The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-02-19
THE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
A Remarkable Speech by Mr.
Beecher.
Drs, SfOrrs and BsadiaiagtOm I'm
Wit ed 10 III Council.

Drs, SfOrrs and BuddingtOm In
Wit ed 10 III Council.
They Say They Have Nothing to Commu.
nicate.
BROOKLYN, Feb. 1S-The attendance was
large at the Advisory Council. this morning.
After the religious exercises, Deacon G ipen of
Boston, introduced preamble and resolution
setting forth that iDasmuch as question six of
the letter missive asked them TO decide whether
there were any reasons why Plymouth church
had forfeited its claim to the confidence and
fellowship of the Congregational churches,
RESOLVED, That the council respectfully request
the Rev. Richard 5 Storrs, d. D., and Rev. william
Ives Buddingon, D. D., to appear before it and state
such reasons if there are any.
Mr.. Crawford objected on general principles
that the persons whom it invited were not
referred to in the question of the letter mis-
sive.
Prof. Abbott here announced that the bust
ness committee desired to make report in re-
gard to the Bowen communication, which be
read, and said the committee of Plymouth
church had an opportunity theo to make any
further statement in regard to the subject.
DE- Bacon interrupted the proceedings at this
pOlub NY SdylUS CudG a communication mad Deen
received from Prof Egbert Smythe of Andover.
He said it would under the general order of
the council, be referred to the business commit
tee. 1t was then resolved that DIR. Capen's
resolution lay on the table while the Bowen
matter was discussed.
Mr.. Shearman made statement and said the
committee demanded that Bowen should appear
before the council.
DR.. Walcott offered preamble and resolu-
that as Henry G. Bowen had sent a communi-
n n tn fhn ho ho,
his reasons before the council at once. A long
discussion followed as to the propriety of the
councils summoni6g Mr.. Bowen.
An amendment providing that the Council
invite Mr.. Bowen to appear before it at half
past o'clock this evening was carried, andlthe
Scribe was instructed to communicate the &C
tion to Mr.. Bowen. The Scribe was also in
structed to give the investigating ommittee of
Plymouth church copies of the resolution.
The discussion OF Deacon Capen's resolution
was then resumed, and it was moved that itbe
referred to the committee on the sixth question
to draft resolution of invitation. This was
carried and the matter was referred to the com
mittee, which immedia tely retired to deliberate
upon it.
Rev. II. M. Storrs then said he thought the
question put by Mr.. Fessenden yesterday should
be answered The latter then repeated the
question as to Beecher's willingness to have
an interview between Dr. Storrs and himself
made public. or that they should tell all they
knew dUOuG MIN 10 IuS puUlC.
Mr.. Beecher, who had been impatient to get
10 his feet, now advanced and said:
will make my answer, and any gentlemen
of the Council who wishes to supplement ques-
tions can then clarity their minds in respect to
my meaning. Allow me to say ia the first
place, that am very grateful to Mr. Fessenden
for making these questions, and l say to every
gentleman present in the Council, that they
cannot make qestions too sharp or too probing
or cutting too deeply, for that is my wish, and
in this am thoroughly backed up by the COM
mittee of the church, and our wish that there
shall be no question left unasked, the answer of
which (if We can answer) will throw light on
your minds in regard to any particular of this
matter Now let me say first, in regard to the
interview, L know of no interview of any kind
whatsoever about which such question as this
may be asked. My intercourse with DR.. Storrs
and his family constitutes one of the bright
places of my life. L think of it as man who
has seasickness and is tossed on stormy sea.
He thinks of the island he has just left where
everlasting summer reigns. His health failed
him and he went to Europe for a year and a
half. He returned IN early summer. 1 called
| twice upon him ard his household. They were
| boarding at the Mansion House, his own dwell
| ling house being rented until autumn. After
preaching few Sundays he went on his sum-
mer vacation in Princeton. 1 did not see him
again till October of that year, making in all
an absence from us Of nearly two full years. In
that time there was no intercourse except one
or two casual letters.
Rev. DR.. Baeop-What years were those?
Beecher Mr.. ShearmaH is the man of dates.
| Mr.. Shearman-In 1871 and 1872.
Beeeher-I have to keep him by me to re-
member for me- In the autumn of that year
we had our silver wedding, and this house never
was Illuminated by more brilliant display of
cordial friendship or of an undeserved eulogy
| than that which came from the lips of Doctor
Storrs. After parting that night from him,
with one exception, l have never had the good
fortune to meet him. In two weeks after that
the infamous scandal was promulgated, and
then, from that hour began career of absolute
silence on my part under what then thought
and what I still think to be competent advice,
judging advice always by the light that was
possessed or was attainable at the time the adj
vice was given. l therefore maintained an alb.
solute silence, and when DR.. Storrs, day or
two after the scandal broke out addressed a let.
ter to me, brief note which had been publish
| ed and which have, l made no reply. 1 made
no reply in this case because there was special
| Injunction. L had made several replies aud
| was about to send them when Gen. Tracey and
| Judge Benedict also, who was present ia my
house. said, Say nothing, write nothing" and
| accordingly burned up one full letter written
| to Mr., Chittenden, and the beginning of let
| ter, if recollect right, to DR.. Storrs L never
went anywhere then. If you will recolect the
entirety of the years 1871 and 1872, you will
| remember that was bearing and carrying and
| fearing and striving with great troubles within,
and apprehensionS without, to maintain my
| ministry faithfully
think you will understand me when say
| had no place but my home went into no
| company which was not official l waited I'M
| til God should bring daylight. L went neither
| to Storrs nor Buddington, nor to the most hon.
| ored of my own church, nor to my brother nor
| to my sisters, nor to Gods best gift, my wife.
nor to my children. l maintained absolute 81
| lence and my experience rolled within my own
| soul as isolated aud as dark as If it had been
| transacted in cave III the very centre of the
| earth, and therefore if anybody had occasion tc
| regret my want of frankness or confidence it
was those that were at my board and my bosom
| who never complained, and if there had been
| any outside from whom felt from the knowl.
| edge of the circumstances thatI could have dc,
| rived succor there would have been no place
| where would have sought it sooner than at
the threshold of DR.. Storrs' house. But felt
| that neither he nor any man could help me--but
! God, and 1 waited and waited patiently for a
| year, and it was not until after the steps had
| been taken 10 regard to the dropping of Mr..
| Tllton and then the letters from theselchurch-
| es were sent into our church and the diplo-
| matte correspondence between the three had
reached a certain point that 1 received sugges.
| tons from an eminent lawyer. AT one time
| think trustee and deacon of DR.. Budding
tens church who endeavored to maintain his
| friendship there, but friendship also for me
Columbia street said to me, why will you on
| not meet DR.. Storrs and DR.. Buddington and
see whether there cannot be friendly converse
or correspondence between you and them that
! shall settle this matter and stop the correspon-
dence between your churches, and my reply
was, will meet them at any hour and any
moment and any place, and if this wisdom had
been taken in at the beginning of this matter
| it would have prevented all this trouble.
| But no man and no minister ever correspond
| ed with me or asked me question. l turned
on my heel and walked with him at that very
moment to DR.. Stnrrs' house. DR.. Buddington
| was waiting therd, for it seems the suggestion
| had been made by Mr.. Taft to him and word
was left if could. TO repair to the study of the
church. DR. Burlington took my arm and we
| uuaIkod around IN Dr Storrs' studv in his