The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-26
TIE BEECHER- Triton SCANDAL
AGAIN..
MIR. Francis ID. Mention Calls on the Rev.
Henry Ward Beccher TO Form linz
partial Tribunal to Try the Question.


MIR. Francis d. Mention Calls on the Rev.
Henry Ward Beechcr to Form an linz
partial Tribunal to Try the QuestiOn.
HENRY WARD BEEcHER-Sir: If it were
possible, would allow YOU to 20 down to your
grave without adding TO the agony with which
conscience will follow you on account OF your
unfaithtulness. false swearing, and adultery for
have not yet grown selfish in seeking vndl-
cation for the WRONGS you have done me and
mine IA to forget your past contriton, or to be-
lieve that Notwithstanding your wick edness you
do not suffer great sorrow on account of your
crimes; but In Justice to society, which you have
outraged to myself, whom you have wronged
90 my family, whom you have vilihed, I must
bring forward an Issue, " possible, to determine
whether you ought to be In the pupit or ought
to be In q prison. II IL due TO social order, the
well being OF the community, and religion, which
IL brought into contempt. that you should leave
the one or go into the other.
You have made pretence, ever since calling
together the INVESTIGATING Committee Of your
church, that you desired a fair and full investi-
CATION OF the charges against you and yet.
every e1pedieut that your willy counsel could
suggest or your own ingenuity devise to evade
Impartial inquiry and suppress the facts.
injure my credit az a witness, you procured by
your own perjury an indictment against me for
libel upon Yourself, IN a statement which your
counsel, benjamin +. Tracy. in your name,
begged me 60 withhold from the Investigating
Committee, OF witch he was also counsel, and
wnich 1 onv published In vindication Of myself
from your false charges afterward made TO the
same committee. This indictment YOU did not
dare TO prosecute, but procured, through will
ling instrument, against my protest and reitsra-
ton OF charges against you, TO be taken out OF
court by a nolle prosequi.
To endeavor 10 bring the Issue between us to
competent tribunal, l commenced suit
against you for malicious prosecution. wherein
both the questions OF your adultery and perjury
must be In issue before a jury Of your country
men. Again evadlnR the investigation OF the
faots before the only tribunal known TO the laws
of your country, you avoided the trial by demur-
rnR TO my allegations, and admitting that II all
SAID OF your adultery aud perjury we're true
because of the of your legal trick la get
ting rid Of the indictment wbich you had so
falsely and maliciousiy obtained for your pur-
pose Of evasion.
You demurred 10 elude investRation, notwith-
standing from your pulpit you declared your
willingness and desire To be tried before "a tri-
bunal that could compel witnesses, but not be-
fore foxes and wolves, abiding 70 a proposed
council OF ministers. You were talking then to
an audience Of your own choice, and tor effect.
They thought You brave, and cheered YOU to tho
echo. They believed you. | did not, and do
not now but propose to hold you, II l can, to
your own declaration.
Being now DESTROYS only Of submitting the Is
sue between us TO competent AM impartial
tribunal, and determined that you shall do so,
or admit your intention to avoid and evade IL, 1
submit the following propositions:
will so amend my complaint that the issue
shall be- N II lie not so offered now, that by Jour
Tor saying That you were an aduitefer. you then
well knowing that what said was true.
Waving all formalities. will go to trial upon
this issue alone, and i will agree that all wit
neeaes shall be heard, without technical objec-
ton, who know anything OF any fact tending TO
prove that issue. either OF their own know edge
or by the statement Of either party concerned la
the double crime, or any other testimony the
tribunal before which the trial Is had sh all
choose TO hear.
As do not desire to get any money from you
by my suit, which would perhaps be paid from
the funds Of the church, which ought to be de-
voted TO a better use than indie nifyinR you
against the consequences OF your crimee, will
nal sum OF one dollar, 10 the issue is found In
1 will submit this issue to Jury summoned 10
the ordinary mode, but II YOU say It would be
impossible TO get an unprejudiced aud intelli-
gent Jury 10 the usual WY; viii consent that
lect the jury, OF will leave its selection to Geo.
| z. Robinson Of Brooklyn, who was elected
deacon OF Plymonth Church by reclamation
and whom you declared on oath on the witness
stand to be " one OF the excellent Of the earth,
| or TO any man those gentlemen can agree upon
III neither OF these propositions Ia satisfactor,
TO you, VIII name man aud you can another
and they Two shall agree upon third " act al
referee under rule Of the court.
| III these offers are objected TO by you. an
willing that Thomas u. sherman and YOU
brother. Edward Deecher, shall select six men
and will name two men To select six others
neither YOU nor /. nor our representatives, u
object to the men so chosen, aud the verdict oil
the majority to be accepted by us as the ina
/ think my propositions are not open to auy
moral objection, and challenge you once more
To trial that Will settle the question whether
you ought TO be in the pulpit or In the psniten.
| tiary.
You need not ask why do not 90 before the
commission contrived by your partisaps Ia aud
| out OF the Advisory Council. Tue issue now Is
did you commit perjury, OF did l and my wife
| commit perjury at the trial in the City Court
and those dearest to me have deep an lnter
est in the proper decision OF that question u
| you have. II my picked friends were to instt
a IT,,
distrust its impartiality and refuse 70 90 before
| II. Your picked friends have Instituted such
| tribunal, and l as properly distrust its impair
| TALLY and decline Its Judgment. The spiders
| parlor does not look inviting to the ny. Ii col
| lege professors and doctors Of divinity do moi
see the validity Of my dstrust, the sane and faiI
men who love Justice and seek for the truth d.
see IL. Some fair aud just men fail to see why
Innocence should SHRINK from the estAb
lished modes of Judicial inquiry, anu should ns
for refuge to artfuily-devised methods In which
candid men have no confidence.
FRANCIS ID. MOULTOS.
BRooKLYN, 40 Remsen street, April -, 1876.