The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-06-10

the vicinity? | have seen, said counsel, Ply
mouth church in all IFS glory, parasites ana
slaves of Beecber, bringing their influence 10
bear here in his behalf, but where are the great
and good men who proclaim his Innocence!
They are not here to rally around this fallen
preacher Mr. Beach urged upon the jury the
duty of discarding all such considerations: ne
woulG not ask them to surrender their Jadg-
pulpit orators, nor would he refer to the subject
at all but that it was introduced by his oppo-
nent, He could prove, if necessary, that Por-
ter also erred in professional Judgment upon
this case, but what had the opinion OF lawyers
10 do with this case? 1t was a significant fact
that the two leading papers OF Beechers old
home, indianapolis, can furnish some Instruc-
tive reading on this case. 1t would be the pest
thing in this mournful drama if Tilton and his
lawyers could be persuaded by the Judgment OF
intelligent men that his wife loves him, as Por-
ter says she does. Ii is strange that Porter
represents her as at once Glowing and loathing
her husband" and that any human being should
assert to intelligent men that she still loves the
father of her children and at the same time
she loathes him. If she had been left to the
better impulses of her nature und the forgive
ness that covered her sin in 1870, and the char
ity that took her again to the bosom OF her nus
band had produced its legitimate effect upon
her nature none of these sad consequences
would be exhibited to-day. But it was when
misled and seduced from the home she had DIS
honered. but which her husband had rebuilt,
and taken from her husband her love, to APP
pear as the vindicator of her seducer that all
hope of silence, of keeping the scandalous story
of wrong, shame, sin and lying from the com.
munity was given up. By and by he would
show who was answerable for the exposure,
and whoever it was, he had serious and heavy
responsibility. Even il Beecher be innocent
and declared innocent he cannot take his place
in the pulpit the same grand character as be-
fore, but is shorn of his power to do good:
Though he be convicted the shame that settled
on Tilton's household never can be plotted out,
and the man who has forced this issue has as
sumed mighty responsliolhLt ~ ihey never vel
thrown on the public mind or stay the Judg-
ment of the public.
He regretted that Porter gave no evidence of
Mrs. Tiions love for Tilton, or that 1.-THE ten
dercy of her affections in that way could
be discovered in her attitude during this
trial, or that nything else could be discovered
in it than the most idolatrous affection for
Henry Ward Beecher If there was any evil
dence of cruelty, outrage and wrong against
her by Tlton, one might be disposed TO pardon
her for the course she had taken, but where
was the sacrifice or effort omitted by him to
save his family from this disgrace. Tilton con-
| tradicted portion of Bessie Turner'S testi-
mony to the effect that he spoke of his grey
hairs on certain occasion. He says, why,
| had no grey hairs at that time" Porter dis
covered letter to his wife previous to this, in
| which he speaks of his grey hairs. Why,
what if be did say, "The infirmities of age
| have come upon us, darling" He has not
| many grey hairs now, and if he made nis-
take at that time it is no great matter. Yet
| Evarts and Porter both talk solemnly OF I1lton
| telling such lie with his hand upon the Bible,
| and SO on. Tilton's wife is two years older
| than him. His letter does not assert he was
grew then, but would it be surprising ii he
referred to his wife's grey hairs when he said,
| "Grey hairs have come to US, darling.
| Counsel traced the expression True Invalid
ness" to one of Beecher's letters to Mrs. TIlton-
| He considered Tilton's feelings toward Beecher
and cOntended that be could but harbor
| revengeful feelings, and claimed that Tlton's
| forgiveness was so much the more conspicuous.
| He denied that Tilton Intentionally garbled
| the contrition letter, claiming that in the Bacon
| controversy he quoted it merely to show that he
was not the creature of Beechers magnanlmlty.
| The part omitted was, 'She is guiltless, sinned
against, bearing the transgressioas OF another.
Her forgiveness have"
Now could it be possible that it was injurious
to Beecher to suppress that But I'M reality 1t
| was omitted in pursuance of the generous
policy Tilton had adopted of securing his wife
| from exposure. Another accusation was that
Tilton sent word to Redpath in 1874 that he
| was going to alter his charge to adultery. Not
| word in the evidence bore that out Tilton
| and Rsdpath and others were engaged in the
| policy of suppression and the policy of misrep-
| resentation, Tilton saying his wife was pure
| and Beecher's offence improper approaches, and
when that policy was abandoned Illt0n senI
| word to Redpath that he would bring suit and
| charge adultery.
Counsel next referred to the assertion that
| Mrs. Mouton was conspiratress agreeing to
| give testimony in this suit He pointed out
| that this was inconsistent with the testimony
brought out by sthe defence, that she might
| have called Tilton a villain and warned Beecher
| of his enmity. He insisted that there was moth
| ing in this ladys testimony to justify the i'm
| putation that she arranged to be witness in a
Grim. con. case, but she knew as she says an
| action was to come for she heard TitOn say he
would take his case into the court where he
would be fairly dealt with. Adjourned,