, 1876-02-07
BOWEN on DEECllER.

letter TO tho plymouth Church Committee, that
wus not furnished BY telegraph:
To Tho Eaan,intng Comn,itte n Plymouth
Church, More tan .wo years ago s,o Examining
hsd teen sfande,lng lis pastor, tho nov. Honry
Ward Boeclier; tint Was pfobabably tho causo Of
all tue trouble mud mischief that lad ocourroi ln
tho church; that must be promptly looked sftcr,
my conduct carefully Investigated, md, II found
guilty, bo condemned. and cast out from tho
church as wicknd offender. After months OF
inost soa:ellsg inquiry. report waa Inado 10
tho Church by tho Con,mittoo tint tho Charge
aEatDat mo WAS grouudlons that 81 far ns thoy
could learn. had not Hlandnrod tho pastor aud
thnt, Ia their Judgment, III evidoneo could 10
found for tho Bcsioua complaint against tho.
Tho report Of tho Committee was prosecuted to
waa unanimously acquitted Of any wroug-loing
lM tic promises. All this WAS dono rel1,on,t,er,
because WAS charged With talklns too mach.
After those faithful and vgant efforts TO
failed, II BOON begun 10 bo said In tho church
thnt was uoH actually talking too little; that,
lnHtead OF opening. wide my month to the great
damage OF MI, ncec!lef, l was guilty Of Tho
nothing. To talk was at asat said 10 bo wrong;
mud now to 10 s'lonk WAS equally wrong. 1t
sooncd to me quite plain, alt this tirno, That
Plymouth Church. beloved ; storm was
se1porinsSnat aud tn order to divert public
attoution, aom0 one must bo found, II
possible, nho could bo thrown ororbohrd. Tha
storm kent raging, aud eyery effort to lind soma
had bnen fruitloss. During all this excitement
my convictions ~ 10 what was my own personal
duty grow stronger aud stronger evory honr. 1
did not desiro to talk with anybody. dater-
DOM in tho past and did not forget that
hsd made . solemn covenant, In what
lias since bcen callod tho tr,partito agrccmont
10 bury The past aud keep silent in tho futuro
IT..1 all tai J+rNk kk,rk Il.
become mo now 10 say. But know this much,
that fow mon havo ovor boen more sorely ttiol
in regard 70 thu duty Of month-oporiug and
noulll-shnttlug-andb both at tho Baulo monont
and womon have piled no with advico and arel-
menta on both Bides. I hayn received thAnk4
aud congratulations for keeping ailcnt, aud SOL
emn throats to Induce mo to apoak. 1 have
boon adsised cont1lonsiay and oven boldly to
emohor my own conscience, "lot tho past co.
aua CRY "poace, peace, when there IL 10 pence"
When Mr.. 3. V. White called upon mo at my
oll1co in businnss haurs-onco alone aid after
ward With two others-to tnlk Oh the y l}eecher
scandal, confoss that fels ho had chosen an
Improper p1ace and al impropcr hour to discuss
MI improper subject. tie, however, expressed
such friendly interest in mo and my family that
allowed him to proceed, a. DO suited: Dnt
tho timo nor tAo inclination to argue with him
at length on that subject. ! said 10 him, docid-
oAly, could not convotse with hiln or any other
party on tho topiche bad presented; TINT had my
own yc,Ys and convictions In regard to tho mat
tor; that must DO allowed to net Oh my own
Judgment, OF, III other words, TO decide for my
self what was my duty. I told Tim also that
did not believe IL tho practice OF breaking writ
ten agreements, oven II 0tters did and. III q
word, must boz to be EXCUSED from disclosing to
hlm my viowa, feelings, Or opinions on tho sub
ioct in question. tr. Whlts pressed mo with
various arguments, occupying ptrhApH an hour
or more, whou ho said he must hurry back TO bis
IN nm In hH
Wero substantially tho same ut both OF tho inter-
yieMs in my olllce referred TO by Linn. But hn did
not say OIL either occasion that he desired me to
understand that ho wns thea taxing steps. in
formal wny to hrlng mo boforo the church.,
although ho iutlmatod that ho might do 30 at
some future t,mo. When received tho sunl-
mons. tho othor day, to moot the Examining
Committee OF Plymouth Chu.ch Ind not the
slightest suspicion Of what was wanted OF mo.
No hint or intlmatton waH given In that Buul-
mons a. to tho nature Of tho grievance embracod
ln tue complaint, and l must eay that,
ass anass tha t.. r a ,o "a .*n ats'E5 m
my time or TIM. OF tho Committee with
such rambling aud trivial complaints
O!her meu, far boster and wlaor than I am,
have made 1niHtak akco, and contoss that have
DECLARE to you, ana through you 10 plymouth
Church. that hayo honestly and conHcioutiously
.sicl III this whole af1alr 10 do my duty faithfully
to uod. 70 Mr.. Doochef, aud to tho church with
WHICH HI EOuuDEtDu+ EuHlu HUI Q0 u1OIDt
aud have not for ono InBtait desired to do lcss.
Tho attempt 1t this time to royfye tho prso-
tices Of the lnqulsition bootns to mo d ulost
startling development. Las tho titae coma agnin
for their thoughts2 Arc those WHO a1a nc-
ceptcu rs sound and orthodox IN thoe faith to
10 persecutod, put upon tho raek, and thon
thumbBcrowod into disclos.ug all the aecteta Of
their lnmoat soul? Las It como to this, that 1t
" not Aafe III this froo country to listen to tbs
confidential statements Of our Chris.lan broth
rcn who seriously and with trembling steps como
to our doors, asking not for bread but for beip
| and advice in trouble? Shnll we say to slch. Be-
Gouo! We aro afraid to listen 10 YOU
| am before you caacgcd with tho crime
of 'Hilonce." and It LAS boou mora than
innmased, l,ess and elsewhere. that by lhla
| gtiovous sisehca I have actually uttered ms
l!elous slanaer; that by hls persistent
al, the world bel.eyc that Mr.
/ booshor Id guilty. Gont!omen of the Examin-
| iaK Committee, l once promised to keeD Hiiont,
and others joined with ue In that SOLEMN COM
not by nc, but by Harry WA.d Baechor+ aud
with tho apparcns intout to injure mo. Just
hero permit mo to deuY, most emphatlcallY, that
/ ever "aouYht to giye tho lmprosalon or In
charged by Ms. Whiso-that ! over know apy.
thing whatever against tho moral CHAR
actor Of Henry Ward Daecher. Whatever
may hayo been tho facsB in regard to my knowl-
elge, conyictions or 0plulous, OH that subject,
1 have hitherto Sought TO koop tAo,n locked
| within my own breast; and, except iii taking
| private adrico aud counsul. dofy alr. 3. v.
Whito or any otlor member OF Plymouth
Church. to prove the contrary. But why do you
| nat me now to break Btlapco7 Why Summon
| me to tho front2 Do you thsnk can Use plaia-
or or stronger languago than that inlch-abuyei
iady,-A netnber Of thls church. whose awful
charges against tllo pastor hayo stunned al
CAr,stondon2 l think if such language ~
| herh rellAi1A unhoauGd, no othHt Yooo, though