New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-05
Mp ppFcHER,s REMoRsE.

TO your attention yesterday mean the uterVie"
day the day OF January at Mr. Beechers mousse Dc
tween MI Moulton and himself Now, gentlemen WHAT
was the purpose what the temper OF hat
interyiewi Mr. Mouton seems TO have stuck pretty
close TO Mr. Beecher the time that ne cominenced
operations the 30th He followed him all tnat mgh'
around the streets and did let him get out OF MS
sight he followed him Saturday, certainly Win an
interview that was not sought by Mr. Beecher that was
wholly unexpected and that had very definite on1ect
DO reprieye certain errors and impose upon the feelings OF
Mr. Beeeher and induce him not to do anything that
should make Mr. Tton think that he Beecher, naa an
disposition toward him and then he comes to another
interview that occupies all Sunday afternoon. MT
Beeeher IL n said at the close Of that interview on
Saturday had suggested Mr.. Mouton should let him
know whether this notion of his that giving up the re-
traction to the custody Of Mr. Mouiton would tend 70
harmony and peace, correct and whether II was
likely to be productive of those results.
Now Mr. Mouton comes TO Mr. Beecher's In the after
noon Of Sunday and viii read you from Moultons est
mony what plainly the whole object OF that inter
view:
"How did it happen that you went there He SAYS
was by his invitation; and then he began " tod SIr
Beeeer that had taken the reacOI 20 Mr. i haen
foolish for him TO have carried his threat OF the morning
with my having procured the reractlon and tod Mr
Beechcr Mr. TltOn seemed TO me TO bel told him
6 at GG1gi tns' only %sg he sW o%Sd
hirn to give IT, tell -that he had made up his mind
take to protect the reputation OF his wife at all hazards
Then Mr.. Beecher said to me that he was IN misery on
Theodore Tton. and his wife and family ne sad mat ne
would be willing to make any rTRa a S tat was W Wod
have been better man under the circumstances IN when
had placed than he had Dcen tnat lie Ieit th0
he had done great WRONG"
Now see Mr. Beeeher's reasoning:
He felt he had done great wrong, because ne vds
Theodore TAtons friend nc teas ms "VeSJ'e"a ana pas
tor, and he wept bitterly.
Now look at IT, They never can tell a story about the
emotions and an elevated mind purified heart-they
never can tell story about crime or an iniqty WIN
out missing the whole point Of its guilt or s wickedness
Oh no. Mr. Beecher was not troubled at his having,
while clergyman, man protesting faith in God andlove
to man. and mnsterng altar Of religion hmsefthe
husband of his wife and the father and grandfather
of his own family-there not notion in his mind
that committing adultery with the wife of another per
son had In &c any touch of SIM for which man should
feel remorse and acknowledge misery but he felt this
misery for the wrong he had dOna because ne Tas
Theodore's friend and pastor, and his rites friend and
pastor and he went bitterly' Now, how that fits
entirely the area and character and nature Of the oense
for which Mr. Beecher then and since, and now-so
far as the situation be truthfuy supposed under the
evidence, exist it existed in his mind under the
representations OF others at periodicals felt feels
and will always feel that indeed he, the friend OF Mr.
TftOn the pastor Mr. Tton and his family whether
Mr. Tton was faithful and devout worshiper or not at
his church, and the friend and the pastor OF Mrs Tton,
had hcedlessly and blindly allowed an intimacy
that began and proceeded the footing OF
pastor and parishoner TO point where ed 10
the wrong that portrayed in this Grifth Gaunt 80
pointedly by Father Francis in commenting upon the
conduct Of Father Leonard and the wife, Catherine
Gaunt that il this were he was indeed greatly 10
blame You see it here Just before in the interview OF
satnriav night when Mr. Beecher says II have fallen
ne ALL II have fallen into this mschevous situation nc
ALL fit is true what he told me about the wfes afec-
tons thank God have not fallen except by errors OF
course of respectful attention and affection, and not
under any pursuit OF carnal sin under the impulse OF
any carnal passion" But, now, have on MI Nou-
toms own showing that the whole point, the whole
weight the whole fact OF and proportonate suffer-
ing Beechers part s not that he has committed
mortal sin that mortal sin in everybody OUT that ue
has through his pastOrate and under the gse ana COW
erng Of his friendship created an intimacy ta mas pro-
dnced this mischief.
Well Mr. MoutOn gees the working of the heart o. this
Iarcehearted man he how Mr.. Beecher feels for
this suffering and this wrong and how he puts approaches
on himself that he had this unconscious and yet as
he now and feels not innocent share III IT, anu what
does he say then Why, he says:
Mr. Beerher why don't you say that 10 Mr.. Triton :
Why don Won express TO Im the grief you feel aud hc
cOnritlon for 10 You can do nothing more than that
that he would be satisfied with FOR know he loves
his wife and Mr Beecher told me to take pen ana paper
and "a write aC his dietation.
And then be wrote Moulton says this letter Now,
what was this threat that Mr. MOutOn told Mr. Beeeher
that Mr. TltOn mad made and that he, Mouon, had told
him. Tilton that wise in not carrying out When
Mr. TiltOn had discovered and, II you believe hln'
denounced the adultery Of lis wife to Mr. Beecher'
the guilty paramount, he had not shown any
emotion or any purpose OF shifting Mr.. Beecher-no
touch of resentment threat about that but when
Mr. Beecher after telling him It was all dream MS ac
cusaon and that Elizabeth could not have said so be-
cause il was not true, had gone To Elizabeth upon the
invitation Of husband, and got her admission that IL
was not true and Mr. Ttsn had been got into that
new awkwardless then luton began 10 tincaten' anu
what was the threat
7 told Mr. Beecher that Mr.. Tton had said that for
the oense of having TO his wife and procured that
retrlcton he would smite him.
And after Morrlton had his interview and obtained
the surrender OF the retracon he had told Mr. Tton II
would have been foolish and he told Mr. Beecher that he
had told him that Now this affair 6fJanuary call your
attention to- IN not connected with the main in
terest and purpose OF it, or with this written letter. as II
is called or memorandum, but there came to be- on Jan
uary l, somehow or ut some TINE IN the interview
something of this kind.
O. Up 70 this time had Mr.. Beecher told you when
those relations exisng between himself and MIS- Iton
ceased A. He told NE that, sir, on January l.
O. What said upon that subject ~ He SAID mat
Elizabeth rlton had sent for MIN 10 come 20 her house
told him that she believed that their relations were
wrong and he told that he said u her. II you believe
and ne told me that he prayed with her-praye 10 God
with her. for help 10 discontinue Their sexual relations
Well but thought that the husbands theory Eliza
beth did MT think wrong at all that it had
entered into head that there anything wrong in
il except under the inspiration OF Catherine Gaunt
year after and that she thought she hal violated
her marriage vows but that the
idea is introduced Mr. Beechers mind that anybody
could think there anything wrong in 1t llaughter.
why OF course he would wish TO do anything that
ANYBODY in the world would think wrong, and then,
with that pety and devotion which should characterize
adj fianlrh ha
poses that they shall seek Divine aid In terminating
their sexual relations. tried TO get from Nj Mou0n.
on a cross-examlnaton whether this specific phrase
sexual relations" in the body Of the prayer.
whether it was only sufficiently referred to To al
seeing and all-knowing God TO have IT understood