Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-06-21
THE BEECHER TRIAL-ADDRESS or
MR. BEACH.

Resuming his consideration Of the letter o.
Beecher to Moulton, denunciatory of DE-. Storr'
for calling the Congregational Council, MIR. Beach
compared Beecher's conduct in that instance with
what it should have been bad he been innocent
He asked whether it was that Beecher feared thai
in the council it would be revealed that he had ad
vsed Bowen to discharge a VIGOROUSLY profIgate
man from the editorship of q Christian newspaper,
or that he had consented to the advice of his wife
and Deacon Bell looking to the separation OF
good wife from brutal husband, or that he had
innocently attracted the love OF Mrs. 1llton 10
himself If Beecher tells the truth he believed
that on Dec. 80 Tilton had maiciously forced his
wife to make false charge against him; yet he
went from that interview to Tilton, and for three
years afterward continued to overflow with testi
monals to Tilton's long suffering and nobility ano
honesty Of character. lie even permitted San
Wilkeson in his own newspaper to publish COM
mendatien of Tilton. Nay, more; when he knew
Tilton to be sunk into the corruption of the Wood
hull clique he comes forward voluntarily with
S. 900 to save and continue what he believed to
be an organ of free love. Judge Porter said that
Beecher never specified his sin. Three witnesses,
said Mr.. Beach, name it for him; nor is it likely
that Beecher would have specified it. 1t was well
understood. Every line of Beecher's writings
speaks the name. All his actions are blazoned
with it.
The notion that the advised separation had any
thing to do with Beechers grief was absurd, CON
tinued Mr.. Beach. Beecher took no responsible
ty in the matter. He turned it over to his wife
and Mr.. Bell and their advice was not taken. Mrs.
Tilton remained with her husband through loll-2-
3-4, until Beechcr's emissaries enticed her away
from him. And even had there been separation,
if Beecher believed the charges of Mrs. Tilton
and Bessie Turner against Titon where was the
basis of regret at advising a separation from such
a scoundrel But Frank Moulton came to him
and persuaded him that Bessie Turner was liar
and that Mrs. Titon was not to be trusted, and at
Ahn fhnrr nF at Qrk
around him. Such is the story that Beecher asks
the jury to affirm.
Mr. Beach passed on to consideration of Mr..
Beecher's participation in the policy of silence.
reading letters he wrote the subject as late as
June, 1873. That was long course of hypocrisy.
he said, for a Christian minister. Beecher was a
deliberate hypocrte, he said, for Christian min
ister. Beecher was a deliberate accomplice in a
series of lies, not to help Tton or his wife, but to
save himself the necessity OF denying the charge
of improper solicitations. Had there been an in
vestigation of the West charges, and had there
been no proof to SUP port them all the rumors that
filed the world against him would have been
swept away, and peace and triumph would have
been his portion. Adopting letter received by
him from BnghamptOn lady, MIR, Beach used
had previously cited in defense of Beecher, to
argue that whereas Beecher's conscience would
not permit him. at an early stage of the scandal !,
to tell an open lie in defiance of Tilton and Moul-
ton, long series of lying had naturally brought
him at last to the point of perjury.
of the interval Mr.. Beach considered the
letter of June |, 1873. The "geam of light from
Heaven" through "the darkness of the earth, y
meant, he argued, broken spirit awakened
at last to those early aspirations that first
lifted his soul to God. What was, he asked, the
danger" Moulton spoke of in his answer, which
"would COVER" if Beecher looked it squarely IN
the eye: :" No such words as those could possibly
have been written to Beecher if he was innocent.
Certainly in the light of the events of the past few
months, Moulton might well have assumed that
Plymouth Church would forgive any sin Beecher
might have been guilty of. Mr. Beach thought
the Christian world would also have forgiven him
had he confessed.
Mr. Beach passed to the consideration of Moul-
tons testimony. He began by reading numerous
paragraphs from the writings of Mr.. Beecher certi-
lying to the integrity Of Moulton. Suddenly
when Moulton refused to give up the documents
in his possession, Beecher became his revller, and
charged him with black-mail, Is Mouton, Mr..
Beach asked, to be judged by this AFTER and inter-
ested Judgment, when on the stand, in spite of all
man, Beecher himself confessed that there was no
black-mail Mr.. Beach cited an authority to
show the value of litigant's testimonials to a
witness whose character had been imreached. In
spite of these testimonials of Beecher's no man
ever entered a court room as a witness who had
been so persistently villfed as Moulton. Moulton
had been called traitor. Mr. Beach asked where
he had proved treacherous. Was it when he was
devsing shifts and working persistenty to sup
press the scandali He had never intermited his
exertions until Beecher imputed to him di.honor.
This young, unframed heather might well have
been proud to associate with Beecher to hold in
his hands the fate of such man, and even Chris
tan honor and integrity might have been tempted
TO lie to protect name so great. Moulton could
have been the best petted and the best pampered
man in Brooklyn if he had proved false TO Tilton.
Even now in the common sense Of an American
said Mr.. Beach he stands disenthraled.
He is true TO his honor and faithful to his friend
ships, and all the power of Beecher and his mn
ions cannot blacken him. Adjourned to Monday
GENERAL NEWS.
Anna ouise Gary swims ike a paad M 7 ono,