New-York tribune., 1876-03-04
PLYMOUTH COURTS INQUIRY.

| CoUNCIL-MR. BEECHRR DENOUNCKs Mr.. BowEN's
STORY AS you'll FETID. AND FIESDIsH THE
CHURcH's TROUBLES REFERRED To IN THE
FRIDAY NIGHT TALK.
Three meetings were held at Plymouth Church
last evening. after the other At the prayermcetng
which came first Mr. Beechcr took his text tie words
"Now it high time TO awake out of sleep, for now
| our salvation nearer than when We believed"
The monthly business meeting OF the church was
then held In this nothing done except to take into
the church six members by profession OF faith and six by
| letter.
After tbs meeting tie third and last-the adjourned
| annual meeting-was held. It was announced that
Messrs Ropes, CAristiansen and SecOmb OF the Commit
OF five appointed last Wednesday in the Bowen mat
had sen word that they would be unable to serve
Messrs no Case Aaron Healy and d. NJ. Spolman were
appointed in their places Later In the evening, on Mr.
Beecher's notion T. c. Davidson, A. b. Davenport and
Dwight studwell appointed a. alternates to serve
in case any more designations were received.
DESIRE FOR THOROUGH INVESTIGATION
Mr. shearman after short speech expressing the
misapprchension which he said had arisen with resaIu
70 The new Commission investigate the scandal under
which it was assorted that charges were TO be con
sdered which were not thought by the Examining Com
mittee OF Plymouth Church sufficient TO merit inyesga
ton offered the following resolutions:
Rcsoired That for the purpose OF removing oil POSI-
has always understood the plan OF investigation sno
mtttd hy the late Advisory Council as leaving to thls
church and ts committees, no option, IN case Cha ge se
presented under the pan. except 10 forward ihc 10 tis
committee appointed by taat Council leaving To ,ns
suc charges to be laid before commission loI "a
Resoired That Examining Committee are hereby ,
instructed upon the receipt by mat conln,,H or h nr
claims To be Wi hin the plan OF the Council 20 l0rM, @
the at once to the Committee o. the ,o,nc @ Ti,
the request that they take such action rs TO lhen s
just without consultation with this chnrch OF ANY
officer thereof
Rossiter w. Raymond added his testimony to that OF
Tho. tlud dgTef
the statements OF the Examining Committee that PPm
ouh Church wanted to bo relieved from the very imPu
talon that had now been brought against II.
Mr. Beecher with great emphasis then said: 81 think
1t a most extraordinary thing in tho history OF ehhrch
or anybody that great church like this has been s'-
ing through years TO secure by every means In ts
power the development OF fact aud Of light and has
called TO It's aid at astafer TRIAL by itself Of iis pastor,
after a six months civil trial OF the PASTOR ana
after repeated attempts subsequently IN various ways
council pnd made il plain that not one man IN TIE
800 failed 10 understand that Plymouth Church, with ITS
pastor at ls head desired above all things 10 have an IN
yesugaton not by rambling elfconstitutet inquistofs
but by an authoritative tibuna-I say Il Is mot ex-
traordlnary thing that now large part at fny
rate no iuconsidrrabe portion, of the prcss OF the
United States goes on representing Plymouth Church as
either seeking putting itself IN position 10y when IL
may hinder aud prevent tho truth. think there never
has been the parallel Of such monstrous ignorance Tor
will not say purposcd m,aPproLenson. Their cs are
heavy that they cauuot Sec their ears arc
dull that they cannot hoar, aud their hearts
/ wicked that they will no, understand.
We want above ell things do do, and all Of us do
-tnat there should be most thorough securing irNesu-
CATION and We don't anything tO do - II IN auy
such relation "a shall be susceptible Of misrepresenta
ton on that subject. In regard to the more recent
so-calied charges-as they are mott desie ln
my remarks to cover them / don't know that
it's In ORDER Sir say, but do say that the sewerage
that has been running the ears Of eminent gentlemen
nothing but on securing and age false In the begin
ming II Is not improved bY lying IN that gulf for
years, and Il ia fss to-day false in every partclsr-
foul fotid fendish." lAppausel
DR. Edward Beecher favored the resolutions strongly,
md at least couldnt any harm In tncm. when he
saw a Iie he wanted 10 hit t on the head Mr. Halliday
reminded him In very audible undertone that he Lad
plenty TO do. aud added as an Amendment that the
resolution II carried. he published In the paper In
which the letter OF Prot Egbcrt Smith tof
/ AudYycr), on the result ~ the Council, VIA
! published The resolution hually carried without
the amendment. aud after committee OF thfee-ccn
si.ting Of Dr. Edward Beecher Mr. Hhesrman. AID lio
ratio C. Kng-had been appointed. on Mr.. Kings mo
ton to prepare and publish ocAl report oi the pro
| cecdngs OF the Council, tho meeting nVouInod'
MIR. BOWEN AND PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
HE SAYS liz DID Nor REFUSE To rEsrlfY ~ TIM
! PRESENCE or ACCUSED PigsDNs-uH u. CiiNEp
| 10 APPEAR ~ LAWYERS wEUE TO BL rRfSENf
/ T, the Edtfor Or ThC Trfb"h>.
SIN: In your issue Of this morning yOu say
In regard 10 my proposal 70 Plymouth Church on Wednes
day Last "Hc" CBowouj " insists that no woman whom
he duplicates shall have the privilege OF confronting and
contradlcng him He will destroy them but he must
do II In the dark he will not face tue victims ot tho out
/ rage"
This IA simply untrue correct report OF the mee'-
| ing would show While my proposal was under discus
sion Mr. shearnan one Of the 81 lawyers In consulia
ton together asked II would be willing 10 allow any
woman implicated by 10 bo present aud confront me
/ Ir,pIied Certainly" This was then embodied "a inc
rs.ou ion passed by the church, and which SSecd 10
accent with only an amendment which was allowed
ulcddng he three men 10 absolute secrecy Inc eTolu
! ton thus accepted read M follows:
P,soed That Mr. Bowen be invited to meet forthwith
! lhs committee aTcady named hy HIN, ana l" connuh,
cate All facts bearing the question IN the presence Oh
MIR Brccler and such her person OF persons rs may DO
implicated aud 10 produce before This committee di s
evidence suDstantate ha charge ana TO se apo o ,
perso, implicated also the opportunity 10 drpIO'c hs
siatcents and assertions, such eonhtoe 70 roP9 49,, ,o
fhIs church. with their opinion, a tue fact sheP 'no
name aud Identifying circumstances "hlch ns' @ t'.
are IA tructci, ut Mr. Bowens request u heci i 80,
from All persOns except Mr. BetChCr ana otheI p'iS"'
| implicated. ,
II wa, now. when the arrangement seemed to be
satisfactorily completed, that Mr. Beecher re
ouir,d that | should also consent to the pres
| .pce OF lawyers This / refused 10 ailo" ~
,.,,ed IN ms mako court out Of conference, and
knew that thus Offering to appear before THESE 'h'e7
men two OF them the very ones who hrst mauo coni
naIpt. against me- and in the presence OF Mr. Beecher
anv woman falsely accused would have all tho ueIehte
necessary. A. your report omitted these es'eh'ai
AM not surprised that you we're led INTO error bu'
your editorial statement. quoted above so aoAoiuv!
ialso 20 Injurious well einphatlcay made tha'
! Ihage no doubt you will allow this correction
Reu- York, March g. 1876. ILshf u ho"h"'
| ,.D MLRSE,S BUSINESS C1REER.