The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-02-19

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about. Mr.. Evarts examined him close
ly on that subject, desiring to show that
Mr.. Tilton's change in belief had caused
his wife much sorrow, and that there was
also a great difference in the religious
views of Messrs. Tilton and Beecher.
Beach on BeprHer.
From Beach's Argument on the Admissibility Of
Tilton's Evidence.l
In concluding this, sir, and in answer
to the illustrations of my learned friend,
permit me to follow with an illustration.
Imagine, sir, a happy, honored, cultured
home !; a wife, a frail, feeble, and deli
cate woman, eminently devotional and
pious III all her impulses, and, as has been
shown heretofore, devoted to the hus-
band of her early choice, and the father
of her children. She had a pastor
learned, eminent, and gifted beyond his
fellows one who stood at the very head
of his honOred and sacred profession {;
one whose words were listened to with
Difference and respect. But he had
these powers of mind over her he had
that persuasive power of eloquence, that
insidious and silver tongue which would
lure an angel from his paradise. He was
her accepted and chosen teacher and
guide. She looked up to him with en-
Grafton second only to that with which
she regarded her God. Nay, if an in
carnate Christ had come down, with the
glory Of Calvary upon his brow and the
love of sacrifice in his eye, she would
not bow down to him with more Obedi-
ence than this woman gave to her pastor
and her God. From her childhood, sir,
she was under his teaching and admOni-
ton. He WAS almost an inmate of
her home. In the confidence of
her husband, and as the friend and
pupil of this aged, venerable and gifted
man, he was welcomed with tenderness
and affection. He exerted upon her, Sir,
all his arts, his specious wisdom, his
prayerful devotion ; all the arts of his
gifted nature were bent for the seduction
of this happy, beloved wife and mother /;
and she fell. And do you wonder, sir?
Is she to be blamed for the act? Is this n
prosecution of her? Is this action, there
fore, brought by the wronged husband,
an action against her for her cOndemna-
ton? Oh, no, sir. Consider how strong
he vas consider how submissive she
WAS to his teachings, and imagine with
what specious and insidious tongue he
conveyed to her the theory of his plans,
that fornication WIS but the natural ex-
preston of love. He taught her TO be-
lieve in piOus adultery, and by steady
steps, he led her along the fowery path
to the precipice upon which she fell.
That seducer is brought into a court of
justice to answer for his crime. The
husband wronged, the seducer guilty,
stand before the immaculate Justice of
the law, and before it each is to answer
for deeds done to this woman And we
are told, sir, according to the logic of
my learned friend, that this aged, veneer
able and gifted seducer may take the
witness-stand and apologize for his guilt,
and present all the evidences of his
learned ingenuity ; and that the husband
must be still silent +; and that this is law.
l say no, sir. Before your honor will
admit any such construction, before you
will approve any such administration,
you must be driven to it by the force of
inevitable legal logic. Thank God there
is, in my belief, no such rule of law in
this State.