New-York tribune., 1878-04-16


.,ad signed it when wearied by impor-
tunities of her husband. The same night
she retracted the retIaction at the request OF
her husband, and declared that she had signed
1t when wearied by the opportunities OF Mr'
! Beecher. She made long written statement
| in 1874; she has made score OF lesser
statements during these years OF shame ana
agony; and they have only left one thing
! clear-that her word is of no value. Even
now, when she signs the acknowledgment OF
her own crime, there will be people to say
that she cannot be trusted, and they will ASK
with some show of reason, what assurance we
can feel that she will not take it all back
next week, and explain that she has once
more been wearied by the opportunities of
her husband "
Thus there is a probability that the letter
published this morning instead OF making an
end of the scandal, will revive it. more fierce
and filthy than ever. To be sure, the persons
most interested do not speak at much length.
Mrs. TitmI's card is one of the shortest dOcu
mcnts in all the literature of the scandal, and
Mr.. Beecher, to whom TIE TRIBUNE tele
gIaphed ii in full, returned the brief but en-
phatIc denial printed in another column. But the
again with cloud of lies, suspicious, prurient
discussion, malicious gossip; the chickering's of
churches are to be exposed to the scon
OF the ungodly; the sincerity of religious
professions is to be questioned; the privacy of
families is to be unveiled; households are 10
be turned out of doors in undreSs; society
ia to regalc itself with the amOuis of
ministers and pcripGtetic moralists; and
mixed companies OF ladies and gentlemen are
to discuss topics which were once reserved for
circles into which ladies and gentlemen are
not III tie habit of penetrating. NO respccta-
bic person, most of all no father OF young
family, can contemplate the impending ava
lanche OF indeccncy without alarm. Ii IL too
much to hope that those whose regulations,
whose lives, perhaps, are stakcd upon the
issue of this battle, will sacrifice them
selves for the good of the community;
hut if the various actors in the tragedy
would make amends for the harm they
have already done, some by their guilt
others by their folly, let them remember
that the only thing an afflicted community
asks of them row is to speak quickly and
briefly and bcgone.
The letter Of Mrs. Tilton is, like all the lit
erature Of the scandal, somewhat OveTStraincd
in language and spasmOdic III general tone;
but in one particular, at least, it bears the
appearance OF sincerity. Whatever we may
think of this amazing woman, whichever OF her
many contradictory statements we may take to
be lies, there can be no doubt that she has lived
seven or eight years of cruel anguish. 1t Is
impossible to think of her past withOu! mercy,
of her future without compassion. No matter
who may have been the chief sinner, she has
been the chief victim, and there is no posi-
bic solution of the case which can restore her
peace, happiness and good name. The only
boon she can pray for is the pardon of God
and the forgctfulness Of man. And the best
blessing which the rest of the world can i'm
plore is that il may forget.