, 1876-03-06
Beecher KneeIs In His Chair, and, with
Tears, Appeals to Bowen to
Bury tho past Forever.
Low and Why Bowen Signed tho Tri-
partlte Coyonnnt-..0livor john
sons knowledge Of tho
Truth Of Tilton's
Charge.
Bowen Concludes by Inploring God to
Have Mercy on Plymouth Church
and Henry Ward Dcechcr.
BOWEN.


No. 90 Willow Sr1EEr, ljnooKLYN, Feb. Co.
70 tho Eraniaing Comnfitee Of Plymouth
Churci-1ENrLEMEN TITO ropy which now
make to your requirements OF mo ts Of such
nature that do not tocl AZ liberty 10 give It to
tle public presH.
before proceeding to state Bonlu Of tho esscn-
llal gacta which hayo convinced mo that Horny
Ward Dooehcr Is an a;lutteror+ pos1urer, aud
hypocrito will briefly stato tho position In
which hayo boen placed, and thu oircumatnnoas
which have compelled mo to tako tlts position
uf anEagonfsm % tllo pastor ot Plymouth Church
nnler which now speak.
Lare yloltlel to ITO ono in admiration and
love for Horny Ward Deochor. I have boon in
times past very intimate with him, nnd have not
only folt his lntlloncc az public man, but havn
experienced tho power OF hia personal nagnett
Ism. My intonso. may say my o1anntsh,
love for and prldo iu Plymouth Church havo
mnds me worry tender towards tho faultB Of tts
pnBtor and very glow to do anything 10 ,injuro
Ills reputation It Is moro than ton years HEnco
1cs,no to tho knowledge Of atr. Dsechcr'a adul-
tory, committed aoma yoara preyioua. 1hsd, az
thought, reaaon to holioyo that afr. Doochor
was a reformed and d penitont man, aud aI-
though could not hencofosIl, lopk upon him as
! did before, yos did uos suppose that was
justified in publishing Ills sin. l hsyo many
times been donoupcal for not doing 30. In this
l do not think have done wrong. II 1 did,
thon every one oso docs wrong who iB priyy to
any nln Of another which tie regards al a Baorod
confidence. I'M confirmed by tho fact that Tho
Holy Spirit chose ono who had ainnol In the
BANJO way to DO tho tcaohos OF tho Church
through all subsequent agea In tho emotional
rlemonts Of Christian lifo and worship. Il Ia
not recorded that Nathan forbade David 10 load
tAs worship In tho temple, aud who am thut I
should havo forbidden tho noplest preacher OF
our Israoi, from whono lips had hoard the
spirit OF tho b1st psalm, to preach penitellce md
faith in ChriHt2
[lloro Bowen 1nakoa tho etatoments-pub-
llHhed In our dispatcAcs-that, on CnriHtmas-
Day, 1870, Triton told llm that Deeoher lad So
duccd Tiltoa's vito; that ho (Danop) thou, un-
dar solemn pledge Of accrocy, told Tilton that
he powen) ALSO know TINT noeolor had been IN
adu'teser; aud that afterwards hc (Dowcn) told
what ho know Of Uooeher to Horace d. Claln,
who has kept tho secret-Ep. TI1uusE.]
II iB charged that I hayo beon crattily whispor-
Ing that Ind postcatoua knowledge against Mr..
Beechos. These whtsperngs hayo been searched
for With the sharpest scrutiny. and your Examln-
ing Committee gaye ul, tho aoarch In despaIr.
Tle extent to which hayo dono this vii! tell
you. aly buAlnoHB relations with Alr, Ucoehor
reach back for tTonty years.
BY His AEinRsNESs AND UN1E1IADIttrY
he tried my patience moro than has ever any
other n,ap. IIo acted to mo, after la became
aware Of my knowledge OF hia guilt, ~ It ho
wshed to destroy mo aud drlvo mo from rlym-
ou.h Church. AZ t!moH wAa very Indignant,
and said-onty, howeyor, 10 Mr. Hlton and Mr.
johnson, with Nhom my relallonH wero such ~
to invita- Especial uouhdonce-tlat know facts
which would give mo power to retallato. ii such
wese my lcsite Tho onty way III Which my
namo eyer came to 10 used = authority for
charges agRinst nr. noocher, boloro the signing
Q! tlla trilars!to coyonant, was through reports,
not alway accurate, made by h1r hilton Of my
thturylan with lin OH Christmas Of 1870. It
va sreat ertor Of judgment tllss L.! SAG i, ons
but do not seriously blanc nyself. spoke
au4er peculiar cltcun,stances aud groat excite
h,ent TO ono with whom lad etory right toH speak
copadentla'iy mud from whom ha4 received Q
promiso Of nttoF seorocy: i was biz throat to
publish Whist lad th,tn told him that led INC to
discharge him auuanlarlIy. It was to prevent
hiB reporting these things that tho tEiparttto COW
bses been charged against mu Of aaying word
against Ny. l3oeehos previous to tho tt'pattito
treaty, and that ia tho cnao Of Mr. Howard. AftcE
tho reconciliation In 1870, Mr. Howard mt nc,
mats, 70 this uid not consout. aud he was
pFoFoIod, aud one Thing led to another, until he
told me that he did not believe that knaw any.
thing about Alr. Heachor. III reply, l told him
that WIS suFe Mr. Deecher had nevcr authorized
hLIn 70 uae auch language. that be had better see
BIT. Uoeoaer on shat Hubjoot aud thkt he would
learn thst wsa not speaking without knowledge
OF serious facts. TAia eRld without uia1ce mol
70 tho flrat conner, but only to john T. Howard
Mr. IeacheT's most Intimate friend, who would
report u to no cue but Mr, Ueechor Aud tl
whom told him to 60,
Altar tho signature 10 tho trlr&rtite ooyonant,
Was put IN q position III which 1t wna impoasi.
bio fos mo to avoid giving tho Impression thai
KNEW soAgFMInu AGAINST NIL. DKEongn.
! preserved sbaoute EaoorseY shout that docu.
ment. but the other parties to It spoke Of It con-
stantly, and 1nAlly IL H4s published By AIr,
l5eecher OF h!a friends. / bud atguad It ouly III,
scr II had laaa altored BY Mr. Dl4uin aud mr.
self, 10 tbat 1t shpuld nQt 4any my kuoxleJgo 81
Mr. Ueacher's Aduitaties. Il wAp constanth
quoted lu q much broader senso, and VIVA gpmo q
Nmea 10 definitely aud sharply queationed that
coula only hold my tongus, sYesa when siionc,
must ba iuta1pretsd adversely to Iii, Deoohor
! could not keep 1t without falAehood. When
aigued the &1psrtlee covenant, It wa sgslns
ny .lll. sud becsuss I VA persuaded sGat i
would ahut Hr. Hlton'e mouth and save Mr
beechar aud Plymouth Church. / shrauk from
having tho fesponsblty thrust upon mo By ME
t1itoo, OF destroying man Who hhd yet, ]
believed snd attn beliaye, Notwithstanding hi
DeflUrA0 nf xrrnA 4rIfhft, t,i,,, l..