New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-15
ANOTHER BACON LETTER.

MR. BEECHER THAT ALL THE FACTS MAY BIZ
| FINALLY INVESTIGATED.
The Rev. DR.. Leonard Bacon has written an
open letter Prof Egbert c. suyh of Andover in
gard to the proposition Of the Andover Church Ply
modh Church FOR mutual council and In regard 10 the
plan for investigation OF charges against Mr. Beecher
made hereafter by any responsible person This letter
appears In The Chrsdn Union published to-day, and IL
| as follows;
DEAR BROTHER: A communication from you In The
this letter 1 may have misunderstood the pur-
will vcnnre tn that when tue churcn I'm which
yOu one OF the pastors ndtcd or adopted that letter.
Council should be called enc chief business won he HE
trial oil Mr. Beecler Your article IN The COnegafonda
ositions THAT from tho late Con ell and that from your
church, are "rigdy scrunized and compared Twin,
therefore, venture to assume also, tLaJ either your
church body, responsible person known to
your church was prepared 10 prefer some formulated
charges against Mr. Beechcr and to undertake
proof thereof before the Mutual Council Indeed.
you say OF the Andoyer proposition That it provides
that all available adverse Mr. peril
nent to tue Issue be properly snoi!tGas Pabc pros
baye NOT seen the answer which the Plymouth Church
has made the .ndoyer Letter Unfortunately ,nn'
great church has heretofore shown itseh paluy seh
sitiye 10 admonitory letters from Otuer chnrchesi
and if your church has received gentle ana lotiI
tne labor OF the late Council entirely IN va n
should the request for mutual council he granted yon
church other public prosecutor VIII on eouiss w
ready with charges and specifications. and wilh an
available facts" sustain the charges WIZ hot ssy
that the result of trial before such ccuhcH "Ou o'
be satisfactory to the public
TIE PLAN or INVESTIGATION.
But inaslnuch the Plymouth Church decnhoS tue
Andover proposal, let me ask you TO reconsider your
Judgment about the other proposition. You cay, The
Andover letter is misunderstood" Perhaps the other
proposIton Is also misunderstood without undertakns
to snow your account OF 1t erroneous or deiec
tive win Tell sou how understand IL; or tho rripc,
pie thai Mr. Beecher's ecclesiastical responsibility Is,
rst of a to the church In which he Is memoer anu Ill
It assumes that there can trial of Mr. Beeeher
without defule charges, backed by responsible cOm-
pianant and sustained Ivy offers of testimony. -,
3 II constitutes scandal Bureau mo reservoir
quest 10 hunt for and trace them 10 their source
lions month into which every coward ~, Sa baI
grown large and dreadful by needless or malicious ref
| ;tiOn, may drop anonymous ACCUSATIONS A.,
A. 1t assumes, what the Andoyer Letter assumes ina
there are not merely hut tangible charges "gas
charges and to undertake the responsibility VI prose
3 II Assumes that the trial OF those charges must be
mot civil hut crlesastcalnOt Presnyterian nor Metho-
dist Cong, egdtiondl; and tha therefore u must ne
either brfpr, the church itself, before some speciai
tribunal committee. commission or council which ne,
its power from the churc Whrh acls ~ psui
church aud wcn reports TO the chufch inc resuit VI
| the investigator. , , r., ro.ou,od
riDus and ubyo. competent to act judici-
who might be swaycd uncOnscOusly by affection; nor
by an ecclesiastical council which could ndrily be con-
be Inc Iperienced others iuIcious by nature, others
passonatcy preudced ana others pcfaps @ m
outside Brooklyn aud New-iork ana OUTSIDE OF tAe
| late Council; men whose mes, DN Whoh5otNer So
ected would command the confidence OF the churches
| and OF ill reasonable people. 80, ,,,. ,uoo,.
| T. understand tna IN Wow OF the publicity already
given to tue aud IN view of the rIca ana usagcs
by which the Plymouth CAuch Is governed, Ih, co,
naiDant I'm this cosc--whOcver he may Oe-Wl not Nc
required show that he taken the nrst ana eye9n
steps of private admoni'lon put may lminehts 1is
10 tie church. or It's Examining tVhhh'Iee' MS io"u
! lated charges. s., ., o,r,. ~, tho ls.e
Couuc (which understand 10 be tb" iaci tDei L'r
rdge itself that the charSes thus presented shall be-
ma Sd tbs church secee from this engagement
it will cast itself. win milestone about its Neck '"o
D. When the three brethren named by the late Counei
shall been informed that charges are cronse,
are brought ny party OF parties MAKING theascMes
RESPONSE lie the truth and proof or the same 10 n
among the twenty eminent enumerate, Ia the result
of tine Council the i've whom the church VIII empower
"a ts commission for the trial OF he charges. Those
three brefnren will have other duty power In the
maf er 10 say that Dr. Dwight, Dr. Wellmai, ana tle
Hon Mr. Wood will select if they cam from among tnose
! twenty five partial Incompetent mcl--Or Tat lucy
ean # they willis 10 say what nobody viii believe:
10 II no charges shall be preferred gro WIZ fet re-
uaiu possibility of investigation by the proposed cq
MISSION II may judged expedient by The EXAMINING
Committee OF the church anu py thI lIioo ,s -
above named observe that there must be conculrhce
OF iudncnt) .that important testimony not previously
| gwen, winch might throw light on ehaises , mIich
hitherto ineretoore have been tred should lie Juuo
c ay must he appointed and empowered" hut
there will be proper trial because There VIII nc ho
IL That the matter may not he indefinitely held In
suspense is fixed within when the occlslon TOT
,nnntng the commission must arise. Charges nus' De
Brought or contingency in winch charges WIZ MOI W.
necessary investigation must occur "it h ~
ays fer e dissolution" OF the late Councii-tat u.s.
an or before tine 18th Of Aprilor, II three days OF
| grace" be added. on before tine I'd OF May
| An APPEAL TO ASDOvER TO MAKE CHARGES
lam now prepared to state the object for which this
letter with ell these explanations Is written VINO shai
ne the complainant this you express IT, e
pubc prosecutorf Who, in the interest OF purity ana
mace Who IN behalf OF the ministry and the churches
who for the sake Investigation which shall expose
the very bottom Of the terrible scandal anu which
shall put beyond the reach OF Doubt e,lnep in d
wlcketlness Will assume the painful respOn-lDnty u.
formulating complaint OF msihtaninH IL, anu vi
uertinent the Issue be properly subinltteui
body ought 10 do ths-sone9Ody let me 10y, cJ and
nosjtion the force of cultivated and balanced iDlnd e
c,lmness Ot heart without malice or pre-
pson and tue pure candor soul WORKING not Tor
Victory hui TOR truth say, therefore, let your church
for more thorough Investigation, and ITS
Willingness to take hold ,sabor tng net Spme
member or members OF your church tDfolnaiiy desR
mated IL not formally come orwalH; a., a. no, when
n Uonld seem In some degree OF resumes II 'no
learned honered and beloved s hpsoyer tsT
1aud at nose desire, IL am not mslnf"rnet tat uocu
, n ,pdertaEe This service in the Kind aud
| bFoiheriy spirit in which tho letter was written;
with universal satisfaction. Let not the ca,,e
on which your heart and the hearts OF thousands as
1n ors a on Mr. Moultcn on Mr. Bowen ANYBODY
Nho has personal interest In the affair, OF even ON 0n
OF appearing complainant or public prosecute, IN
this lnonenIous case my brother many g1 nS
thing been done by Jour church or your erul'naa
than you aud brethren viii have done o. SoJ
t in fbs case -6aIl be uncovered be IL what may
. WIN lc'55Pcc,, uarch : Is10 LEONARD BACON.