The New York herald., 1876-01-21
THE MoUIToN-BEEoHEH COUNCIL

CORRESPONDENCE BE1wxEN NAa. xMMA C.
MoULToH AND HxR COUNSEL JOSHUA H.
VAN corr.
To answer the numerous inquiries whether Mrs Moul
ton intends TO take any further action in the Plymouth
church matter she has consented 10 the publication Of
the following correspondence between herself and her
counscl:--
BRooKLYH Jan IT, 1875.
Ny DEAR SR:-I ask your attention 10 the Friday
evening proceedings Of Plymouth church. ms reported
IN last Saturday mornings papers Mr.. Beecher and
the church people could not conceal their exultaten
over their escape from q mutual council and from the
proof OF the facts known me- but not yet made pub
lie ] particularly ask your attention 70 the answer
made TO your statement OF the OF President Ed
wards TO Mr. Bcechers description of his interviews
with mo, and TO bis charge not that had misundeT-
stood what he had said TO me- but that had covered
my head with perjury. Please advise whether i
ought under the circumstances, TO make any further
effort at present 70 vndicate myself from his
siander or 70 expose his wickedness before church
council or otherwise. will be much obliged If you
will favor me with an early answer Very truly yours
EMMA c. M0ULTON
BRooKLYN Jan 90 1875
Ny DEAR MRS MouLroS:-My painful domestic
anxietes have prevented earlier reply your
OF the 18th January. 1t has seemed TO me that what
had written TO the committee Of Plymouth church. and
what Mr. Beecher said at the church meeting you refer
10 was under the public eye andathat an enlightened
public would deal wisely with the facts The point
President Edwards case the abuse and mis-
Chief OF the device of excluding churches either party
might desire to select That point answered,
but was sought TO be evadcd by saying 'See what
chleI was done by composing the council OF local
churches and excluding distant churchesn But you
know that we did not desire 10 constute the council
oi local churches and exclude distant churches On
we contrary we agreed upon forty church delegates
OF whom thirty four out o the locality and
Individual delegates, all OF whom a distance.
HPymouth church had in good faith carried out the
agreement on which we started there would have been
no exclusion within without the locality Plymouth
church broke down the arrangement for a council by
perssng IN its claim to exclude four local delegates
OF the whole number of fifty delegates to be invited to
constitute the-eounci. remind you that Plymouth
church sent Its solemn protest TO the great representa-
tive council of 1874, complaining that the assembly OF
delegates from distant churches was directly IN oppo
sition to the genius OF Congregational poy, great
ann OF which Is to contne local troubles to their
locality and to settle them in the neighborhood by the
aid OF neighborng churches, without spreading the
tale OF local dsstnsions over the whole land. y But
Plymouth church has q genus for being Illogical
had not overlooked the pastors sneerng reference
you and his intmation that no had regarded and
treated you almost he would little child But
had read his two letters 10 your husband, proved
the trial and admitted TO be genuine and noticed that
In his letter dated Sunday morning. juno /, 1873, he
said:-"Your noble wife, too, has been TO me one of
Gods comiorters. IL is such she that a
waning faith in womanhood" And that in his letter
dated July a. 1873 he says:-"For thousand encour
ngcments for services that appreciate who has
not been sore-hcarted as have been, for your hon.
orabe delioacy, for confidence and affection, you
so much that can neither express pay IT, Not
the least has been the greathearte Kindness and
trust which your noble wife has shown and
which has lifted out Of dependencies often though
sometimes her clear truthiuness has laid me pretty
fiat" had also remembered that between the dates
OF these two letters the interview occurred at which
you testified he had not only explicitly confessed his
guilt but avowed his purpose OF elfdestructon and
That was your purpose TO prove TO the council that
the very day 10 which you attribute that confession
you in great distress, communicated il conddentally
to your most intimate friend, Mrs Eddy, and 10 your
uncle, Mr. jeremiah Robinson. ! am not able to
reconcile what the pastor said at that church meeting
with what he wrote in those two letters and, am
bound to believe what he wrote, ! am COM
pelcd TO disbelieve what he said Now what
had caused his "waning faith IN womanhood"
And how did you dare IN your childikeness to show
him "a grest-hearied kindness and trust" to Ift
him out Of dependencies often" and by your
relear truthLulness to lay me (hm) pretty aats"
What was that "clear truthiuness' that laid him
pretty fat unless II was the advice you testified you
gave him at that interview, occurring between tho
letters, that he should confess his offence TO the
church
II anything can mitigate the coarseness OF the pas
tors speech at the church meeting II was the in
exorabc necessity of his situation. 1t not
necessary that hc should be CONSISTENT; he
could not safely be consistent His effort from
the beginning has been TO reconcile irrecopciable
things and TO make the false to be the true l |
cannot think 1t is your duty TO go further-certany
not just now You had. with the boldness OF inno- |
cence and truth courted inquiry, while Plymouth |
church from the beginning has sought TO evade and !
cover up and has again succeeded in evading, though
not In covering up. II Plymouth church have an
investigation by Investigators exclusively selected by
itself as il did in ls74 and have its judged
its own side, let it, Such an investigation can
not settle anything, and will leave distrusting |
and portentous puOc opinion where stands to-day.
Plymouth church will not produce Mrs. Tilton as q |
witness il any doubling delegate may
her, nor Mrs. bradshaw nor MT. and Mrs Rlchards \
1t will not produce the unproduced evidence that is
known to exist that the pastor knew before the 2sh
or December, 1870 and before he wrote the letter of
conrition, Entrusted TO Mr.. Moulton, that he had
been charged with criminal intimacy with Mrs. Tlion.
When they escaped the council they knew that you
knew of Mrs. Tilton's repeated confessions OF that
criminal intimacy 10 several persons and was pre-
pared to prove those confessions, and no probably
knew that the fact OF his previous knowledge of the
charge susceptible OF such proof that it could
again DO denied with safety. You have been long
and too well known in the best Christian society Of
Brooklyn TO make II necessary TO vindicate yourself
here and venture the opinion that before this
painful controversy ends your truthiuness and
Christian integrity viii DO recognized by all the
world. You have properly cared for the good
and famo OF the Congregational Church,
but the Church must now take OF
ITSELF II must determine for itself whether
its members be driven from its pale without hear
ing and trial. and whether miquity be securely
nrenchod within Its walls that inquiry cannot drag
IL forth to the light of day Congregationalism itself is
now on its trial. and il remanst 10 be proved whether
Il has enough iron in its blood to continue TO live
With great respect, truly yours,