own emo
tnns connected with that topic. Nj. Maeaulay says:
our estimate Of n character always dc,cnds nncn on
the manner 10 Wac tiSt "a III Az t Nm, veil
OF those hy whom we are thwafsi depressed and we
ready 10 adult every excuse ot tis vices o mos
Who ~ Il cin o. hc 20 ~ is a. wS r,
Is subject, ard which experience and reflection can
only partially ~ ~ ~ me i,ias'"osY "a hhen'
orior ~ lie ,Ssr nineni IN letters the fac arts IS
f,ed-,ften tx accommodates nl,aast always nv pos
tCrl,s-wih "a raoldinaT9 tenderness lie N"riu W.
srr ma Tho nrr,b@r Il ticse WHO ~ Ger bv Ms pc
soual vices "a small IN hi own TINE. when c'ni-
pared with the number OF tlose I" whom hN 'a'ehtS
WHOM he IA i,niy.d dsapnrar hut Ms worl remain anil
are q Of delight 10 mi ons The genins 81 SnIuS
iii ~itn Us. oIt to Ndnais "."i ne i"n'l1'' '
~, unfortunate b1sA'ui> VINO 'ielh hu ia nc, u'''Ns
az unreasonable hours are forgotten We SUE " 'h
srye 10 he delighted ~ Inc keeines' "i rn , ~
s,y.. iou and hy te s,,I mueSiy OF hls sly uii"
for 81 th cplnc sion ana the bgo IN i2e il'' lria l.
s5as and TN, Jones have sr~tivcl the sap'fc'pcr
whom Shakespeare ouda,cd m the tandlady woo'n
Fold li,.i. great writer Is frequently "'S prn' '@
dr. r. dalrIny iIaaercc OF ficnlsifp IN gratitude
We Il know hcw unwilling we are to snlt me ttn o
any disrgcoiu s'oy about person Wh9se society," We
He aud iIal ao'A We l.te received 1,ry.'' .,n
We s'ru,ole ari'ust eyide,c', how fcnH'v. when
the facts cannot be displod. We r"ne -
tho hope that there ElaY he s~ie caspian !u'h OF
0,,ici Jm.t snch Il he feeling wlc, man " liberal
education naturally ontcgt9in TOW ri ne gitt mn OF
IGI H T IsS hfS su1 j him to ruth They nav sd
his mind Win noble AMI graceful images I'3 hl,c
stn,G bv him ia al yicssitnnes, contortofs III sofuN
nurses IN Sicsncss companions IN solitude Ih'" iri
siis exposed Ia NJ danger nom ie occur Ac, y
Tino gliles by: fortune ia mcons'ant tcmpers are
sourcd; bonds which seemed inssoi 'e are diy sun.
snc6 canse ea a.c c Silent converse which hold
wlth the highest OF human mteiieots. DC
That extract suggests thought, gentlemen as april
cable to Nh Beechcr All Of rs lave been delighted with
his intellectual efforts. All OF ms have been H.
str1,cted by lis sermons. Al Of Us have edmfed
his efforts in the way patriotism sitcnaa>p. poll
tics We know that he has been - a force - many OF
the crises az orr history We rc0c1ize him M great
preacher "a one who has exercised immense irhl"ifh
over the moraltie and thc christianity OF the agc and
i, Is hard 10 attach such and 10 such name the
idea @! degrading Il is repsive 10 on ermrih's
to orr nature yon feel H. great mrry say In Very
hoIney Ian guage. Gle is too big man to lie Killed.
Now these are generous AMI exalted sentiments IN ono
aspect in the idea of the recognition Of nreciua great
ness AMI gratitude fer pleasure, intellectual ana m'fal
ard instructive, conveyed to rs Il IS AZ honorable
consideration IN private ard social TIE, IL he extended n
n rlts aud faincs Of re,i ~ atness Bp', gentle
mon desire impress upon Won. n can. the utter I'M
proriiry of any such seufhHcut in n cCuft ~ Justice
Nv fficnds have appealed 20 II the staple ~ th"r
argument TAeic strong appeals this Jury are founded
or the the services Mr. Beccher hos rendered -
The world IN tie rae uron the ASSUMPTION hlt those
ise- TttslSp f
character could not by any possibility he associated VIII
sinful tendencies or corrupt asous and upon tis lo-
or, and this assumption they have ree0ne'l have no
doubt with strong influence upon the hearts and symra-
! thos of tlis JuIy. Wen, il is very obvious II sueh
| considerations axe 10 control "a in the positions
which occupy, II am % be restrained ID speak
II. OF MI Teecher upon this cvd nee n conceive him
to 10 in the lt Of the prio0 and II you arc iu.-o
him from considerations of s character instc@d Of ~
the teachings Of tie evidence Y obvious y AZ not
reach just ana legal result Slal we reach t! con
clulon Intelligent mind o. the world Will form
upon consideration OF this evidence Cone ns 81 the
rea services rendered ~ Nj Beocher. ding al tAe
remarkable qualities of his character, upon what concln
sion is il that learned friend, reach the pr0osition
that III Doecher has boun in tie pas 50 pure dd soi
less as they assume in his habits OF c9 The Court VIII
ns rdct yOl my learned ficuas Wei una Toiud, That
could not a,s tle private lie OF Mr. H'r'her except
in connection with this charged onnse. If vs. lad nd
our hands fnll OF evidence tat Mr. Hcecher had been
cont,ous in hi, private li'c II could have produced
proof OF numerous examples where he had been guilty OF
the especal ocnsc charged against him, IL Wa- i'm
pos shle for us TO prove it, Evidence to that eject wona
he nadrnssihe We could not prove special acts 81 sin
fnlne.s; and like every other man, party or as
Witness he is to Judged only BY the public character
which he has won by the exhibition Of his ho 70 public
observation. True, MI Eyaits nsinuaics VIC could
have asked Mr. Beccher bat then II wold have been
presented a question to the Court whether even
ffIt4-f1 to
iniay or disgrace b. answering such lue sion III
recent case tried in llud in which thc Prince If
Wales was iuculpatcd, q high diUit,ry OF the
bench announced In that case that the witness
was not bound TO answer to the question "heihcr
or not had been guilty OF adultery Eu We We're not
compelled to rest this question OF private life and OF
private morals upon a Examination Of Mr. Bcechrr,
The man who sought 70 be incuIated Now the
law in low of this condition of things, rcsuines tlat
every man. whether standing patty or rs Wines.
is presumed &c possess ordinary good character ana
nothing more. He placed upon the same level, ~ the
aspect of the ANYWHERE he stands unassed by direct
prooi-he stands precisely as the ordinary examples q"
life and character surrounding him. and you haye no
right considering this case-you have 10 right 10 pre-
sumo that ND 10 this charged intercourse with Mrs Tton
Mr. Heecher lad been entirely relieved from amy
suspicious OF like or previous oiiense We know, We
know that he WAS accused OF H. whatever may have been
the fact OF the accusaiion; whether under any
influence control those accusations were withdrawn
To what extont by the Trpartite Covenant they may
have been abandoned we will by-andby but that no
had been suspected that he had been charged appears
upon the record and III the face OF that evidence as
wen A. the Injunction o' the law friends upon
the other side have authority In assuming that tho
life OF Henry Ward Beecber hls been 40 exemplary AMI
so unsnspicous as they chose present It in their arg
,nent to this Jury do not say that he ever has been
guilty of any such far be it from me; but say the
ouy consideration which is 10 he given to this inea OF