The Morning herald., 1876-02-05
'". WILMINGTON, DEL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5. 1876.

~~~fytNo.4SA ~sYs - A0Ag VT mOro, Wn0n
he satd he, must hurry back to his office to
make up his bank account his remarks
were substantially the same At beth ol thu
jntstsis*a in my ONCE referred to by him..
'sut Nhe'da not say on either occasion
that hc desired me to understand thsE he
xAs then taking steps, in . formal way, to
ssrine hs before the church, although hs in
timated' that he might do 10 at some future
time. When I received tho sumnons the
other dsy, 70 meet the Examining Conmittss
OF Plynouth Church / had not ths slightsst
suspicion OF what was wantsd or ma; no
hint Or ihtimstion was given In that Sum-
.nons ~ TO the nature Of the erisv1nces
embraced in the complaint, and / must say
that under thS circumstances am utterly
amazed that Mr.. White shsuld take up my
time or that of the Committee with such
rambling and trivia, complaints, J fSlt at
,arst - I DO now, that Ar. White and the
Examiping Committee Of Plymouth Church
could se better. employed in investigating
the direct charges against the pastor made
THE PLAINEsT LANGUAGE, srz.
charges embracing the crime of adultery
and perjury, rather than in skirmis hing
about n nav fields, to, see if few more
persons could not be scared or in some way
drawn or driven into the difficulty. Other
men, far better and . wiser than ] an
have made mistakes, and I confess
tn have done 10, and perhaps this very
case, but declare to .ysu and through you
to Plymouth Church, that have HONESTLY
and 'conscientiously tried in this whole af-
fair to do my duty faithfully to God, to
Mr.. Bescher, and to the Church with v which.
] am connected, ! could not do more, and
I have not for one moment desired to do
less. ----a-
The attsmpt At this time to revive the
practices Of the inquisition, seems to me q
startling development. Has the time come
again when men are to be tried and pun
ishsd for their thoughts, Are those who
are accepted as sound and orthodox in their
faith, to BE- prosecuted, put upon the rack
and then thumbscrewed into disclosing all
the secrets Of their inmost souls Hss it
come to this, that it is not safe. in this free
country 10 listen to the confidential state
ments of our Christian brethren who seri-
ously and with trembling steps come to our
doors, asking not for bread, but for help
ana sdssesAa 4seuble Shall vsssytu suck,
begone, we are afraid to listen to yuua
In my more than twenty-five years con-
nection with Plymouth Church 1 have
heard many a sad story from many a sad
heart, some for the, loss of character-a
greater loss than all. --.% ~ 4 20 t'. -a
May God forgive me if have ever done
wrong In listening to one single ease thus
presented; but for thus doing, and that
only assert, have been uncerimoniously
summoned to appear before the COMMITTEES,
and hear and now most solemnly declare,
that there is no other basis for Mr.. Whites
grievances, Whether he will have other
grievances against me after hear
ing me at this time remains
to be seen, but let me now ask few dues-
tions; who comes here to quote the wor is Of
slander which l have ever uttered against
the pastor; who says I have ever once in
any way, except by silence. Have I injured
him; let me ask If Henry W. Beecher has
grievances against me; if SO, has he Dver
brought them before this committee; others
a. you know have in the plainest English
charged Mr.. Beechsr with both adultry
and perjury; ,.4 g- s,a ~
l94 THEY HAVE CHALLENGED
an investigation in court or in council and
hardly whisper has been heard in reply.
where was the valiant Mr.. S.V. White all
this time; where 10 he now; dare the gen
tleman or any Of you summon the accusers
into 4 court Of justice and there demand the
evidence on which these charges of adultery
and perjury against Mr.. Beecher are mAde'
IF he n absolutely innocent, why DO you
not act as If you believed II and thus put
an !, end to this horrible scandals If he 70
pure man here is the straight road out o.
all difficulty ~ ) - p irn3w 's& 1ol
You have unfortunately, in my oplmon'
chosen . different course. am before you
CHARGED with the crime of "silence," and
It. been moro thar intimated here and Slse-
where that by this grievsus silence have
actually uttered malicious slander that
bv this persistent silence I do actually try
"a make all the world believe Mr.. Beseher
k,. suuilty..' Gentlsmen Of the, Examining
Committss, i once promised to keep siless'
md others !oinsd with me in that solemn