American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-02-12
BoNEN VERSrs BEECnER.

non E-t JLASiS bLECLEA.
Mr.. Henry C. Bowen, publisher
of the Brooklyn independent, is
one of the oldest members of Ply
mouth church. During the earlier
years of Mr.. Beecher's pastorate,
Mr.. Bowen was his most intimate
friend and his greatest benefactor;
but later a GOODNESS sprang up be-
tween them, occasioned, it was said,
by BeecheI's betraying Bowers
confidence and destroying bis con-
.iugal happiness. Ever since the
beginning of the Beecher-TiltOn
affair, it has been said that Bowen
knew more of the preachers charac-
ter and deeds than any one else, and
that his testimony would be ruin~
GUS TO the reputation of the clergy
man. Being questioned on this
subject, Mr.. Bowen would only re-
ply that Beecher had done him
great injuries, but that the time
had not yet arrived for him to di-
vulge what he knew. Recently a
Mr.. White, one of Beecher's sup
porters, addressed letter of griev>
ance to Plym outh church, charging
Bowen with having Intentionally in
jured his pastor by his silence, and
calling upon him to speak out and
affirm or deny the facts he was re
puted TO know. This was the op-
por,unity for which Bowen had
been waiting for years, and last
week he wrote letter to the church
cossuittee, in which he denounced
Beecher "a equity of the awful
crimes Of adultery, perjury and
Hypocrisy" and averred his reaai-
ness TO swear to these charges be-
fore any proper tribunal. If there
is any decency, any sense of shame
left among the congregation of
Plymouth church, these charges.
which will doubtless be fully SUBJ
stantiated, will drive Mr.. Beecher
from his proud eminence, where he
has assumed all the attributes of a
denigod, to- seek the sheltering
mantle of obscurity. The great
preacher has fallen like Lucifer-
never to rise again. Henceforth,
he must "walk backward, with
ayerted gaze, and hide his shame"
where
"Oblivion's pail shall darkly fall
Ger Che dreamless sleep of annihllation."
In opening his letter, Mr.. Bowen
says: ssIn my more than twenty-five
years connection with PI Jmouth
church, I have heard many q sad
story from many q sad heart-some
for the loss of property, some for
the loss of their dearest earthly
friends, and some for the loss of
character-a greater loss than all.
May God forgive me if have ever
done wrong in listening to single
case thus presented. But, for titus
doing, and that only, I have been
unceremoniously summoned to ap-
pear before this committee
The conclusion is as follows: "
do not propose now to give in detail
the facts which have come to my
knowledge, or the Incidents, dis
closures and confidential commune
cations which have from time to
been presented or communicated to
me in regard to the character of
Henry Ward Beecher; to his dis
honorable conduct in business at
fairs; to his treacherous treatment
of his friends; to his breaking Of
written covenants; to bis untruth-
fnl statements in court; to his dod
ging all thorough investigation into
his conduct and character to his
stoiid Indifference when unjust
charges and malicious SANDERS
have been made against particular
members Of his church; and, finally,
70 his coarse abuse and slaEderous
charges of perjury, uttered boldly
and publicly in his own lecture
room, against an honest Christian
woman, who had dared to speak
the truth concerning him.
"With this bIief reference to mat
tiers which have had an influence in
lohEtDS my Jou SnCht1 ! VIII NJ"
hasten to tell you frankly what are
my conclusions in regard to che
character of the pastor of Plymouth
church. 1 have known Mr.. Beecher
quite intimately, since the day of
his arrival in Brooklyn. 1 have
been acquainted with him socially
and privately, in the church and in
the family, i'll business matters and
in religious matters. 1 have heard
attentively, but with profound grief,
what has been said to me confiden.
TALLY against him. / have felt my
heart stirred to its depths for dear
friends who, years before the pres
ent scandal was published, SORROWS
fully begged my counsel, as they
assured me that their pastor and
mine had craftily betrayed the sane
tity of home-the very charge long
after presented to mo by Theodore
Tilron in regard to his own home. /
never can or will be base enough to
allow single name to be bruited
before the world, although am now
ready to testify to the essential
facts before any proper tribunal.
These disclosures / heard with n