New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-26

ALI a. one friend would write another These papers
Ts never move w"Se 10 bo od for me- did wish to sub
ect them to risk OF loss scattering from my ThcS
HABITS i'm the manner OF preserving documents, my
Wepe 70 bs held for me- In far these papers Were
concerned. you wore only Hiehoy uu''oo 'o
papers subject to my Wishes .
And "a my friond Mr.. Abbott suggests he don't go W
to take Of Benjamin Butler out
the moment no receives the letter which SHOWS " III,
that he is in the coils Of serpent he answers 'o
instant no preserved no copy; VIC were compeeu' HUN
Them under tho exaction OF subpoena ana inc po"or
Of an OATH to compel the production OF this letter In or
der IN ascertain even what Mr.. Beocher had written
And they could not refuse it, for they had admitted its
receipt Do you suppose that Henry Ward Beecher then
thought that instead Of answering his trusted friend
Francis d. Moulton, he was writing to the man who had
already recorded his name in history, that no was
writing to ono Of tho abest pubcists OF tho age
that he was engaged in correspondence with man
who nevc spared enemy however faithfully he may
have served friend; that he engaged in contro
versy with Gen. Benjamin f. Butler OF Massachusetts,
who stood behind this and dictated what he had
written But how does he deal with It'll Is lie guilty
aduerer, stricken down by tho charger FRANK Mouito
who tells you that had him tho power OF life ana
death Frank MOultOn, whose wife could consgn Henry
Ward Beccher to infamy Frank Moulton, backed by
Theodore TIton who hated him rs he hated his God;
Frank MoutOn who loved nothing that belonged to him.
who hated even tho very wife OF his BOSOM
who hated even tho very boy whom no had
once for false pretenses protested TO serve
but cannot talk with patience OF such Things do you
believe that he was guilty man. that inc moment nc
found that this was false Indignantly took his
stand Sir trusted yOu friend lrecognizo you
now as an enemy. 1 placed confidence in you which
YOU did not deserve look upon you now as you are
state my rights appeal to any sense OF honor that
may remain within you know my appeal VIII be IN
yain but 1t shall be made, made fcarlessly."
Was that the language Of innocence or or guilt III 1t
were true that he adulterer III were true that
this very ct that moment the custodian OF
paper in which Mr. Beecher acknowledged adultery II
1t were true that again and again, through those long
months and years. he had occupied himself
under Frank Mouons roof declaring that he had
ual intercourse with Elizabeth Tton, If he knew that
Mrs. MoultOn, respectable communicate in his own
church. had heard his confession would that have been
the tone Of Henry Ward Beechcrs answerf Butler was
not there He had been left either at Narragansett or
New York Hero letter that needed an answer 1t
needed an answer too that could be used acrward in
court of JUSTICE Frank MoultOn not the capa
BILE Of writing It, Theodore Tton sent for, and he at
hand.
MR. MOULTON'S ANSWER TO MIR. BEECTfER.
Through the long watches of the night OF the
tho 4th Of August these men concOcted the answer
which they thought afterward might impose on Court
and Jury and here it s The hand the hand Of Tton
but the voice is tho voice OF MoutOn read to only
part OF Mr. Beochers letter; with view Of saving your
time will read TO you only part Of Theodore Ttons
reply
You are incorrect in saying that Mr.. Tfon fas had
have refused Mr. Tton such access During the prep
aration OF his statement he came to me and said
s s c OF all w4 ho but and all he could
rely upon such notes as he had made from time 20
time from writings of yours which you had written to me
be read TO him. and passages OF which he caught from
my lips in Shorthand
him when he was upon the stand whether he had
read those to him. and whether Theodore TtOn had
taken in shorthand, and he sw0re he had not He
has an excuse for this; 1t Tton that wrote this not
he: Tilton confessed what Mouton denied.
Mr.. Tilton has only part of the papers in my
Ossesson and would he surprised To learn the
entire facts OF tho case than you can possibly be-
And who wrote that sentence is Theodore Til
ton. won't dwo on it any longer.
THE CHARGE OF BLACKMAIL REAVOWED.
Gentlemen, these were two blackmailcrS. l
have noticed with what ormay 1t has been announced
that charge Of backmail has been in this with
drawn that Mr. Beecher disavOwed it, Why, gentlemen,
no man who the facts Of this has ever
doubted that this was case OF blackmail Men hesi
tated say it, always shrink from severe ACCUSE
lions kind until tho proof is too clear to resist the
light When my friend william o. Bartlett OF New York,
one of the clearest and aest at the NewYork bar
%
except his reputation literary man, which rises
even above it-whcn this was stated to
him he at pronounced 1t case OF black
mail And he was right regret that his other engage
monts have prevented from having the benefit of his
services we'll those Of valued and honorcd asso
cates OF this case because he would speak with direct
ness and power in characerzng it that cannot COM
mand. But can you doubt that it was backmail, and
from tho bcgnningl Not from the beginning as
against MI Beechcr-in the beginning Bowen; in its
prosecution. Bocchcr in the cnd Plymouth Church and
the friends of Mr. Bcecher As long the money came
the charge was held back When the money failed then
came the charge But do you believe that the gun is not
loaded before it Is fired Do you believe that the cart
ridge and tho ball find their way into the
weapon before it is discharged by accident
These were men who meant business from the beginning
IL is entirely that their purposes shifted their de-
vices shifted from time to tmc according to the exgen
ces of the OCCASION but all through the dark thread
conspiracy which you can trace back from THIS very
hour to tho whcn the secular Christmas Of 1870
Theodore Tton stood before Henry Bowen arraigncd
for immortality and threatened with discharge. Men
often misled by the ambiguity OF terms What is black
mai strict and technical sense this is not case OF
blackmai Fortunately such cancerous conspracies as
this have been 80 rare that language does not
furnish terms characterize with definite precision the
peculiar infany of the actors or the vile nsrumcntai-
ties they employ, It's only by proximaIe terms that
such men and such means can DO portrayed The word
blackmail in its primary sense imports contributions
made by honest to the conederates Of rogues to
avoid threatened pilage and depreciation In another
sense it imports extOrton Of money whether from
the guilty tho innocent by threats of injurious accusa
ton. Webster defines the term thus
l. A certain rate OF money. coin. cattle. or other
thing ancicnty paid in the North OF England and South
OF Scotland to certain who were allied to robbers
10 be by thom protected from page. =. ExtOrt0n OF
money from person by threats OF accusation or ex
posure of opposition, in the public prints.
THE REASONS FOR CHARGING BLACKMAIL
Technically, tho moneys obtained by MOul-
do fhnrd cn