Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-02-16
BEECHERS DOOM SEALED.

Over the shadcwy river-rest.
BEECHER.S DOOM SEALED.
HENRY c. BowEN's REPLY 10 THE EXAM
ININd COMMITTEE.
From N. Y. Sun, February 5th.l
! Mr.. Henry G. Bowcn's reply TO s
,IV. Whites statement Of grievances
wassubmitted tothe Plymouth Church
Examining Committee at 8 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Halliday't
red brick house at Orange and Willow
streets, half way between the residence
of Mr. Beecher and Mr.. Thomas G.
Shearmans home, is the meeting place
for the Plymouth Church committees
As asingular coincidence in yesterday q
proceedings, it is the house in which
Mr.. Lowen was married TO the daugh.
ter of Lewis Tappen; also the place
where he first began housekeeping,
and the birth place of two of his sons.
The Examining Committee, which
had been called together by Mr.. Halli.
day in pursuance Of Mr.. Bowen's note
fixing the time, met promptly and as
the mantle clock struck 5, DIR. Edward
Bcecher, the pastors brother, asked
MIR. Halliday to open the meeting with
prayer. As Mr.. Halliday closed the
prayer Messrs. Clarence aud Edward
Bowen entered the parlor. Mr.. Henry
G. Bowen was not with them. The
committee received them stfily, Mr..
Robinson alone offering them his hand.
Mr.. Edward Bowen asked, are all of
the members of the Examining Com
mittec present?
Mr.. Halliday-No. | guess not, be-
cause the letter from Mr.. Bowen ap-
pointed such precise hour.
Mr.. Sherman-Mr Tilney, the clerk
of the church, has not yet received
word.
DIR, Edward Beecher-As far as
know, the pastor and Deacon Hawk
ins will not be present. flrrt
Edward Bowen-Arc you ready,
gentlemen, for my fathers reply?
DR.. Edward Beecher-We are.
Edward Bowen handed the reply to
Clarence Bowen, who began immedi-
atcly to read the following document;
MR.. 5. V. WHITES GRIEVANCES.
had an interview with Mr. Bowen
in the latter part OF November, in
which ! urged upon him my belief that
he was in error in his course in regard
TO matters connected with Plymouth
Church in connection with the rumors
and reports that were in existence in
respect TO his charge of reprehensible
conduct on the part Of the pastor. |
said that wanted to talk with him on
the subject. He said that he would
like TO have his son present. said il
was perfectly agreeable to me to have
him there. then said to him that |
believed that, stating it very plainly,
there was one too many in Plymouth
Church, at one end or the other, unless
Unexplained away certain things weigh
ing on my mind that either tho pastor
Of Plymouth Church should leave, or
that he should avow his position as one
not knowing anything adverse to the
pastor, or that be should leave. ! told
him that what complained off was
that common rumor had associated his
name largely with the reports with re.
spect to the pastor, as having made
statements that were indicative of
knowledge on his part that Mr.. Bcccher
was guilty of gross immoraities. That,
so far as ! knew, he had neither af.
firmed nor denied them, although the
condition of things was such that every
member of Plymouth Church, studying
its peace and purity, wanted to know
whether there was anything within his
knowledge adverse TO the character Of
Mr. Beecher or il there was nothing
within his knowledge, TO know of that
fact. i told him that called his at |
tcntion to the statements that were
made by Mr.. Tlton and reported to
have been made by Oliver johnson as
to derogatory remarks on his part af. |
iecting the character Of the pastor.
told him | did not pretend that these
things were true; bat that il was be-
leved pretty generally through the
country and among the brethren Of
Church that he had made
these Observation-Disclosures thatwerc
damaging TO the moral character of
the pastor, and that every man, wo-
man and child in Plymouth Church
were directly interested in knowing
what were the true facts in regard TO
all matters affecting the character of
Mr. Bceoher; and that, while he might
at one stage properly have kept silent,
when the matter had not passed into
public notoriety, il was now case
concerning which we were all entitled
to know. !, ASA member Of Plymouth
Church, wanted TO know what there
was against the claincterof Mr.. Beech
er; aud IL he did not know anything,
That he should set the matter at rest.
urged upon him that his course was
not iraternal that he was not studying
the peace or purity Of the church
that It's purity demanded, that its peace
that if he know anything
against It's pastor he should make IL
known, ana that II he did not know
he should say so.
MANY ANXIOUS PEOPLE.
He heard me, and made no replv
except TO say that a good many peonlc
bad been to him with the same request
hat he alone was Judge of the facts
md was irdge of what his duty sbouId
De- that he could only tell me, as he