Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-02-17
BEEOHER.
Bowen Demands, EnI,eais. and Densnily Chal'
leBges an nvesligatiOn.

New YORK, Feb. 4.-To-night Mr..
Henry e. Bowen presented letter
10 the Examining Committee OF Ply
mouth Church, in answer TO grle7-
ances Of Mr. S. V. White, q mem Der
of said committee. He commences
by saying that Plymouth Church
once unanimously acquitted him OF
slandering it's pastor. At that time
be was charged with talking too
much, Now the charge is that be is
talking too little. His silence is
based upon the tripartite agreement,
to bury the past and keep silent 10
the future. He relates the substance
Of his interview with Mr.. White.
He says
La my more than % years connec-
ton with Plymouth Church | have
heard many sad story from many a
sad heart some for the loss of prop
erty, some for the loss of their dear
earthly friends, and some for loss OF
character, "a greater loss than all.
May God forgive me if | have ever
done wrong in listening TO one single
case thus represented. But for thus
doing, and that only, / assert, | have
been nnceremoniouely summoned to
appear before this committee. And
| here and now most solemnly declare
that there is no other basis for Mr.
Whites grievances against me.
Whether be will have other griev-
ances against me after hearing me at
this time remains to be seen.
But let me now ask you few
questions Who comes here TO quote
words of SANDER which | have ever
uttered against the pastor r? Who
says that have ever once in any
way, except by silence, injured him
let me ask has Henry Ward Beecher
any grievances against me if SO, has
he ever brought them before thir
committee ? others as you know,
have 10 the plainest f lish, charged
Mr.. Beecher with both adultery and
perjury. They have challenged an
investigation 10 court or in council,
and hardly whisper has been heard
in reply. Dare any Of yon summon
these accasers into court of justice
and demand evidence on which these
charges of adultury and perjury
against Mr.. Beecher are made !? II
be is absolutely innocent why do you
not act IS if you believed it, and thus
put a stop TO this horrible scandal.
Ii he is q pure man, here Is the
straight road out Of il.
You have unfortunately, IN my
opinion, chosen different course.
Mr.. White says there ia one too mar y
in Plymouth Church, at one end OF
the other. He does not state that at
one end of the church stands a man
openly charged with adultery, per-
jury and hypocrisy, and At the other
END q man charged only with the
mere grievance of silence. He does
not propose to arraign and faI' hfuily
Try the one charged with the awful
crime of adultery, but to drag before
you the man who by his silence has
led people to believe be actually
knew something bad about Mr..
Beecher.
Mr.. Bowen said he had been in-
formed long ago that it was the secret
intention OF Plymouth church TO des
troy him; at least drive him from
communion. This now ap ,ears to
be true. He had been Indignantly
assailed 10 business, charged with Ill
crimes, and held up as totally no
worthy of public confidence. Every
one Of those charges or inslnuauOns
I now pronounce to be fatae, md
their authors slandera. | hereby
challenge Plymouth church To APP
point it's owl committee to inve5tl-
gate openly and vigorously my words
and my deeds, either 10 or out OF
church, from the day of my birth to
the present hour. | am ready for
the trial.
do not propose now 10 give in
detail the facts which have come 10
my knowledge, or incidents, dis,
closures and confidential communi-
cations which have from time TO time
been presented or communicated 10
me in regard to the character OF
Henry Ward Beeoher; to bis dishon-
orable conduct 10 business oft iirs TO
his treacherous treatment Of friends;
to his breaking of written and un.
written covenants; to his untruthfui
statements In courts to bis lodging
ell through Investigations into his
conduct and character; to his solid
Indifference when unjust charges and
malicious SANDERS bad been made
against particular members of bis
church TO his recent contradictory
utteraDces in regard TO what be
characterized as 80 hodge podge