The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-02-10
Bowen after Beecher.
February fourth Mr.. Henry c. Bow
en- presented letter to the Examin-


February fourth Mr.. Henry c. Bow
en- presented letter to the Examin-
ing Committee of Plymouth Church,
in answer to the grievances of Mr.. S.
w. White, a member of said commit
tee. He commences by saving that
tho church once unanimously acquit-
ted him of slandering the pastor.
Then he was charged with talking too
much. Now the charge is that he is
talking too little. His silence was
based upon the tripartite agreement
to bury the past and keep silent in the
future. He relates the substance OF
an interview with Mr.. White, and
says:
81 felt at first as do now, that Mr..
| White and the Examining Committee
and Plymouth Church could be better
employed in investigating the direct
charges against the pastor made in
the plainest language I; charges which
embrace the crimes of adultry and
perjury, rather than in skirmishing
about in new fields to see if few
more persons could not be scared or
in some way drawn or driven into the
difficulty"
After reciting the various charges
made against him and abiding to the
fact that he had long been told that it
was secret. the intention of Plym-
outh Church to destroy him if posi-
Bile, and that in any event he was to
be driven from its communion. He
says:
81 do not propose now to give in
detail facts which have come to my
knowledge, or incidents, disclosures
and confidential communications
which have from time to time been
presented to or communicated to me
in regard to the character of Henry
Ward Beecher and his dishonorable
conduct in business affairs; to his
treacherous treatment oi friends: to
his breaking of written covenants; to
his untruthful statements in court: to
his lodging all through Investigations
into his conduct and character: his
stolid Indifference when unjus charges
and malicious SANDERS have been
made against particular members of
his church; to his recent contradictory
utterances with regard to what he
characterized as 'hodge-podge coun-
Gil, composed of wolves and foxes, ,
like Dr. Storrs and Buddington, which
council at one time he said he never
positively objected to, but in regard
10 which he did on another occasion
positively say Il won't, l won't have
any thing to do with It, and finally
at his coarse abuse and slanderous
charges of perjury uttered boldly and
publicly in his own lecture room
against an honest Christian who dared,
as she alleged, to speak the truth con-
corning him. With this brief refer
ence to matters which have had an in
fluence ia forming my judgment,
will now hasten to tell frankly my
conclusions in regard to the character
of the pastor at Plymouth Church.
have known Mr.. Beecher quite in
timately since the day of his arrival in
BroOklyn; | have been acquainted
with him socially and privately in the
tiers, and in religious matters; | have
heard attcntiye!y, but with profound
grief, wha. has been said to me conf
dentially, against him; have felt my
heart stirred to its depths for dear
friends, who, years before scandal was
published, sorrowfully begged my
counsel, as they assured me that their
pastor and mine had craftily betrayed
the sanctity of homes, the very charge
long after presented to me by Theo-
dore Tilton in regard to his own home.
never can, nor will | allow single
name to be bruited about the world,
although am ready TO testify to es-
sential facts before any proper tribu-
nal. These disclosures | heard with
sad heart. and tried to accept the evil
dence brought to me that Mr.. Beecher
was grief stricken and penitent.
have read much that has been said for
and against Beecher in the public
press. have, with utter amazement,
pondered over his published letters
and written confessions in regard TO
the serious accusations made against
him. | have tried to weigh the evil
dence which has come before me with |
judicial fairness and Christian homes
ty. | have read the whitening charges |
which have been published to the |
world against him. have seen these |
charges again and again hurled at him,
and he calmly and boldly challenged |
to appear before any impartial tribu-
nal to meet them. have seen him
with all this cloud of darkness gather
ing about him, apparently defying the
public opinion. defying the advice of
his friends embracing the soundest,
ablest and best clergymen in the
country; defying again and again the
very God of heaven Himself to cast
down. Now being summoned here
10 speak, and to speak the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth,
[ solemnly give it as my unwavering
opinion, in view of all facts and evil
iences presented to me. that Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher, without shad-
wv of doubt on my mind, is guilty of
he awful crimes of adultry, perjury
md hypocrisy. This, l say it again
md before the bar of this committee,
S my deliberate opinion, and may be
permitted to affirm that give it calm
y, without malice and with no other
han a sincere desire to do my duty
to God and man, to the
Jhurch and to the world"