The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-17
BEECIIER NOT ACQUITTED.
THE ACTION or the CONGRBG =
TIONAL ASSOCIATIONS.
The Casc stu UnsctiIcd-Doubt Remain ne
Decentralization Evadcd-1h r Fourth
and Perhaps Last OF his "Nindtcuti ons."


and Perhaps Last Of his "Nindtcnttom'"
Nom the ConOfeganondiaL
As YOU have stated In some former issues Of
nc @ MAJ ny Sqe Sgp 'eTe s e
you won puhith the account cent 70 the Ifloue OF
by By e % SSr Soane na BY c o
which he was member mas,ng sueh e91,nt- ~ ypu
iowshi ID ~ ''N'''N ''''
So writes to us an esteemed Massachusetts
pastor; the italics being his own. The nc
count Of the " full acquttt !" We have already
published, with our comments. Our cUrrcspon-
dent Is In error in speaking of an acquitted by
the commission the acquttal referred TO IL
simply by tue association. founded ON the re-
port Of Its con mittee appointed TO assist the
commission. Tue commission itself as yet mas
rendered no account. ,,,
portion OF the public Is of the opinion that such
acquttal was long since reached; that the
charges ganst MIR. Beecher, 80 I.r as they mer-
tied notice ut all. have been Satisfactorily dis
posed Of; and TINT he ought BY this time to he
relieved from suspicion ana restored to univer-
sal confidence and esteem. II Is at the same
time equally true that another considerable pur'
tion oil the pubic does not share this opinion.
The fact that great numbers Of sober nd candid
Christian people ore not satisfied with any vim
dcaton yet furnished by or for NJ. neecner,
cannot ne denied. II Is very unjust to Der W
such people f.r their dounts. Theft positl N "a
not Of their own seeking. They have been driven
into II 10y the logic OF events lhete tbey stihd
aud II is useless t. smut our eyes 10 thelf CON
vctiOns, Ir to endeavOr To change the oonvic-
| tlOus bV passing TesOlu Ions. IhcN are not
hostile" to Mr.. Beecner IN the common ac-
! cept 4tiun of that tern. They do know that he
has been charged with grave offences; they DO
not feel that those Chafg"s u We been proved,
! but they cannot feel that they have been uis-
proved; and It mas come tn ne their cohvlc ION
that, tefoTe they can he set inside rs grnundless,
they must be made the subject OF irregular aud
or, eIly lnvestiRatia 10y Hn impartial tribunal,
/ with az utter absence "t any ATTEMPT On the
part of anybody at evasion and concealment
! Ine CLAM tDat MI IieScnai's case should be
! treated 5 An exceptional one. or thit any salts
D fact Az r.l
! maze exclusively by those Nho eneNe MN IN
nucent, or ny a tribunal selected exclusively
bv those VINO believe bim iunoceni, II lain
winch q considerable portion OF tnc Christi n
T community does not cOncede. aud. WE ptc-umc,
+ never VIII. II Is very true that. In the opinion
/ f many PERSONS just such tribunal a~ Is need
uu has been PROVIDED ~ the commission created
/ 10y the Advisory Council; nut granting thus to
be 80 NNnlch we nave not oeen Ado 10 40 our
seiNes). what Is the meaning OF the usurpattOn
Of the commissions functions, and the fore
/ Sailing OF / action, by committee Of the New
/ Yurk aud brOOkiyn AssOtiauonf The time has
pa ed for demanding that case he mad" no
+ uui Of further tangible ana authentic accuSd-
tiun-: he ,ase Is already made up a. n matter
I ui common fame. those VINO teei That II must
ne fsi,ly and squareiy met are too large ani
! wclghty an elclnent IN the community t. he put
on one side. VI BeeCher needs the rahcfipn ~
/ thcir acquittai: ne cannot afford TO go forward
withoutit. His frenos. II they we're wiss friends,
! would ~ev TINS. But this latest Nndicaioii.
the fourth tat has occurred aud, we are tot .,
the unm" one, Is not Of kniG 10 prOd ace
( The commission. whose Investigation the com
Iece We instinct ch"r-ea tOim'iiy meftrfcd he-
tore Plymouth tnuirh or its hKaminiiig Conn
mittee. There MS no beet ~ Yet toe hrst ict
| uf inves tigHtion prrper; ana We the associa-
ton. when distinctly refused itself To INV sti-
Gtte, uut expressly undertook To " ~ ON tue
7 commission ~ IT'S iuNestt4auOn. has gone on
ana mauc M tue verdict Ana II mas done TN
Ia face Of the fact tnat meanwhile several of the
, le ctug Gnu cheS ot he Nicinage nave prdgti-
b chlly suspended fellowship VIVA Plymouth
. Church and IT. pastor.
a caunut he neiievrd that this verdict repre-
seuts any oh inge If views ON the uart Of those
10 made II ~, or tuat IL will wOrA any change
OF VI rs Tread beld by others.
Ether Nj. Bcechcr's Sc hau been adequaiel IL
/ tried lcfore tue appointment Of the commission
I aud tue coOprTatlve action OF tue association,
/ OF l. h q nos be, u. II 1t had been. then wiz Il
| all s.oc atoms committee Tor cooperation
tnerewi,nr II had not been. then uriihrr the
| commission which has MT yet investigated. MOI
| this committees verdict rcurcreu IN thc ab-
! senco Of All evidence. has helped Inc matter.
since tie aDoVs was M type news comes IN a
the lung penuing suit OF Mr.. MouitOn against
| Mr.. Beecner has becn discontinued. not witn
the consent OF tho defendant. bat at the IN
stance and I,ersc of ne plaiHtir. VINO choose
-ucn an alternative rather tnan consent 10 Tue
! r tnovtl OF tho case for iriHl TO Delaware com
7 ~. 80 ordered ny the Court In part compliance
with the defend Lts petit Ihis OpstaCis
{ being removed. So II has ucen an obstacle
the W., wou.d now trein 1" be open. looking a
view. Tor 1t 20 20 forward. II II intends to, ant
confirm the eXprctatinns Of those VINO nave
To- kUd to Il for Inc conduct Of satisfactory Ia
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