Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-27


Thinks Man Will Lie Under Oath--His
Conscientious Scruples Against Swearing
on the Bible When Called Upon to Testi-
fy--That Letter Of Contrition which
Shows His Guiit--His Detailed Explana-
ton of 1t,
There was no great rush to the Opera
House last night to hear the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher expatiate upon the "Wastes
aad Burdens of Society,"" and at 8 o'clock,
the time set for the commencement of the
1ecture the house did not present that ap-
pearance of over crowding which is invaria-
bly, the case when any great and popular
man comes to st. Paul. There were many
vacant seats in the parquette and
first circle and the second circle
was almost unoccupied. The weather could
have little or nothing to do with the compar-
alive smallness of the audience, for the
evening was delightfully."- cool one, and the
house was just the reverse of that region of
which the reverend lecturer has been in
search for half century, and now declares
"is not" Nor could he char
acterize it with that celebrated
and emphatic pulpit utterance attributed to
him, expressive of a superabundance of
colorc in the ETHEREAL element. Whether it
was that the pastors and their congregations
we're absent from the city OF that the Rev.
Henry Wards orthodoxy is questioned
and his theology considered dangerous by
them is hard to determine, but to their
credit, be it said, the clergy and promi-
nent church members we're con-
spicuously absent. 1t is true there was
one minister present. but even he appeared
as if he was terribly uncomfortable when the
great dignitary of Plymouth church uttered
some of his undignifed and characteristic
witticisms and slang. Perhaps he felt that
he was one of the army of ministers who
had heard Gods call to the church which
was intended for another For half an
hour the audience sat patiently waiting for
the appearance of the man who above all
others of the century has attracted unenviable
notice. At length ne came, preceded by
Hon. Alexander Ramsey. The two gentle
men paused for a moment upon the two
crimson seated chairs placed for them, when
the ex-governor arose and said 'Ladies
and gentlemen, have the honor of intro
ducing to you the Reverend Henry Ward
Beecher, the lecturer of the evening" The
reverend gentlemen then rose,
turned to Mr.. Ramsey, and with
one hand raised to his face, whispered
something in that gentleman's ear, who hast
lily withdrew, with lips slightly moving (prob-
ably repeating his favorite text of scripture
--"God moves in mysterious. way his
wonders to perforn,') and was no more
seen of men.
immediately upon the disappearance OF
his chaperone the lecturer again arose from
hi t,<,a%,r Il = u L..
A MAN WILL LIE UNDER OATH.
very full abstract of his lecture having
been published in yesterdays GLOBE, we dc
not need to repeat it here but we call especial
attention to the following paragraph of GU,
report of yesterday:
Another waste was that which comes from
lying. And it was the white lies that do all
the mischief. The black lies like the old
muskets, most dangerous at the butt. The
bouncers which are told in society seldom
hurt anybody. 1t is the million little insince-
rites that fill the air of truth with fog that are
the most dangerous. There be nothing
more fatal than these insincerities which pre-
wade the whole political economy of business
1t IS pity there are many influences at work
to destroy the fine sense of truth. All of SO
cietys Oaths tend to mar truth, and even of.
fetal oaths had no weight in his means. The
custom house and commercial oaths are a laugh
ing stock. The oaths in the courts he deemed
as really in the way of Justice. The manner OF
administering the oath what he considered
faulty, and he described the ideal and the rea
manner of It's being administered, and the way
in which lawyers brow-beat witnesses into ly
ing in spite of themselves. He had been told
by an eminent Judge tibet the courts would not
have time to punish the perjuries occurring
within their doors. And if, in his opinion,
man would lie, an oath wonld not prevent
him.
HE DON'T LIKE TO TAKE AN OATH WHEN HI
WANTS TO LIE.
The above becomes of especial interes
when Beecher's refusal to take an oath il
the celebrated Brooklyn trial is remembered
His testimony on that occasion shows that
he speaks from personal experience when he
says that man who will lie will not regard
an oath. He seems, however, to have de-
sired to avoid an oath as the following re
port Of that trial shows:
Mr.. Beecher took the stand and was about t,
affirm.
Mr.. Beach-Onc moment. I object to thi.
form of oath, sir, unless Mr.. Beecher declare
that he has conscientious scluples against
swearing upon the Scriptures.
Judge Neilson-Any form that Mr.. Beeche
considers Will D1nQ MS conscience.
MIR. Beach-Ihe statute is that a witnes
shall be sworn upon the Scriptures unless h
declares that he has conscientious scruple
against that mode of swearing.
Mr.. Beecher-I have conscientious scruple
against swearing upon the Bible.
Judge Nellson-Yes, sir.
The Clerk-Do you solemnly declare ant
affirm
Mr.. Evarts-He swears by the upliftet
hand.
Mr.. Beach-By the ever living God.
The Clerk--In the presence of the ever livin,
God. you solemnly swear to tell the truth, tn
whole tr' tn, and nothing but the truth?
Mr.. Beecher--I do.
Coupled with the passage from his lectur,
quoted above there is peculiar force to his
conscientious" scruples.
THE LETTER OF ooNTRITIoN.
Leaving our slow old morning cotem
porary to publish report of the lectur
which appeared in the GLOBE yesterday, VIZ
present as of more interest to the public tn
famous ''letter of contrition'' which thi
man Beeeher gave Moulton. It reads e.
follows:
BROOKLYN, Jan. /, 1870.
In trust with T. Z. Moulton.
MY DEAR FRIEND MoULToN l ask through
you Theodore Tilton's forgiveness, and hum
Die myself before him as 1 do before nv God
lie would have been better man in nv cir
cumstances than have been. can ask moth
ing except that he will remember the othe
hearts that would ache. / will not plead fo
myself; even wish that were dead. Blu
others must live and suffer. I will die befor
any one but myself shall be inculpated
nv fGnr,rrh +p
friends, toward the poor child lying there an,