The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-04-28
End of the CrOss-Examinali

!
End of the CrOss-ExaminatiOn.
What Mr.. Beecher has to say in
court, in regard to the charge against
him, is about all said He has passed
through one of the most trying exami-
nations ever experienced by a witness.
! Though opinions differ as to the man
ner in which he has borne himself.
and many insist that his answers have
been in some instances evasive, we
think all must admit that his testi-
mony as given in the direct examina-
ton has been unshaken. 1t is hard
to undergo such fierce fire of cross
questioning as that to which he has
been subjected, without falling into
errors and contradictions, even ad-
mitting that the witness is entirely
innocent. That he should pass
| through this without one serious mis-
hap, as he certainley has done, and
still be guilty, as charged, seems alb
solutely beyond relief 1t would make
out Mr.. Beecher not only the remark
| able man which his friends claim, but
| one of the deepest, wiliest, craftlest
| persons who has ever appeared In any
court of justice. Does his prior life
/ make such judgment Of his character
reasonable? Does his previous con-
duet in this very matter in which, 1T
guilty, he committed the most absurd
, blunders, lend to such an interpreta-
i ton degree of probability lie
trusted the evidences of his guilt in
the hands of a third party. Did this
display the craft and cunning of an
adept? lie passed over to friend of
his accuser the very letters which are
now brought up in judgment against
him. Was this the act Of man veIsed
i'll the philosophy of deceit? We sub
NIT that his course in this whole affair
is entirely incompatible with the the
ory of his being the willy witness
which he must be, to sustain himself,
if guilty, against the overwhelming
power brought to bear against him.
We have said many times before, and
now say. the only way Of explaining.
and this story may be briefly summar-
lied as follows:
/. Mr. Beecher was led to believe
from the reports OF Bowen, from Bes-
sic Turner, and others, that Tilton
was false to his early religious teach
to honor as to even be guilty of per-
sonal cruelty t, his family. On these
representations he advised the dis
charge of Tilton from the Independ-
ent, and, with Mrs Beecher's s approv-
al, the separation of Mrs. Tilton from
her husband.
2. On the word Of Moulton, who
declared that these stories were false,
nd ho
he became convinced that he had
greatly wrongcd Tilton, and that, in
short, he had been guilty of base in
him in times of need most faithfully.
3. Combined with the abuse, Mr.
Beecher was given to understand that
Mrs. Tilton had transferred to him
the love which belonged to her hus-
band, and he therefore saw himself in
the light of having robbed Tilton of
his wife's affections, as we'll as having
contributed to his financial ruin.
Feeling that he had thus been guilty
Of the deepest ingratitude, he was
Mortified finally, by being confronted
by written confession of Mrs Tilton,
in which she charged him with having
made improper proposals to her. To
mend the wrong he believed he had
committed. and to stop the publicity
of this disgraceful scandal, Mr..
Beecher wrote those letters of con-
triton, furnished Tilton with means
to begin anew his career in life, sought
to heal the family dissensions, and
bring back the peace and prosperity
which he charged himself with having
driven from Tilton's home There is
no passage in any Of Mr. Beecher's
letters which cannot be reasonably
interpreted on this theory, while there
are numerous passages which cannot
be thus explained on the theory of his
criminality. As with the letters, so
with the actions of the parties-Til-
ton, Moulton Mrs Moulton, and Mrs
Tilton, as well as Mr. Beecher. All
are consistent. if Mr.. Beecher's ex
planation is taken; all are inconsistent,
if the charge of the prosecution is
considered. We do not wish to be
partial in the Judgment of this case;
we have tried very hard not to be so;
but the conclusions we have formed
from the evidence thus far given seem
to us to exclude the probability and,
we may even add. the possibility of
guilt in the sense charged. What re-
mains to be developed we shall soon
ee.-Inter-Ocean.
The New York Tribune honors it,
self, when it says: General Grant
honers himself in the generous and
graceful words with which he rays
deserved honor to General Spinner,
on the occasion of the veterans retire
ment from the Treasury Department.
He says: I wish to say how much i,
in common with the great mass OF
people of this country, appreciate your
zeal and devotion to the arduous du-
ties you have been called upon to per-
form in the last fourteen or fifteen
years. In retiring from these duties,
/ hope you will find rest and restora-
tion to vigorous health so long denied
YOU You take with you my wishes
for your welfare and happiness, and
my confidence in your patriotism
zeal, and ability. But few men have
performed more labor for the public
than you. None have retired from
their labors retaining stronger con
fidence in the public mind for con-
stancy, integrity, and unselishncss. ;"
T. ! l. L