New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-05
THE NORTHUMBERLAND
THE CATHERINE GAUNT LETTER.

The Court met at IL q. M. pursuant to adj
journment
Mr.. Evarts-I need now to consider few matters
touching the relations of Mrs Tton and Mr.. Beecher,
brought out doubt in the letters shall ask your at
tenton at later period than the dates that am now
discussing coming they do in the earlier part of
the year 1871 they throw reflex and conrmatory light
upon the real nature Of the ndscretons the misfor-
tunes the of whatever degree they may nave been
that attended the intimacy between Mr. Beecher and
Mrs Tton You will remember that we put in evidence
letter which had been published by her husband in the
bearing date the Doth Of June in the year
1871 and written TO him by her during temporary alb
sence from the city, at place OF summer resort IL
has become famous the Catherine Gaunt
letter, and before the Committee OF
the Church in their Investigations, and has
been much in the public mind and much yours
since this trial began. 1t has but meaning and 1t
is absolute refutaon Of all pretenses OF carna inter
course bodily impurity Of any kind the part OF this
Not only does the letter ITSELF but the whole
story and plot and morale of the work OF fiction which
IL introduces TO notice and which 1t builds certain
conclusions in the mind Of this is, and is known
70 every 70 be- exposition OF how there come
20 be unsuitable disturbances Of domestic peace insult
able exaggeratons Of grounds Of religious dscord be
tween husband and wife, by the entirely innocent the
entirely pure and religious relation between clergyman
and pentent OF devotee This letter reads follows
JUNE 20, 1871.
MY DEAR THEODORE: To-day, through the ministry Of
been opened for the rst time in my expefience so that
/ clearly my sin IL was when knew that was
woman should check instantly an absorbing love Bat it
appeared TO me in such false light That the love felt
and received could harm one, not even yOu have
believed unalteringiy until o'clock this afternoon
M ev 1e baye pUe Vo and
Immediately to ask pardon, with enitence so SIN
cere that hencetOrth III reason remains you may trust
implicitly Oh my dear Theo., though your opinions
not restful congenal to my soul yet my in
Bless God, with me- for Catherine Gaunt and for all the
sure leadngs OF an awse ana loving Providehce Yes;
with yOu to keep il the Savior requreh, who ookeh
know not that you are yet able or ever will be- to say
this TO me- Still, with what profound thankfuness tnat
planted the rock of this great truth you cannot at all
When YOU yearr toward me with any true feeling be
assured of the tried, purified, and restored love OF
Written from schohare.
Now, gentlemen you exactly how Mr.. TiltOn. in the
confused relations OF the affections and the appetes
that he himself had displayed in his connection with the
loose theories and the careless specnlaons that he had
allowed to intrude themselves into the columns
Of professedy religious and Christian newspaper The
Independent how the wife, having before her, and al
ways insisting upon in the strongest manner that the
preservation Of the purity Of the marriage relation on
the part Of the husband and Of the WIFE at the very
bottom of the dignity the morality OF the nature and
character of Christian and women ana how urging
her husband in 1868 to beware of these moral con-
out to him in letter. the burning force of which he could
not bear to publish till he had mutilated 1t and pre-
sented 1t confession, hint of her impurity, i'll
stead expostation with him for his willful graft
hcaton of his desires how in that state OF things Mr.
Tton finds easy say she did not for year aferward
after she had made the communication to him In July,
1870 understand feel that she had violated her mar
riage vow him, that her part there had been any
injury to the marriage relation or any just cause OF com
plant by him; that whatever she had stated to him
concerning this ENHANCEMENT or subtraction OF alice
ton rested and only there and he knew it and she
knew it. and she mad used this form Of sereproach and
reimbursement in the degree of having allowed az
fectons to disturb the unity Of subordnaton 10 him
in all affairs means OF renewing upon
lin the impressions that had been so pow
erfully produced by the solemn interview of
the o6th of January. 1868. and had then worn away
And il was only when she read Catherine Gaunt, that
novel TO which husband had referred in her letters TO
him. during the earlier periods in 1867 or 1868 that she
perceived that under the powerful exposition OF this
writer OF fiction a relation between clergyman and
married woman that had no pretense OF impury IN IT,
had vet come to ground Of discord in the family OF
controversy in the divided allegiance of the wife 10 the
church. in which her husband did not believe, ana OF an
enhancement and of the consequences OF driving the
husband into actual adultery of which he late repened
and for which he pardoned by the WIFE, NOW, you
see how this work Of fiction played into the nmost heart
of this woman Mrs TtOn, both OF these points, that
nutv unity absolute subsection to the husband, must
discard even the attraction OF the affections through the
influence of pious clergyman and then she saw, as IN
der the burning light Of the sum- how 1t could De carried
into the sad impressions upon the husband and his con-
duct Of plunging him in actual guilt; and then was re-
produced before her all that situation whereby by
her own abasemen her own sefreproach, her own tax
ing on herself Of SIM in not being so acceptance 10 HIN
and 40 compliant to him as to satisfy, and attract,
and absorb all the passions and attractions OF
the sex for him-she really made herself THINK
that she was responsible for the overhow-
ing appettes and indulgences OF this husband.
And then abe saw how woman, Catherine Gaunt had
under this exposition Of the powerful writer furnished
lesson TO her that wife, the first tendency to allow
an image even TO in competition with the nus
hands portrait engraved upon her heart Is an error ana
that out OF that grow without bodily impy and With
ou anv sin In the sense Of the loss OF chastity on one
side or proposition OF dshonor on the other mscheis
that cannot be measured and the results OF which may
be deplorable.
CATHERINE GAUNT'S FAULT.