The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-04-24
MIR. Bcecher's CroSs-Exumination

(FrOm tho Chicago Tribunc)
Henry Ward BeCCher is an intellectual
giant. His brain is larger, greater, more
vigorous, courageous, and ttrcless than
the combined brains Of dozen men Of
ordinary ability, Never was man sub
jectcd to such mental torture MS that APP
piled to Beecher during his cross,exami-
nation. The rack, the thumbsCrOw, tho
wheel, and all the other ingenious methods
Of torture invented by the inquisitiOn, fail
10 furnish an adequate comparison for the
mental agony which BeeChOr must have
suffered. The theory Of his innocence
does not affect this statement II limo
cent, he was still involved in 80 intricate
and damaging combination Of circum-
Stances that less courageous man
would have given up the struggle. II
was not the agony OF the heart
that nude mp the heaviest load,
II was the terrific onslaught upon
the intellect which few other men could
have met and resisted, lie was attacked
from all sides. His own utIeraDces were
used IN the most effective weapons against
him. lie was confronted by the most
formidable array Of legal ability, led by
n general who WINS constantly aggressive
and always relentless, 1t was BCeCher's
mission to disentangle u web that batlled
all other effort, to bring consistency out
of n mass Of Inconsistencies, to evolve
conviction outof jumbo Of contradic.
tions. 1t was the work Of an intellectual
giant, because ho had to meet circum-
stances, evidence, letters, documents and
confessions that would have overwhelmed
and buried any other man. lilo was
called to put upon the appearance Of
guilt the appearance Of innocence. II
was n task for IIerCulean brain.
II il In this view Of the matter that the
quito ONE Of lleecher's crOss.examinatiOn
must be regarded ms u great intellectual
triumph. And in review Of the ordeal
through which hO has rIIssQd II Is notable
that he struck out far himself, indGpcnd.
emily Of his friends, Of his church people,
and even Of his lawyers. The theory Of
his church and lay supporters wuS that
he had advised Mrs. TiltOn to separate
from her husband on account Of the lat.
tors inlidelities, and hence the disscnsion
and the remorse. The theory Of his law
yers, deliberately formulated in Gen.
Tracy's opening, was that Of a conspiracy
against him for the purpose Of black
mail. Mr.. lIcecher, In turn, had given IL
tacit acquiescence In both these theories
before the Church Committee and in the
earlier conduct Of the trial. But In hiS
own sworn evidence In the trial. he haS
chung to one point, never before made
distinctly, and, in spite Of every Ct.
fort 10 the contrary, he has caused all
other circumstances, all other utter
nnCes, all other testimony, TO hinge
and turn upon Il. II Is the only
theory advanced that Can command
any respect us an explanation Of his let
tcrs, and his general policy with refer.
encG to the scandal up to the time oil
the final explosion In the Bacon letter,
II ia equally well adapted to the lawyers
charge Of conspiracy, and to Mr.. Beccl'
er's present declaration that he did mol
believe hC was undergoing deliberate
blaCkmail. II Is the only theory that rem.
tlers possible u misConceptiOn on the par
Otriiion, MoultOn. and Mrs. MOnltOn o.
what they took to be confessions Of Adul
terry, It's the only hypothesis consistGn
with his assertion that the charge, o
adultery failed to make any impression
upon him. There Ia nothing else whicl
could sustain lIeCcher's honor, remOrsC
and intelligence. Nothing else, In th,
assumption Of hisinnocChCc, could exciiS
the folly Of nh innocent man and M In
telligent man committing himself to ~
many evidences Of guilt and rCmorSC
None other could preserve the clliYalry o
the man and the honor Of the clergyman
at one and the same time. This alone |
consistent with the great magnanimit.
involved In Beccller's present profession
Of kindly feeling toward Mr.. and Mrs
Moulton.
This central, pivotal explanation from
which Mr.. BCecher Inns never departed
and from which Mr.. Fullerton has beer
unable to drive him, Is that Mrs. Tlltol
had transferred TO him tho Affections
which she ought 10 have saved sacred Il
her husband alone, and that 10 (lIeeCher
became conscious Of II and did nolliinl
to prevent II. Here Mr.. Beccher rests
and here he has been rs strong and tenac
iOus a. only II man Ofhis colossal ihlellec
could be.
ltMr. Beecler Is guilty, how shrewdl,
has he counted upon the sympathies o
mankind, and how matvelously he ha
analysed the processes Of human judg
menl, In adopting this line Of defense
lie has penetrated the depths Of huniai
nature further than all his lawyers. III
has opened up opportunities for the I'm
aginaliun, the symputhies, anil the feas
Ohing powers OF his Jury that no othe
position could have afforded. lie la
adhered to Il with II persistency that ha
already carried conviction Of hia limo
Cence 10 the hearts Of many people VIII
were In doubt. lie has confessed hi
inability to explain certain thing
and has acknowledged himself power
less TO recall impressions that, on m
other theory than this, II would hav
been absurd to admit The possibility d
having been ignptcd or forgotten. lie ha
been committed to lapscs II memoir
which, In n man OF his great intellcc
would have been incredible except undo
such circumstances. What may not
true, righteous and honorable man, orct
plying the first pulpit in America, In,
done when he had revelation that
woman whom he respected, and the wi
Of his most intimate companion ar
friend, had conceived an unholy love I,
him, and which he had not reprrsse,
This IL the speculation which MI. Beecl
ct has left to the Jury and the public, an
II IL fruitful theme which will In mo
cases be worked out to hls advantage.
isno answer to say what plain, con
nonsense, maltcr.of.iact man in the o
binary relations Of lie would have don
There are two reasons why such an al
swer will fail 10 break down tho sttcngi
Of Mr.. Bccchets positiQn-iitst, beCau
he was not a matlor.Uf.iact man in Il
ordinary relations Of life; and, secondl
because common-senst judgments arc u
exception and not tho rule, Mr. Beech
has created his impression, and II +
mains to be seen whether the subsequc