St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-04-16
Mr.. Beecher's Trial.
THE ''SHARP AND RAGGED EDGE" LET
TER.

Mr.. EvartS read the famous "sharI
and ragged edge" letter, as follows:
MONDAY. February ), IS72.
My Dear Friend M"ultonl: ! leave
town to-day, and expect to pass through
Philadelphia to New Haven. Shall not
be here till Friday. About three week,
ago, met L. Tilton in the ears going
to b. He was kind. We talked much
AT the end he told me to 90 on with
my work without the least anxiety. il
so far as his feelings and actions were
the occasion of apprehension.
On returning home from New Haven
(whcre | am three days IN the week
delivering Il course of lectures to the
theological students,) | found IL note
from +. EliZabeth-Mr Tiltou saving
that T. felt hard toward me. and was
going to see or write me before leaving
for the West. She kindly nd led .'Du
not he east down. | bear this almost
always. but the God in whom we trust
will deiirer as all safely know YOU
do and are willing abuudantlv tn help
him, and | also know your embarrass-
ments. These were words of warning.
but also of consolation. for believe f.
Is beloved of Cod and that her drawers
for me are sooner heard than mine Tor
myself or for her But it seems that Il
change has come to L. since SAW him
III the ears. Indeed. ever since he has
felt more intensely the force of feeling
III SocletY. am. the humliationS which
environ his enterprise, he has growingly
felt that | had Il power to help him
which did not develop. and hclicve
that you have participated in This feel
iEg. 1t is natural N"u should. +. is
dcarer to You than can he. He is
with You. All his trials lie open to
your eye daily. But see YOU but sci
dom. and my prlsonalIelations. enl iron
mentS. necessities. limitations. dangers
aud pelplrNitl"> You cannot see or
imagine. If had not gone through
this great year Of sOTrOW. would not
have believed that any one could plSs
through my experience and br diirc or
sane. have been the center of three
diStiut circles. each one of which re-
quircd clear -miudrduc>s and peculiarly
inventive "r originating power. viz:
|. The great church.
:. The nr~Npdp"r.
3. The book
The first | could neither get ont "t
nor slight. The scHSifircncSs "t 81 many
of my people w"uid have made ANY
appearance of trouble nr any remission
of force IN occasion of alarm and notice
and have excited. when il was imp"r-
tant that rumnI$ should die and every
thing he qlietcd.
The newspaper did roll of. doing
hut little except givr general directions,
and. in So doing. | WAS continually spur
red and rNh"rted h> those in interest
1t could not lo. helped.
The Lite of Christ" Lon = dclavrd.
had locked up the capital of the firm.
and wa> likely Ia sink them - finished
it must he. Was ever book h"ru OF
such SORROW a. that MS! The interior
history of il viii never he written.
During AL this time yoW, literally.
We're all my stay agd c9@toftur toff tie
courage which you inspired and the
hope which YOU hrcathrd.
Nv vacation was profitable. came
back. hoping tlnt the bitterness "t death
was passed. But r. troubles brought
back the cloud. with even Srvcrcr sui
tcrug. For. all his fall and winter.
have t'it that Nou did not feel satisfied
with me. and that seemed. both t."
you and r.. ~ cnutrutiug MY self with
- cautious or sluggish poliry. Willi = Il"
save myself, but not to risk ANYTHING
for I. have again and again pr"hed
my heart to 81. whether vas truly
liable I" such feeling. and the rr>r"u>e
is uucquivocIl that am not. No man
can see the difficulties that environ me.
unless lac stands where | do.
TO Sdg that have a chiuch 0u my
hands j. simple enough. but /" have
the hundreds and th"u-aud> of men
pressing me. each nuc viii. his keen
suspicion. at anxiety, 81 E'ul: to Sc
tendencies which. If not stopped. uould
break nut into ruinou> defense oi me ::
To stop them without seeming tn d" II {:
tr prevent any on" questioning me-; tn
meet ana aiial prciudiCc> against /.
which had their beginning wears hci"r'
this: to keep serene. IS II WAS moi
alarmed oI disturbed Ia hc cheerful at
home and among friends when was
suffering the tnrmeut> of th" damned :;
to pass slccplc~S nights often. and Vet
to come mp fresh and full for Sunday :
all this may hc talked about, but the
the ontSide. nnr its wearing and grind
ing on the ncrN ouS system.
God knows thai ! have put more
thought aud Judgment and earnest de
sire into my ciluIts to prepare Il WAY
for +. and L. than ever did for myself
Il hundredtnld. As to the outside pub
lie. have never lost an opportunity to
soften prcjudiccs. to rciutc falsehoods,
and to excite kindly feeling among all
whom I met. am thrown among
clergymen public men. and generally
the makers of public opinion. and
have used every rational endcavor to
repair the evils which have been visit
ed upon r.. and with increasing sue
cess.
But the roots of this prejudice ara
long. The catastrophe which preciri-
tated him from his place only disclosed
feelings that had existed long. Neither
he nor Won can he aware of the feelings
of classes in society. on other grounds
than late rumors. mention this to
explain why / knOU with absolute GER
tainty that no mere statement. letter.
testimony, or atfir nation will reach the
root of affairs and reinstate them. TINE
and WORK WILL.
But chronic evil requires chronic rem
edics. If my destruction would place
him all right, that shall not stand in his
way. am willing to step down aud
out. No one can offer more than that.
That | dc offer. Sacrifice me without
hesitation, if You can clearly see youl
way to his safety and happiness there
by. do not think that anything wonld