River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-03-19
A PLEA FOR BEECHER.
A Robust Kentucky view of she
Scandal.

Really, there is little more to be said
either for or against Mr.. Beeeher. That
he is guilty is proven by a mountain Of
evidence; that he is innocent rests upon
the word of himself and his paramour. In
casting up the score, however, it behooves
US to be liberal.
Tilton deserves all he has got for his
folly. Mrs. Tilton is sublimated Jack
ass in female attire. The question that
ought to perplex us relates to the degree
of the pastors guilt; how greatly was he
tempted; how far was he justified in ig.
noring Tilton; how large or small rela.
ton does this particular embarrassment
hold toward the general tenor Of his life.
Is Mr.. Beecher lifelong debauchee--a
lecherous mackerel caught at last upon
pin'hook-or is he the gallant of an cpl.
sode, the victim Of a ridiculous affection
for wax.doll!
The wisest and strongest of men have
succumbed to the most artificial feminine
wiles. Your strapping wench, however
cotnely, rarely exercises any substantial
or lasting power. The woman who brings
herself and her hero to the block is usual
ly fidgety. light-headed fool, frivolous
and sawdusty, with a turn for flirting in
short, an artful liar, who dupes by spe-
cies OF sentimental simpering very potent
with ardent, credulous, ...eited, vain
and imaginative manly natures. There
is such thing as being "too sweet" and
this seems to be Mrs. Tilton's virtue. She
is obviously cunning little dowdy, with
the trick of innocence. In person q
Becky Sharp and in character Lizzie
GreystOck--not possessing any Of the
talents Of Thackeray's heroine nor any
of the beauty of Trollope's seems 10
have taken Mr.. Beecher in and done for
him by the sheer force Of his weakness.
Men are such fools, and, unluckily, the
better man is, the bigger the fool he is
likely to be; for, where women are con.
cerned, if man is not a fool. he is
generally villain. In a liaison somebody
must be deceived often enough it is the
libertine rarely the wife. She knows
what she is about from the first. Now
and then she has the excuse of cruel
treatment at home, producing desperation
and that sense of recklessness viii h
drives both men and women to irresponsi.
BILE actions. In any event she proceeds
with her eyes open and has 70 right to
complain of the consequences. In an
affair between a man and a married
woman the true claimant for comnisera-
ton is the man, not the woman. 1t al
lows an innocent young girl, duped and
seduced, to go headlong to the devil,
leaving the scoundrel who has betrayed
her to cut and come again, whilst it visits
upon the victim of somebody else's wife
its severest condemnation,
Thus Beecher is execrated less for dis.
grscing religion, less for dragging his
clerical office through the mire, less for
violating q commandment of God, than
for cuckolding Tilton. His actual offense
is in hypocrisy. Mrs. Moulton's intui.
tions, the intuitions of his own sister,
were right. He should have gone before
his people and made clean breast of it,
and then-having purified himself by an
honest confession.--he should have set
glorious and impressive example to the
world by blowing his brains out in the
presence of his congregation. He is q
sensational preacher, and that would have
been sensation to some purpose. as well
as fitting close to his career. All Of US
have but one time to die. The right to
take ones own life is blessed
right given by our Creator to each of us.
And, when man can pick good chance
to die, why should he not adopt it Per-
haps Mr.. Beecher will yet carry out this,
the last, best use he can put himself to.
Perhaps he has an insane notion of vindi-
eating Mrs. Tilton, before he puts an end
to his existence by his most proper hand.
He has made a mistake, however. He
has delayed too long. He has lost his
opportunity.
As for Mrs. Tilton. she has not sense or
sensibility enough to be much hurt. Her
poor little creature comforts will be pro-
yided for, and beyond those We need not
interest ourselves. She is merely con-
temptible. II they should put her into
the witness box she would convict herself
and Beecher without recourse and within
a single examination.
On the whole, therefore, Beecher is to
be pitied. IL this particular offense 10
exceptional, he has paid high for it. A
romance and a beauty were not worth
half so much. But, if it be the culmina.
tion of an infamous life-an aggregation
of back pay-God Almighty's bill Of par
ticulsrs embraced in one of Mr.. Manta-
lini's "demnition sum totals'-why, let
him slide, and the quicker he travels the
better. IL he means to go to hell, let
him cut his throat or blow his brains out
and go direct, not loaf around the DEVILS
sponging house in Brooklyn. Let Tai
mage take the Plymouth club house with
its female attendants, and see what he can
do with it. Turnabout ought to be fair
play, even among the Puritans.
Runors Of m RI berry I'm COnnecrlon with