The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-02-05
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
Mr.. BOwen's Reply to the Exam
lining Committee.
Rke Charges Nr. Reecher with
Adultery and Perjury.

RKe Charges Mar. Reecher witt,
Adultery and Perjury.
NEW YORK, Feb. 4 Mr.. BoWens reply to
Mr.. Whites grievances, submitted tie the ex-
aiming committee of Plymouth church to-
night, says:
II am before you charged with the crime of
silence, and it has been more than intimated
here and elsewhere that by this grevious ST.
lence have actually uttered malicious SLAM
der; that by this persistent silence L do try to
make all the world believe that Beecher is
guilty. Gentlemen of the examining commit
tee, once promised to keep silent, and others
joined with me in that solemn compact. That
agreement has been coolly and, | say, deliber-
atey broken; not by me, but by Henry Ward
beecher, and with apparent intent to injure
lcally that ever sought to give the impression
or IN any way TO make the public believe, as
charged by Mr.. White, that ever knew any
thing Whatever against the moral character of
Henry Ward Beecher Whatever may have
been the facts in regard to my knowledge, con-
Victlons or opinions on that subject, l have
hitherto sought to keep them locked within my
own heart, and except in taking private advice
and counsel, defy S. V. White or any other
member Of Plymouth church to prove the con-
trary. But why do you ask me now to break
TINS silence? Why summon me to the point?
20 you think that can use palmer language
than that much abused lady, member of this
cnurch, whose awful charges against the pastor
have stunned all Christendom. 1 think if
such language as hers remained UNDECIDED no
other voice, though one should rise from the
dead to speak, would ever reach your ears
MT. Whlte says that there is one too many in
plymouth church, at one end or the other He
does not state that at one end of the church
stands man openly charged with adultery,
perjury and hypocrisy, aud at the other end
man charged with the mere grievance of ST.
lence. He does not propose to arraigu and try
the one charged with the awful crime of adul-
terry, but to drag before you that man who by
his silence has actually led the people, to be-
lieve that he did know something about Beech
er. Such evidences of justice, impartiality,
brotherly love and fair dealing commend to
your respectful consideration. / was long ago
told that it was the secret intention of Ply
mouth church to destroy me if possible, and
that was in any event to be driven from its
communion. could not then believe this, but
it now appears that others had better informa-
ton than myself For more than year past
1t has been evident to me and others that this
serious threat would sooner or later be put into
execution, but how was this to be done? The
following tells the whole story:
From that day to this have been wickedly
and Indignantly assailed in my business affairs.
All sorts OF crimes and misdemeanors have
been charged or hurled at me, and have been
uelu up 10 the WOriQ as a man totally unworthy
OF either respect or public confidence Every
one of these charges or insinuations I now pro-
nounce totally false, their authors slanderers,
and hereby challenge Plymouth Church to
appoint its own committee to investigate open
ly and vigorously my words and my deeds,
either in or out of the church, from the day of
my birth to the present hour 1 am ready for
the trial.
Let me here recall ona fact. One bright
sunny afternoon during the trial between The
odore Tilton and Rev. Fl. w. Beecher 1 was
waited upon by one OF the leading members of
Plymouth Church and most earnestly urged to
come forward and say something, if it was in
my power to relieve Mr.. Beecher and end the
controversy. 1 was told that if 1 would do
this, the arms of Plymouth Church would be
thrown about me, and that by so doing would
be the greatest man almost in the country. My
instant reply was that there was not power
enough, wealth enough or reverence enough in
plymouth Church or in Brooklyn to induce me
even to consider the matter one moment. That
remark ended the interview. L cannot help
remembering, however, how easily by simply
violating my own conscience and telling a lie
could have been appauded then and to-day as
one of the most worthy members of Plymouth
Church.
do not propose now to give in detail tho
facts which have come to my knowledge or the
Incidents disclosures and confidential COM
munications which from time to time have
been presented or communicated to me in re-
to his dishonorable conduct in business affairs,
to his treacherous treatment of friends to his
breaking OF the written covenant. to his un-
truthful statements in courts, to his lodging all
through the Investigations into his conduct and
character, to his stolid Indifference when an
unjust charge and malicious SANDER had been
made against particular member of his
church, to his recent contradictory utterances
in regard to what he characterized as hodge.
podge council composed of wolves and foxes
like Drs. Storrs and Buddington, which council
at one time he said he had never positively
objected to, but in regard to which on another
occasion he did positively say, 81 won't, L
won't have anything to do with it," and finally
at his coarse abuse and slanderous charges
uttered boldly and publicly in his own lecture
room against an honest Christian woman who
had dared, as she alleged, to speak the truth
concerning him,
have had an influence in forming my Judgment
will now hasten to tell you frankly what are
my conclusions in regard to the character of
the pastor of Plymouth church. have known
his arrival in Brooklyn. have been acquaint-
ed with him socially and privately in church
and in the family, in business matters and in
religious matters. l have heard attentively,
but with profound grief. what has been said to
me confldentially against him. have felt my
heart stirred to the depths for dear friends who
years before the present scandal was published
sorrowfully begged my counsel as they assured
me that their pastor and mine had craftiy be-
trayed the sanctity of their home, the very
charge long alter presented to me by Theodore
Tilton in regard to his own home. L never can
or will be base enough to allow a single name
to be bruited before the world. although L am
now ready to testify to essential facts before
any proper tribunal. These doctrines I heard
with sad he art and tried to accept the evil
dence brought to me that Mr.. Beecher was
grief stricken and penitent. l have read puch
that has been said for and against Mr. Beecher
IN the public press. have with utter amaze
ment read and re-read and pondered over his
published letters and written confessions in
regard to serious accusations made against
him. have tried to weigh all the evidence
which has come before me with judicial fair.
ness and christian honesty. L have read the
whitening charges which have been published
to the world against him. 1 have seen those
charges again aud again hurled at him and he
calmly and boldly challenged to appear before
an impartial tribunal to meet them. 1 have
seen him with all this cloud of darkness gath
ering about him, apparently defyng public
opinion, defying the advice of old life long
friends embracing the soundest, ablest aud best
clergymen in the country, and seemingly defy
ing again and again the very God of Heaven
himself to cut him down.
Now, being summoned here to speak and to
speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing
but the truth, solemnly give it as my unwav-
ering opinion, IN view OF all of the facts and
evidence presented to me, that Rev. Henry
Wdru DeeCuer WlGuOuC even q SHALLOW OF doubt
in my mind is guilty Of the awful crimes of
adultery, perjury and hypocrisy.
This say again and before the bar of this
committee is my deliberate opinion, and 1 may
be permitted to affirm that 1 give it calmly,
without malice and with no other than a sim
cere desire to do my duty faithfully to God and
to man, to the church and to the world
(Signed) HENRY G. BOWEN.
Brooklyn, N. Y, Feb. 4, 1876
When Mr.. Bowen's sons, after presenting
their fathers reply to the committee, with
drew, that body continued its session for about
three-quarters of an hour, during which time
it framed o, letter to Bowen, in which he is
summoned to appear before the committee on
Tuesday evening next and give proof of the
assertions contained in his reply to the griev-
ances of White. This document which Mr.
Bowen declined to make public was delivered
by Mr.. Halliday personally.