Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-07-23


tn, rial The assertions OF the various
statements of last summer made up 'nc
bulk of the testimony. and the chiei VIII
nesses we're the authors Of these statements.
Moreover the only point OF doubt from ,ne
beginning has been the explanation Vi vi
Rss.her's letters Was his own interpreta-
ton of them correct. or were they tne emu
ms of the moral monster which, il guilty.
he necessarily is? This has been the ques-
linn throughout. for there as been nothing
but circumstantial evidence offered. NO"
when a man who has lived for more thsn a
generation in light ofpublicity as nerce
a. that which beats upon throne, anu
whose character has to the pubiic KNOW
edge never been assalied. Is suuuenN: "'
the age of sixty, accused OF the most imam
Gus oifsnses. implying the most appaiiihg
and exceptional turpitude, not iapse
from virtue" not sudden outbreak vi NOV
passion. but the long. elaborate CRAFTY uu-
dermining OF the moral CHARACTER Vi
trusting woman. who had held to him al
most the relation of child peculiarly be-
Lived and who regarded him with tender
reverrnce-a Young woman, moreover. the
wife of a Young mar, his disciple, whom he
Loved with more than the love OF an elder
hrother. and when simultaneously with this
corruption of pure womanly nature
perslstent declaration OF innocence HO"s
from his Inns. an avowal OF absolute re-
lance upon the Divine arm and an intimate
and peculiar consciousness oil the DIVINE
favor. combined with careless buoyancy
and ioyousness Of manner, Overlooking IN
gay tests upon the very situati0n-"heh
such a charge. so complex, - revolving 80
horrible, is made against such man, ana
attended with circumstances so magnliSlns
and multiplying his guilt If guilty he be,the
hest and holiest instincts of human nature
demand that il be instantly and Indignantly
rejected. unless it be made by man OF
eouaily unspOtted reputation, or unless the
evidence be clear, incOntroyertible ana con-
elusive. Character must and does protect a
man so far. Ii shields him, under the CIR
cumstances, against doubts, suspicious ana
interferences, ami ceases TO protect MIN ohly
when his reputation is distinctly seen To
have been the most humillatlng OF decep-
tons. and himself the most crafty anu
plausible OF Williams.
IL will not be asserted that the evidence
AGAINST Mr. Beecher has been lncontroVertl-
bic or conclusive. Ii has been throughout .
ipferential. The allegation that he confessed
his guilt i made by those who, IN the absence
of r1rrnboratiye proof, are no more to be
D batlgygl tldn Dt dul NhN
ubether his theory and explanation OF the
circnmstances. including his letters, are
more or less probable than those OF the ac-
rn.er. Here the question becomes psyche
| LOGICAL. Ii is one OF experience and cbserva-
ZION of human nature and character and emo
non and the inquiry is whether a man OF
an .xceptionaliy emotional temperament,
/ naturally inclined and carefully trained to
excessive and protuse expression, Il man oil
the utmost generosity, simplicity, sympa-
tbv and credulity. might not very readily,
and in his case most naturally, ieel ana ex-
/ nress an oyerpowering sorrow and regret,
wholly di-proportiOned to the occasion,
/ which might easily-and. from common ex-
/ nerience. even naturally-but most ms
/ takenly. be interpreted a. evidence OF
/ narrowing remorse and seli-act using con-
/ triton Tor enormous crime
RELIGIOUS history Is iull If illustrations oil
sncb phenomena. The best men nave &c
c,sed themselves as the worst, and their
aponizipg protestati0ns OF guilt and des-
nair for yery inconsiierable acts, or Tor
nothing at ali but the accusations OF their
own Vaccinations, would be infinitely ludi-
cr,us If thew were no: profoundly pathetic
In what manner this key OF temperament
erd character unl0cks all the doubtful
nassages OF the Brooklyn story has heen
already stated in the article IN the wang
81 few weeks since, which considered al!
the testimony from the beginning 10 the end,
and WHICH explained, a we think. SIMPLY
! naturally. and without strainlng any ialr
| ,.erpretatiOn, that the occasion vi the 4et-
tor AID the secret with when they are
/ h1rdenet was not the alleged chense, hat a
rsrv different and innocent and sincere os-
rNN
Iiaf At the writer that he had unwltihsN
| becnrne the agent of terrible wrong 70
nersons dearly beloved, who had iaDy
rrn.ted him, and that eir1sp>ahce9 "AI
arisen which -eemei to him To MAKE con
cealment the wi-est. lustest, anu ue9t po+'-
~ for all concerned. Nothing j. clearer
than that all that was sad ana zone III
such a situatI0n-which may nave oeol
foolish. false. and mistaken ones NuHoei
tible OF accommodation to another anu
rsvolting theory. Bat to adopt that theory
!. D", univ To- suppose moral guilt, but
guilt 30 monstrous, hypocrisy 70 vast Je-
fnanee of Divine Justice and OF human Dc
cenrv so iusolent. as TO be lneoneeiVGb-e.
AGAINST man who has lived sixty years
of uesullled life, fall in the public gah', an
! infsmons charge j. brought. There l. DO
/ diract evidence Of guilt presented there are
onlv circumstances and letters to be inter
,.re'ed One Interpretation wIlaA aSser'7
] T. innocence. l. harmonious Win Tue
L,,un character of the man, and Win t"e
recorded facts Of experience oil men ol
e;rn;l,r character in all times ana countries
The other theory. lha; OF his CUNT i nee
,arily. hy the conditions o. the case 80 w
+ lert and improbable that II iDVoi'es an al,
most unprecedented moral monstr0sltt Ehl
IA. derper blackness 10 the possibilities VI
/ human gnilt. Between those theories the
choice of every man must be made. II l.
nothing 10 the purpose TO say that, II guli'1 =
/ he i not the first famous man or preacuoi
who has fallen ID the same way Oecause'
/ if guilty, he l. an unmatched SI'IslH' anu i
n,1 IN he classed with what are cailsI p!ef-
/ zeal oa'.nders. II guilty, his CONDUCT
throughout shows a depravity 30 exception
al as to scqdester HIM from the human
race.
which may seem to any mind t1 be estao-
lisbed by the investigation be suffered 'lF d
moment to obscure the fact that Mr.. Beeeh-
or has not been upon trial for credulIty, or
discretion, or ssgacitg. Or senuWeh'aii'S ,
ar wisdom in general. or for the justice oil
views that some people may have snleE tain5
ed of him, but for a distinct and dtAhs4
crime. of which he is guilty or not Eui.l5
The ordeal has been tremendous. lie MAJ
been made ihe representative oil puoilc anu
nrira,e hospitaiit.es of many kinds. and has
been pursued with an aarlmony that SNOW y,
"a ,be most resoluto prejudsment. lie
6as been preached upon and about With o.
,nncb nassiouate warmth as be has himself
aver preached. and has been made the text
AZ d;inni-itions upon faults of character 50
many and 81 various that It Is astonishing
they could be aggregated in single man
His friends also have been often, as 1t seems
"a MS. singularly unwise. and by the need
loss excitement of bitter prej udIces nave
sadly obseured the real and ghastly point al
issue. . l.,
Those who have taken no part IN
the cnotcet but that of silent and attentive
,prcta tors. and whom the long trlai mas
failed {, persuade that he is guilty, nave;
of eour.e. been glad tina: he has not suffered
himself tO be driven by any sSphlstry from
the constant and faithful performance o! MS
uai,;,a duty, nor said word. nor done ai
act. that scgld be constructed into any au-
mission that tise charge was other than the
lie which from the first he affirmed II 10 oe'
His bearing since the das VI his open aceu-
A.tion has been tina; OF Dss Sh0 Kne"
rhe Asrk shadow in which he mGTea 80. That
of Islander. not of guilt. The tragedy Is
that experieGes Instrnc;s Us that such Il
shadow. once iaiisa, never wholly passes
away. Bat it does not change its nature
1t may remain, but it is still the shadow o.
a lie. not of the truth. He upoa .A9Gi u
has now fallen. and whom it will henee'osit
attend. knows that OF him to whom inueh
is given much also i required OF heroic en-
durance of lifelong mlsapPrehenslon' oil
unwearying forgiveness VI relentless caiuin-
ny. of endless patience WITH a2eering mai
ice and Pharlsalc sc0rn.
Ii is iuN time that the playful pointing
of firearms at persons be made felony,
with severe punishment attached Within
year serious tragedies arising from this
idiotic sport have occurred, many % iaam
under circumstances of heart-rending sad
ness. At New Haven. the other evening, a
Young man performed this genteel trick of
pointing a loaded rifle at woman. She
protested in terror; but no. he must carry