Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-11
BeeeheT's Rhetorical and Passionate
EXpressiOns-"A Neral NiagaTa"-
Christ rs an Historical
Character.
ETarts as a "Heayy' Nan-Psr!er as a
VilIiner-"YengeaEce rs Mine,
saith the LOrd"-Ti!tOR's
FOrbeRraRCe.
Judge Nelson On The Question Of Order
and DecOrum-POpulaT sympathy
with TiltOn-Beach Still
on the Floor.

New YORK, June lO,-The Brooklyn
! city courtroom this morning was again
the scene Of cT0wding, more dense, If
possible, than yesterday, despite the
Instructions issued by Judge Nelson.
When Mr.. Beach, who wss early IL his
arrival, entered he was received with a
storm Of applause. Mr.. TiltOn was pres
ent but Mr.. Be6cher and his wife were
absent. Mr.. Porter stated that Mr.
Evarts was UnavOidably absent az be
had to 60 to Washington and YVES there
fore deprived Of hearing the remarks
OF Mr.. Beach to-day but be would be
present tomorrow afternoon. A few
remarks from Mr.. Porter disclsiming
any bitterness in his attack on Mr.. Til
ton, and stating that he had not used
the phrase attributed TO him yesterday,
Down, down to he'll, I sent thee there"
Mr.. Beach replied that he was sCTry if
he had misunderstood his learned friend,
but that he had heard him say
Down, down. to TiltOn, and had nat
urally thought that he desired to con-
sign TiltontO hell, and Indeed" said the
counsel, "I think so still" Laughter.
Mr.. Beecher and his wife entered at
this point and took their customary
seats.
The Post report says: Mr.. Beach then
resumed bis address TO the jury. Hessid
an effort had been made to represent
that words imputed to BeecheT by the
plaintiff and his witnesses were such as
were foreign to his style and could not
have been employed by one so skilled in
the use Of the English language. Well,
there was no doubt that all men accus-
toned to writing and public speaking
had q style peculiar TO themselves.
Thus, il any OF the jury should see a
pamphlet containing speech by Mr..
EVaTts, with its title-page gone, its in.
ternal evidence would be sufficient to
indicate its authorship. He would see il
the expressions imputed TO Beecher were
such as to indicate another paternity.
For instance, the counsel for the defense
had urged that the term ''psroXysmsl
kiss was an sbsuTiity which could
never have come from the lips of Beech
er. The word "paroXysmaP was good
one, and was known TO law in connec-
tion with insanity. He had the curiosity
TO examine the published writings OF
Beecher, and in a single sermon he had
found il used repeatedly. Mr.. Beach
quoted numerous passages from this ser
mon in which the words "pRTOXysmn
and GparOEysnal' were used IN regard
to repentance, love, and other strong
emotions. This came pretty near to a
"paroxysmal kiss" He then cOnsid-
cred the expression "a moral Niagara"
and the argument that it was piece OF
false rhetoric, which Beecher never
would have used, any more than he
would have spoken OF "mOral hay
stack" He considered this to be a
forcible and proper phrase to describe
Beecher's position. Beecher did stand
on the brink Of moral Niagara, from
which only the jury could save him.
1t was as proper an expression as DIR.
Watts "gulf Of despair" Mr.. Beach
then cited q humber Of passages from
Beecher's writings TO show his fOndness
for extravagant rhetoric expressions and
the liberties which he was in the habit
Of taking with the English language.
Among these were: "ApOtheOsiZed
pumpkins" Gan ethical furrOw,"
brellical,n ga pocket ocean," "a ty-
phoid conscience,n Hailstone teach
ing,'S The hilltop Of happiness" "a
horse rapture" Covering volcanoes
with pills" and many others. He did
not quote these by way Of criticizing
Bescher's style, but to show what his
style was. Such expressions were nat
ural to the man, and were interspersed
all through his eloquent addresses which
attracted bis crowds of hearers, and
made them burst into applause even in
the house OF God. The expression Of
Beecher to Mrs. Moulton, that she al
ways impressed him as q section Of
the day Of Judgment" had been Tidi-
culed by the counsel for the defense,
who said that Beecher did not divide the
day of judgment into sections. Well,
when that day came, he thought we
should find out that it had at least two
sections. Laughter. Mrs. MOultOn
was constantly urging BeecheT to make
q confession. She was holding up be-
fore him the day Of doom to
which his course was leading,
and he EXPRESSED his feelings
which reproduced upon him in a mali
ner natural to man. Mr.. Beach then
spoke Of the attempt to represent IS
blaspbemOus the letter to his wife in
which TiltOn speculated upon the char
acter which Christ would have mani
tested in the position Of marriage. he
sid that there was no character which
had ever given rise to go much specuia-
ton and commentary as that Of the
SaviOr's, and that this philosophical
speculation on the part Of THtOn in
vOlved no scotfing or irreverence. Til
ton spoke Of ChIist as an historic char
acter. But he was so regarded, OF course,
by Beecher, aside from his sacred char
aCtcT. Mr.. Beach quoted passages from
Beecher's works and sernnons in which
he smoke ofChrIsJ as an historical char
acter and open to speculation and in
vestigatiOn. He then urged that it
showed the depth Of thought and Telig-
ious interest which was commendable in
Tilton; that, immersed in the cares Of
business, he turned aside to speculate
upon such a subject, which he trusted
with no irreverenCe or indelicaCy OF eX-
preston in the letter which he wrote to
his wife. Mr.. Beach referred to the love
or reverence which all had for the Lords
prayer, taught to the child at the moth
er's knee. He then quoted an expires.
sion Of BeecheT in regard to it, in which
he said its value. was not lessened by the
fact that when q christian taught il, its
sentiments were not new. Thus Beech
er spoke of Christ as q plagiarist, and
as adopting for his own use what had
before been Iepe ted among men.
Mr.. Beach cited Otuer passages from
Beecher's works as showing his familiar
mode of treating Of Christ's life and at
tributes, snd urged the Injustice Of seiz-
ing upon TiltOn's letters, not proclaim
ing his theories upon the housetop, but
written in private to his wife, as an in
dicstion Of moral obliquity. He then
spoke OF the position taken by Porter,
that man who could use such language
as Moulton had employed concerning
Beecher, was not a credible witness
against him. Well, If this was so, what |
sort OF witness would Porter be after
such language IS ne had used in regard
to plaintiff, in regard 10 Reecher and in !
regard to the woman. He next referred |
to the charge CT reasonable conduct on |
the part Of MOultCn, and said that his |
relations with BeecheT were not changed |
by the simple appointment Of church !
committee Of which Moulton disap-
proved, but by Henry Ward BeecheT's |
false aud qalumniOuz charUa that tbiu