The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-06-02
acknowledgement.
EVartS In Defence OF Mr. SeeChcr.


Press would probably Gil column ant
ahali Of the Tribune. The text is boilet
down to something like ono-sixth Of it
original dimensions. Notwithstanding
this diminution in bulk, ii the "condens
ing had been done by person Of intellt
gencc who really comprchendcd the point
made by the skilled advocate, the telc
graphic report would furnish some idea
of the strength and force of the argument
The art Of "boiIing down" is US essentia
to newspaper man us the art o.
ampliGcatiOn is to lawyer, aud 1t l.
somewhat extraordinary that IL pcrsor
who seems to be utterly devoid Of thu
faculty Of Selection" should be intruStcC
with the work OF picking out the colder
grains from the mass Of persuasive
reasoning that Mr.. Evarts hurls at the
jury every day.
Let lis contrast few passages from
the report Of Fridays speech to show
how completely the Geographic digest
fails to express the orators thought. Mr..
Evarts laid down the proposition that
there was nothing in the acts Of the par
ties and the habits Of their daily lives
from which any inference Of vicious con.
duct could he drawn, and after disp0sing
of the visits which Mr., Bcecher oCca-
sionally made to Tilton's house in the
course OF his morning walks, which were
entirely proper and strictly within the
line Of a pastors duty, the orator turned
his attention to the presents of books and
flowers which had been paraded Us evil
dences Of guilt. Here is what the tele.
graph gives rs the substance Of his re.
marks:
"Bcyond this, what were the seductive
arts, and what the cOrrupting iniIu-
ences that this visitor used? Why, they
ranged from books to flowers, sent to the
chamber Of n woman in confinement;
flowers sent 10 lady in her own house;
flowers whose perfume delighted every
person in the house. do not think,
said Mr.. Evarts, that you will find that
these flowers given in the full and open
form in Which the evidence has shown
will tend in any way to effect your jndg-
ments.'
Here il what Mr., Evarts really said;
"Now, beyond this, what are the scduc.
tive arts, and what the COrrupting inilu.
ences that this visitor used? Why, there
seems to have been what in the end came
to somewhat bulky collection Of 0ctavos,
from the BramptOn Lectures on the Di.
vinity Of Christ to the religious novel OF
which Mr.. BeeCher was the author. Well,
when the OctavOs are presented, and when
the title.page contains the inscription OF
the givGr, even II the nature OF the gift Is
Of the suspicious character Of the Bramp.
ton Lectures on the Divinity Of Christ,
still the element Of secrecy, Of amulet, Of
love.charm, seems to be wanting on nc.
count Of the bulk and the publicity Of the
transaction. Then there were some llow-
ers-ilowers sent to the chamber Of Il
woman in confinement, flowers sent to the
parlOr Of lady living in her own house,
flowers the sight Of which gladdened the
eyes Of everybody within the house, and
whose perfume betrayed their presence to
every conner. Now, when man has Il
garden and farm, and when, IA Mr.,
Beecher says, he was in the habit Of strew.
ing these flowers thick through the path.
ways Of his parishioners, in their dUmcs.
tic life, | do not think that you will find
much evidence Of corrupt, adulteroua
purposes in the mere fact that those flow.
crs, once, twice, three times perhaps,
made the subject Of evidence, and in the
chaste and beautiful and open form in
which the testimony has disclosed them,
will effect your mind with circumstantial
evidence tending, ns the law book says, to
adultery, and incompatible with anything
else"
The testimony OF Mr.. Iudson ia Of
great Importance, and Mr.. Eynrts made
the most Of ii. Ten years ago, Tilton, in
the course Of CovCrsation with Judson,
threw out many dark hints about Mr.
Beecher Iudson told Bccchcr, who i'm.
mediatcly called Tilton to account
When thus confronted, he denied that he
had ever said what Judson had reported
After this came his gushing letters to Mr.
Beecher, his frequent expressions Of I'M
bounded admiration and confidence, and
his pressing invitations To Mr.. liccCher Ia
visit his house, which continued up to the
time Of the outbreak in 1870, when Til.
ton was discharged from the independent
The telegraph sums up the whole argl.
inent on this point ns follows:
ale then commented on Judson's ties.
limony in relation to having lunchcd
with TiltOn at DclmOnico'., when the lat.
ter stated he had lost all faith in man, in
reply TO JudsOn, who spoke Of stories
touching llecChers sexual immortality.
.Judson went to lIecChcr and told him
what TillOn said. lIccChcr went to Til.
ton and called him to account, but he lie.
MED Il and nbhOrrcd IT, Tilton then
wrote two letters, one to IIeccher and one
toJudson, In tho latter Of which he said
4 thought you were my friend 80 |
am replied Judson, but ] am also the
friend Of BceChcr." Assassination car.
ricd on by means Of calumny was base
and ignoble form Of assassination, u was
full Of cownrdicc; was full Of wicked re-
suits. II was for the jury and counsel IL
protect men from trumpcd.up charge
like this"
Mr.. Evnrts Is too good a lawyer &c
allow 80 strong fact in his case to IL
submitted to the jury in such feeble
way. His argument was strong and hi
illustrations ielicitous;
"You will remember little item o
proof In which Mr.. Judson gave eyidenc,
that At a lunch At Dclmonido's Mr.. Tilior
introduced subjcotsoi gossip or suspicion
about this, that, and the other person
for the general subject and the genera
indulgence Of words and speech OF
such subjects does not seem 10 hay,