The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-02-11
Extracts from the Eloquent Plea of
Mr.. Beach Sor1she Admission Of Til.
ton as q Witness.

Listening, sir. to my learned adver-
sary's brilliant and impressive exordium,
! was led to regret that I was not gifted
with those qualities which would enable
me, in some faint and far off degree, to
emulate his sonorous style. l cannot,
and | shall not attempt it /; but l am con-
soled somewhat by the reflection that
this is an argument upon q question of
law, addressed to the court that speak
to a mind learned and experienced, and
not likely to be moved from its self pos.
session by defamation Of counsel. That
defamation, sir, would, to my mind, have
been far more impressive had it been ut
tered in the cause Of one who had not for
gotten the precepts taught by his pro.
fessional representative; on behalf of one
who has invaded the sanctity and privacy
of domestic life, and who, as the evidence
now stands, has seduced wife from her
allegiance, and himself induced her, be.
fore his packed committee. to reveal the
secrets Of domestic intercourse: intro
duced her, upon that occasion. to villify
and abuse the husband, who now seeks
occasion to vindicate himself from all as
pensions. and to tell to your honor and to
the community the true story Of the sad
and lamentable difficulty which has
broken up a happy and honored home.
and scattered its inmates upon the cold
charities Of the world.
INJUSTICE OF THE PROPOSITION OF THE DE-
FENsE.
81 do not. sir. accept the issue Of my
learned friend. Reduced to its simple
proposition. in direct application to the
case. the proposition Of counsel is that
Henry Ward Beecher, upon the stand. is
. witness in this action. and Theodore
| Tilton is not. Whatever Henry Ward
| Beecher may choose to say: however he
may stigmatize Theodore Tilton; if per-
chance he should swear that, from the
| lips of Theodore Ti!ton, he has been lib
Grated from his charges; nay,
| if he should swear that he has
paid Theodore Tilton for the wrong and
received discharge for the outrage upon
his rights, The practice and impartiality
Of the Laws excuses Theodore Iilton from
answering these imputations. 1t pre-
sents, sir, just that conclusion; and if
your honor holds to the proposition. it
effects Just that practical result, that
Henry Ward Bcecher is free and at Eber-
| ty to testify the accused sedncer may be
admitted as witness, to free himself
from the accusation, but the wronged and
| outraged husband, with his lips sealed by
law. cannot offer to this court and jury
any testimony in behalf Of his action.
Before your honor shall reach . conclu-
sion of that character, so unjust in all its
theory, so mischievous in all its conse-
quences, you must be driven to it BY clear
and satisfactory authority. 1t is contra
~ to our notions Of justice. and it seems
| to be contrary to the theory Of our laws
of evidence, and works practical wrong
which would outrage the common sense
Of the community.
| Counsel then entered into arguments
explaining the intent Of recent legisla-
ton, and continued: s'In concluding
this, sir. and in answer to the illussra-
tons Of my learned friend. permit me to
follow with an illustration. Imagine.
sIr. . happy. honored, cultured home ;
= wife, frsil. feeble. and delicate woman,
eminently devotional and pious in all her
impulses. and, as has been shown hereto
fore, devoted to the husband OF her early
| choice, and the father Of her children.
She had : pastor--learned, eminent. and
gifted beyond his feIlous; one Who stoed
- the very hsad ofhn honored and Sacred
Iu~~E>~~:-.. 49,