The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-23
Tho Policy of Uiustcr.

MI bEbtHEH If now pursuing the policy
OF bluster. lie is OVERRIDING il, however
and exhibits the weakness OF his case by
FILLING INTO abuse Of his accusers without
answering them. II IL idle for him to now
charge Mrs. MouLroN with lying and per-
jury, when he refused TO try her for those
offences in his church, and subjected her
to no discipline on account Of them, but
evadcd all inquiry by simply dropping her
from the roll of members, and that not for
accusing him of adultery aud perjury, but
for not coming to church. TO turn upon
her, after she has been denied the investi-
CATION she asked for, and has been put out
OF the church without being allowed TO
make good her charges, or failing to suffer
exclusion because She made them, and call
her n falsiner and perjurer. and say she
has no grounds for her declarations, is q
very cowardly piece OF business.
If Mr.. BEEcnERs character is so un-
assnilablc as he pretcnds, why docs he not
nj once proceed to its vindication, and TO
the punishment of those who blaclIen il ?
He Is just as slow To do this now rs he
was when the TrTroN charges first came
up in the church. Though Triton had ac-
BEECuER publicly replied TO his question
rs to whsthcr he had any charge to bring
against him, that he had none. He had
MouLToN indicted for perjury, and yet did
not prosecute him.. lie had LOADER and
Pace also indicted for perjury, and he did
not prosecute them. MoULToN sued HIM for
false imprisonment, and he tries to escape
the legal investigation by interposing n
demurrer, which he hopes will end the
suit. Mrs. MoULToN charged him with
adultery and perjury, and instead of
squareiy meeting her accusation he tried to
get rid Of her rs n troublesome person,
and now musters mp the courage to cry
out you're another"
Mr.. BEEcHER may talk ne boldly ms he
pleascs, but no one familiar with his case
will be deceived into believing that his
boldness goes TO the point of daring TO face
the bottom facts Of the scandal. The sort
of boldness FOR him to show is not that OF
clustering talk. but of decisive action.
Mr.. BEECHER does his best 10 make IL MP
pear that while he desired the mutual
council, Mrs. MouLToN was anxious to
avoid it. lie went into defence Of the
action OF Plymouth Church in the matter,
both at his Friday evening meeting and in
"A letter to the Boston journal, with the
purpose of making it appear that though
the churches of Or. SrORRs aud DR.. BUD
INGroS were inimical TO him, he was
willing 10 let them take part in the
mutual council. Let us put over against
these utterances of Mr.. BEECHrR his re-
mark in regard to any council in which
these ministers should take part, made at
the Friday evening meeting, one week be-
fore, when the failure OF the council pro-
cecdings was first announced. These were
Mr.. BErcnER's words, us given in the re-
port Of the friendly Tribune:
81 am not afrad TO go before anv Just tribu-
ne counca hcy wdntcd uotdd hare bt,n, nor ~
SAP 10 them, WOnti rontr say to them
that gave me these words Of cruelty and wrong,
ln the language Of Paul, God viii smite thee,
thou whited wall "
This same, in substance. Mr.. BErcHrn
said many weeks ago. What does il mean,
except that he was determined not TO let
his ease go before any council OF which DIR.
SroRRs and DR.. BUDINGToN were mem
bersi II means just that and nothing else
However artfully Brother SuEARNAN had
managed the case TO throw the RESPONSE
bilhy for the breaking up of the mutual
counsel upon Mrs. MOULTON, Mr.. BEECurR
upset all his plans by thus freely declaring
that 81 won't, won't" 20 before such
" hodge-podgc" council rs they wanted"
This shows that Judge VAN Corr, whom
Mr. BEECHER on Friday had the hardlhood
TO accuse Of lying, was speaking only the
truth when he said that plymouth Church,
by Il subtle evasion OF her right OF equal
choice, has practically Ovcrruled her Mrs.
MoULToS ~ selection, and thus excluded
from the proposed council two of the most
prominent and weishty churches Of their
denomination"