St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-02-18
The Beecher Troubles.
BOWEN SPEAKS AGAIN. -BEECHER RE
FLIES.

deem him ''tO he the sole author of the
calumnics which he had published, and
would report his ease to the church for
Sssuch action Us may be wise and Just"
| Mr.. Bowen replied ut length. The
nub of his reply is in this: | never
can or will he base enough to allow IL
| single name to he bruitcd before the
world. Fearing. therefore, lest an
investigation before your committee
should he inevitably incomplete and
unsatisfactory. propose that three men
within the Congregational body he Sc
lectcd. distinguished for their wisdom
and impartiality. such for example. as
President Wool>cy. President Asa ID.
Smith, President Fairchild. Judge La
| fayettc :. Foster. the Hon. Alpheus
Hardy. or the Hon. Julius III. Scelyc.
men in whose decision the world will
feel confidence. who shall he pledged to
keep all such evidence secret. before
whom. only Mr. Beccher and myself
shall appear with our witnesses. am
willing to abide by the ccnsure or APP
proval of such IL body of men, if Nj e.
Bcrcher and Plymouth church will also
submit to this decision. | reatiiIm
everything have stated about Henry
Ward Brrcher in my previous cnmmu-
| nicatiom To YOU. and am ready to sub
Stantiate it before such a tribunal.
This proposition WAS rejected.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH REPLIES.
Plymouth church ON Friday evening
adopted Il resolution which provides
that the whole matter of the in>imIa-
tionS OF accusations of Henry C.. Bowen
against the pastor of this church hc re
trrrcd back To the examining committee
with instructions to continue the in
y, Stigatinm begun 10y them. and that
they bc instructed to summon said
Bowen before them. having first given
him ten days office of the time and
place of their meeting. and to notify
him that he will hr asked to state ANY
and every fact within his knowledge.
tending t" support the destinations or
charges contained in his letter of the
lth inst, and Ia give the names of all
witnesses known To him. 10y whom ANY
of the facts within his personal knoWl-
edge may he pr"vrd.
MIR. BEECHER SPEAKS.
After the adoption of the resolution
Mr.. Bccchcr >lid he was far from feel
ing i'll II >pIIi'cd hIImor. y controversy
between Il pastor and member of "A
church WIS Il very sad thing. To have
4 quarrel WAS to him in the nature of Il
funeral service. Mr.. Bowen was one
of the oldest members of the church.
and he could not forget that Mr. Bowers
threshold WAS the first he crossed on
coming t" BROOKLYN. He could not
think of anything more sad than to find
Il man with whom he had walked arm
III ann. and with whom he had taken
sweet counsel. and whose hospitality
he had shared. turned against him. Mr.
Beechcr had thus far spoken very quiet
~ and sadly. but throwing into his
words all the Nehrmeuce possible to
him. lee said that il for the last IL wears
or more Mr. Bowen had been IN posses
SION of these facts. and never brought
them before HIM 81 before an officer of
the church. he was guilty of breaking
his covenant with the church. and ought
To he expelled. Ii he (Becchcr was
what he waS alleged to he. he should
have been east out of the church. long
ago. He WAS not guilty. and the allie
CATIONS made 10y Mr.. Bowen were false.
He would pronounce them 50. He re-
terrcd sdrcaSticallN to Bowers state
mcnt that he had not had time To pre-
pare an answer To the questions.
rcmarkiug that he had time to charge.
him with being Il criminal. the badness
of which the three epithetS used h>
Bowen could hardly compass. There
should he no secrecy in the matter if he
could help it. and everything should he
Siitcd tn the very bottom. Mr.. Beecher
h.,I Ill 4 Ii.
to one in which were expressed mingled
sadness and repr"ach. when, suddenly,
bursting forth with his loudeSt and
most vehement tones. he said AS
tor myself. | pronounce this allegation
us false. and. with ALMIGHTY God he
fore me and the Judgm, At dav, | ar
raign him as Il Slanderer and liar
AS MIR. Beechcr sat down. there was
enacted Il scene which has never but
twice before taken place in the Ply
mouth church lecture room. clapping
of hands, stamping of feet and men
hallooing plauditS at their pastor. while
his wife bowed her head upon her hands
and wept bitterly for some moments.
yarmouth the able \. Y. CORES
pondent of the Portland Press. ably re-
views this case of Bowen:
The Slniceways of vulgar defamation
have been chokrd up within Il day or
two by the bursting of Bowers dam.
This wrctched creature has ut last
abandoned the sphinX-like attitude of
private shoulder Struggling slanderer.
and has made il public exhibition of his
long suppressed spleen. 1t is notable
example of the faulty of the BROOKLYN
couSpiratorS that each in turn has ;ip-
pcared upon the scene so inopportune-
~ as to deprive his malice of effective
damage. If Bowen had had the cour-
age to display his luminosity earlier.
he might have wrought serious mischief. |
As it is. the permanent hurt he will do |
must of necessity he inappleciable. He
would to he sue, iniure himself fear
fully if it were not that his reputation
long since got beyond the possibility of
further fall. Now he has accomplished |
nothing except to demonstrate the cor
rectnesS of the theory held from the
beginning by the nearest and best in
formed of the friends of the Plymouth
pastor, that he was the original author
and inSidious diSscminator of all the |
calumnieS that craZcd the brain of Til |
ton and produced such shocking conse-
queuces. tie does not pretend to add |
anything to the history of the case. He
makes no allegation based upon knowl-
edge which he Processes to have of facts, |
The latest exhibition he makes of him
self recalls the story told by Mr.. Clatlin !
of the time when he pressed Bowen TO