, 1875-08-07

thizes with Mr.. Beecher because the Jury.
has not indicated his name, and with
Tilton because. OF the destruction of his
family. But leaving aside the question Of
Mr.. Beecher's innocence or guilt. it. ia
easy, says this clerical brother, to
learn the lesson that married men, and
especially ministers, ought to be very
economical of kissing and writing love
letters to other mems wives. The EvGn-
gehst admits that while the disagreement
ct the jury does not legally settle the case,
1t does so practically, and the legal pro-
sumption In the present status of the
case is that Mr.. Beecher is innocent of the
charge upon which he has been tried.
The moral presumption in his favor will
be proportional to the reputation for in
tegrity and morality which he has main
tanned through o ministry of more than
thirty years. The tedious trial has not
been altogether pro6tless. There has
been much rending of tinselled philosophy
and specious but spurious reform. The
loneliness of a modern "Madame Roland's''
saloon, with its reunion of choice spirits,
does not bear close inspection, and some
wild dreamers will be cured of their fam
cies, and the old-fashioned laws of integri-
ty and pure morals and the code of Sinai
will re-assert authority the stronger be"
cause of this trial. The Observer deeply
regrets the result of the trial. The scan
daI was SO grievous that all good men
hoped the truth would be made manifest
by the searching investigation of those
long, dreary, dreadful months of trial.
The Observer hopes and thinks that the
truth may still be evolved by the trials
that are yet to grow out of this one. The
Methodist is disposed to believe that the
large prependerance of the people are in
favor of Mr., Beecher's innocence and
yet an unsatisfed desire remains to know
the truth 8 but this desire cannot be graft.
fed. IF Mr.. Beecher is innocent he. must
live the thing down, and if he is, guilty
the truth will in time be manifest unto all
mon. If he were not q minister the in-
conclusive trial would practically acquit
him but he now remains under suspicion.
The He6rew Leader refers to the case to
correct a proposition by DR.. Deems, made
last Sunday, that the trial has not hurt
religion or morality. The Leader says
that, seeing Christianity exhorts men to o
holy life, it cannot be held that the i'm.
morality of its professors can either make
or mar its claims and evidences. But in
the interest of the morals of youth it pro.
tests against the proposition that this loath-
some scandal, discussed by boys and girls
at the breakfast table and. on the street,
has not injured them. The Freemam's
Journal is wild because this Plymouth
cesspool was allowed to be emptied into
q Brooklyn court during six months, when
it ought to have been limited to six days,
1t has no pity for Tilton, who was " the
cognizant and copsenting agent of his own
dishonor g nor for Mr.. Beecher, who
stands self-confessed a libertine, periurer,
buffoon, hypocrite." There is much more
of this style of vituperation, not only
against Mr.. Beecher but against his church
and friends. The Working Church, while
it does not credit the main accusations
thinks that there can be no question that
Mr.. Beecher has largely destroyed his in
fuence by his own admitted. conduct,
while Mr.. Tilton, his aocuser, has brought
himself into general and measureless con-
tempt. The editor thinks that the moral
hazards of concealment have been abun-
dainty and painfully illustrated in this case,
and extravaganza of expression and lack
of decent reserve have been productive Of
infinite mischief in the case Of all imme-
diately concerned in the issue. =.
And thus the opinion of the press. like