The Portland daily press., 1876-02-22
THE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
Letters from Bowen and Moulton.
Some of the Conclusions Arrived
AT.
I'm Secret Session,

I'm Secret Session,
BROOKLYN, Feb. 21.-The Advisory Council
assembled today, at 2 o'clock, in secret session.
according to the adjournment OF Saturday,
Notwithstanding the fact that several of the
delegates went home on Saturday evening, all
or nearly all of them were present. A large
number of persons endeavored to secure adj
mission to the session, but were unsuccessful,
rule having been made that every delegate
should exhibit his ticket before entering
The council will probably meet during the
same hours as when in open session.
New YORK, Feb 21.-Mr Moulton sent this
afternoon to Dr. Leonard Bacon, as moderator
of the Plymouth Advisory Council. the follow
ing communications:
40 REMsEM STREET,
Brooklyn, Feb. q, 1874,
Req. Leonard Bacon, d. d., Moderator:
Reverend Sir,-From the terms of the letter
missve 1 had not supposed your reverend body
was competent to consider or determine the
question of guilt or the innocence of Henry
Ward Beecher. The proceedings of the coun-
Gil, however, show that may possibly be mis-
taken in my construction of the charter OF
your authority, since Mr.. Beecher was allowed
TO introduce his own prOtestatons of innocence
and some corroborative declarations of his ad-
herents. Mr.. Beecher invoked the Deity and
challenged mankind to deny or disprove his
ell received with applause. l send the commu-
nication to the council simply to say that am
prepared to prove Henry Ward Beecher guilty
of adultery and perjury by evidence both oral
and documentary, and that if allowed the OPP
pertuDity OF producing such proof before the
council if fail to make good the assurance,
then l am willing to be discredted and de.
nounced by mankind as wretch devoid of
truth and honor, and unworthy of human
association.
Respectfully, your obedient servant.
(Signed,) FRANCIS d. MoULroN.
The Advisory Council went into executive
session this afternoon with Moderator DR.. Leon
ard Bacon presiding Every one except dele
gates were excluded from the room and no one
was allowed to enter building excepting the
officers, ladies attending the tables and few
attendants of Plymouth church. The session
lasted three hours. At the conclusion it was
stated that no business of Importance had been
transacted other than the reception of the re-
reports of the committees. The five first COM
mittees presented full report, and committee
number six asked an extension of time which
was granted. The committee to whom was re-
ferred ex-Deacon Vests communication and
other matters of like character, asked that
their time be extended as their report was not
quite ready.
Mr. Beecher's son-in-law, Rev. Mr.. Scov,
requested permission to withdraw from the
council, because it is said he wished to take no
part in the discussion over the committees re-
ports.
The committees reports were received with
evident satisfaction os a murmur of approval
rose through the house as they were read. The
committee to whom was referred the second
question in the letter missive. that relative to
the dropping of members from the rolls, pre-.
sented a majority and minority report, and It is
thought they will be the subject of a long and
heated discussion, as the house is said to be
divided in regard to the question, which is as
follows:
Sin this rule or in these practices is this
church acting manifestly with the word of God
or the principles of Christian JUSTICE
No information could be CLEANED in regard
to Mr.. Bowen's Communication, and the mem
bers of the council professed to be in ignorence
of Frank Moulton's letter offering to produce
proof of Mr.. Beecher's guilt. If they were re-
ceived by the moderator it is probable that he
gave them into the hands of the business COM
mittee without presenting them to the council
according to the rule adopted in open ses-
sion.
TheBrooklyn Eagle gives the following al.
legged summary of the discussions of the COM
mittees of the Advisory Council upon the ques-
tons submitted to them:
First question. Is this church acting contra
~ to the word of God in allowing to itself in
any case another mode Of terminating the con-
necton of members with this church than by
death, a letter of dismission or formal excom-
muncaton? The report is understood to be in
the negative which sustains the general princi-
pie of the church in the matter of dropping
members, but which refers to two instances in
that principle, those of Mr.. Tilton and Mrs.
Moulton. The conclusion of the committee on
the first question is said to be that in addition
to the causes enumerated viz, death, letter IF
dismission or formal communication, there
is another way of terminating the connection
of members warranted by scripture and con-
eregational usage, which other way is the with
drawal of watch, care and fellowship from
members for whom the church declines to con-
tinue responsible, but against whom it conld
not sustain charge that would cause excom-
munication. This other way is said to be
equivalent to the practice of dropping mem
beers pursued by Plymouth church in most
cases.
1t is said to be suggested that hereafter the
process be callep the withdrawal of watch,
care and fellowship to make the name of the
thing correspond with the name of the same
means in Congregational churches generally.
Henry y. Bowen in letter to Rev. L. Bacon,
moderator OF the advisory council says: "There
were some statements made in the council on
Saturday as reported in the papers so incor-
First, Mr., Beecher is reported as saying "Mr.
Bowen is man of courage, but he has not
courage enough to look me in the face, and
never had, and intimate any moral impurity in
me-" at is false" says Bowen, that L have
never dared to meet him in this way. Bowen
Carpenter, Clafin and Moulton that Beecher
declined or could not be persuaded to meet him.
''The result of Mr.. Claf1in's attempt to induce
Beecher to meet him as given by Mr.. Carpen-
tenter," says Bowen, ''agrees with my memo
~" A few days after this (Carpenter) saw
Mr.. Claf1in, who told me that he had seen Mr..
Beecher the next day and that Beecher said
There isn't force enough in Brorklyn to draw
me into private interview with Henry @.
Bowen" 1 was no more afraid then to meet
Mr.. Beecher and intimate moral impurity than
was in your presence last Friday night, or
than would have been on the occasions on
which I have been before the examining commit
tee of Plymouth church, of which he is chair
man, had he seen fit to be present.
Second, Mr.. Beecher as reported said to the
council, speaking of his interview with me at
Mr.. Freeands house. The great difficulty
was, that being newly married, he could not
endure that his wife should suppose that he
was under the ban of the pastor. This state
ment is false and all the differences that Mr..
Beecher draws from it. The meeting at Mr..
Freeland's house was about the first of Feb'y,
1870. was married in 1865.