New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-08
TIE POLICY OF SILENCE CONSIDERED.

Now the "pOicy OF silence" as IL Is caled,
is OF no value in this unless to carry inference or
argument that-because Mr.. Beecher know Of and con-
Cured in aided in submitted to the policy OF selcc-
therefore it an evidence of guilt Why gencmen the
whole line Of impression of such argument fails when
we have disclosed to you the misery and misfortune OF
this family the disturbance Of the affections between hs
band and wife, and the conceded sclfreproach OF r
Beecher in regard to his participation in those results as
they were imputed to him. they were in his mind
made the subjects of impression from evidence TO which
he trusted But you will and have seem That all this
policy OF silence was not of Mr. Bcechers choosing In
deed there disguise tho part OF this pant nor
ON the part of his and friend MI Mouton in the
presentation to you directly ani airmatyey that IL
was his policy and hseor; and the anxiety was that
Mr. Beecher should not by the rankness ana Dohess OF
his nature inadvertently in his defiance in any contro
versv that Bowen might raise against him. lead to pub
icity for nobody had the part OF Mr. Beechcr
on their own testimony, any desire to Keep anything
quiet 1t was his in the right ana duty on
his part to preclude scandal In its general mischeis III
its injury himself and his relations to society, ana es
pccally to the fame of the And the very point
of tho thing with Mr.. Tilton was, Why here am
ruined in public reputc. These scandals about
my pr0higacy, about my vicious induigences'
have blasted my character, and anything IN the Nature
OF evidence o. dscord between Mrs Tlton ana myself
OF q break-Of flight ON her part-a separation from
me- or of all the shades and degrees basis OF nputa
",
affairs puts the final and destructive plunge into rreeov
cradle despair of my personal my family fortunes And
under that influence the policy OF silence is accepted ana
submitted to. Aid now observe how, II ths haa oee
an honest policy II there had been anything IN ton inc
part Of this plaintiff and his friend Mr. Mouton except
mode of holding both ends Of this matter in their hands
and using silence disclosure at their pleasure as they
found it useful in their purposes, how that policy
wOuld have been absolutely and completely successful
Here were three persons possessed of knowledge OF what
they desired to be kept secret and there was neces
stv AZ bringing Mr. Mouton in as fourth why. then his
fidelity could be trusted, and all the machinery OF silence
all the machinery Of suppression which aiterwad came
into such active operation, had no place Whatever
These elaborate schemes and contrvances came into play
to keep up that dishonest shifting from silence to pro-
mitigation and that the policy and the scheme tbat
actuatcd the movements Of Tilton and MoultOn all
through from that time forward "See to 1t mat you
Mr. Beecher condolences and take no advice but
ours: SEQ to it that you run no risks OF promuSa-
tion by not mparting these disturbed relations
TO the confidence even OF your wife. We
then shall be able to manage silence on our
part" Aud them what ponderous system OF sup
pressions Of disclosures came to be the occasions OF
socitude and OF conference when, III fact and III TRUTH
these two men laughing ut Mr.. Beecher all the
while and were keeping alive or reviying nmors and
suspicious whenever the natural course of Things would
have buried and extinguished them.
Now lust how Mr.. Beecher acted when this whole
matter was in his hands, provided you believe that
there is one word of truth in the imputed relations
of guilt between Mr.. Beechcr and Mrs. 1Lton
Now YOU resort Of the wife In flight from an exas
perated husband knowing OF her guilt, to Mr. Beecher
and Mr. Beechers introduction OF the lady to the keen
search Of his wcs scrutiny, and ready and prompt re-
sort to Mr. Bell and proposal for his deliberation and
conclusion whether all the deacOnesscs and all the ma
irons Plymouth Church should not be made condants
of this difficulty Now, you don't any disposition OF
silence on the part OF III Becchcr And yet TO say that
he conscious of the guilt of himself and OF the woman
conscious the knowledge Of the husband OF the guilt OF
himself and Of the woman, understanding the ma
ture of Theodore Tilton, who would be ex-
asperated in the last degree by this
final blow, this final disgrace, that this woman
who adorcd him, and whom lie natered himself he could
his purposes in any shape lac chose, had
actually found him nsuppOrtabe, had actually had to
hoosebetween the sacrifice Of home and OF responsibility
FORM the sacrifice Of honor and Of character
and the submission to disgrace in the other by remain
ing that hOme then TO suppose that Mr. Beecher
to let D FIRST the wicked Of the unmeasured malice
Of Mr. TltoD which he had been OF in his whisper
Igs for years. and then the examinations OF the wife and
OF the into this woman thus putting under the
microscopic gaze Of these intelligent and yet astonsed
companions and friends Of hers the fact Of there being
ideal home at all, worship and protection of the
wife the part Of the husband but destruction and in
jury, and then the inquiries, "When did 10 begin Z"
How did 1t arisep How did 1t widen itselfiv what
has passed between you and your husbandi" "what
has been your conduct - "Why is 1t that you have pre-
served the professions Of this idoatry for Mr. Tton
and this worship Of the hearthstone at which he !"
All that you TO believe that a clergyman invited
opened. An! no wonder learned friends tried to
keep this evidence out when wanted to get II In Bat
only Divine Providence understand why they intro
duced II when they had succeeded In shutting our
mouths But there 1t is, and IT strikes right down into
the center OF the case that Mr.. Beecher had the con
seriousness that made silence his policy, suppression
and s interest his policy: and when find him. alone,
he Is ready to scatter 1t to the Winds and when We find
them dealing with the suggestion ind them urg
ing him TO Tton and his affairs, and save the wife
from this exposure OF the broken conditions Of the aec
tons OF that family aud OF this false charge against Nj
Beecher.
Now Xe 70 on with the little items Of inheritance Aud