Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-03-03
rre.!eentrsrter on NJ. reeeher,s Case.

Before the Council adjourned President
/ Porter, the hon0red and celebrated presi-
/ dent Of Yale College, made brief speech
/ concerning himself and Mr. Beecher, and
stating why lie believed 10 his innocence.
/ He stated that at an interview in March,
/ 1874, they talked CT these things. would
not hear him (Beecher) speak of personal
relations, but he told me two or three things
which gave to me the key Of his position,
and which united my sympathy with him.
/ He gave lac 10 understand that he had
/ adopted tie police Of silence for the purpose
OF avoiding the wounding of many hearts
which might bleed if be did speak. re-
! Spected his courage. Once or twice after
ward | had communications with him. |
followed him through the Summer until
those dreadful DAYS came, when the cloud
which had 50 long brooded discharged the
lightning which had slept in its bosom
read the dreadful letters, but still my conf
deurc 20. him never faltered because knew
there are many solutions of the mystery.
| never illtered in my allegiance to him, not
because Old not feel the import of much Of
the evidence that was made against him,
bat because | responded u weightier eyi-
deHce which oyeibore i. and dissolved it,
o. la. presence at the council and lis
position in it, Dr. Porter added Il came
because OF others. Occupying the position
that DO, | thought it well that should
testify to all the graduates Of Yale college,
and 10 all its students, that the path of duty
always Is the path Of honor, and that Yale |
college expects every man to DO hi5eduty. |
came here for another reason, because have |
been heartily and seriously concerned at the |
methods by which any public inan in this |
country can, under certain circumstances. |
be destroyed in his reputation, and no man |
can deliver him. The fall OF great public |
man in this country is greater public
calamity than the explosion Of large bank
ing house or than the destruction of millions
of money By a consuming fire, and the tenn
per that has been manifested in high circles
TO triumph over him in his ruin has not
been very encouraging to those who hold
that the great and good men of the country
are its ablest pillars, its browning glory, its
only strength. Ii men in public life
can be 70 wantoDly and persistsntly
assailed, so unfairly judged as this
one brother has been, whether he be in
nocent or guilty, then what is to become of
our land, whose only bonds are the bonds of
honor TO that confidence and spirit which
holds men Of intelligence and position to-
gether? How often have | been Mortified
to see men whom | have been taught to
respect speak so lightly and reason so super
fcially in respect to this case do not
wonder that, holding the position that he
did, they believed him guilty At the same
time have grOaned over that condition of
things in this country which has made it
possible that men should take hearsay evil
dence at second, third or fourth hand. and
believe it and report it. When Coleridge
was asked il be believed in ghosts, he said
NO. | have seen 100 many If you ask
whether | believe in hearS2y evidence,
answer No, have heard too much of it.
| have seen it dissipated by the seer aud
vanish into nothing by touch"
And Furthermore, and impressively II
Will venture TO say another thing, that
believe that if ever the truth shall be known
the motives which have governed
him, however mistaken his judgment was,
that if all the manhood in this country
should be ready to tear his heart into pieces,
III the wOmanhood Of this country will unite
% gather together the fragments to bury
hem into ground ccnsecrated by its tears
md this, too, the man who is here assailed I
IS an enemy to the purity of woman"