Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-04-23
MR. BEECHER,s MEDICATION.
Only Orc Point Ldclstn0 70 Complete It.
from fha New Ynrl Tive.


Only Ono Point Lacking to Complete II.
From the New York Times.1
Mrs. Tilton's confession-that is to say,
the last one she has made up to the present
date-is naturally regarded by Mr.. Beecher's
adherents as nearly equivalent to complete
vindication Of the Plymouth preacher. In
most cases, when a wife accused Of adultery
confesses that she and her alleged paramour
are guilty, such confession is regarded as
an evidence Of guilt. Everybody knows,
however, that the ordinary laws of evidence
have no application to Mr.. Beecher's case,
and that the stronger the evidence against
him may appear the more clearly it proves
| his innocence.
The explanation of the peculiar way in
| which the friends of Mr.. Beecher regard the
evidence brought against him is very simple.
It is assmed that it is impossible for Mr..
Beecher to do wrong, and that all accusations
! made against him are necessarily false. The
more direct and probable these accusations
may be-, the greater is their falsity, and,
hence, the more readily should they be dis
| believed. Mrs. Tilton's direct confession is,
in this view of the case, the largest lie yet
told, and being thus absolutely ire- edible, is
the next thing 10 triumphant vindication
of the man whom she accuses.
The vindication of MIR. Beecher has been
slow but sure. 1t began with the calling of
the first witness for the prosecution in the
case of Tilton against beecher, and was
made more and more apparent as the trial
went on. Mr.. Iilton, Mr. Moulton, Mrs.
Moulton, Mr., Richards, and other witnesses,
testified to Mr.. Beecher's guilt with so much
clearness and plausibility that their evidence
assumed the most imposing proportions, and
hence, according to the Plymouth theory,
was such gigantic lie that child in arms
would have strength enough to disbelieve
it. Then, Mr.. Bescher's Il tiers, in which he
apparently confessed his guilt over
and over again, added still more TO
The evidence against him, thus in
creasing the cubic dimensions of its menda-
city and rendering it still more easy of dis
belief. Finally, Mrs. Tilton herself publishes
a letter OF confession, whereupon the EVIL
dence against MIR. Beecher becomes 80 over
whelming that it almost conclnsiyely de-
monstrates his innocence. Just as, according
to scientific persons, the attraction Of gray
itation varies inversely as the square of the
distance, SO, according to Plymouth people,
the weight of the evidence against Mr.
Beecher varies inversely as its magnitude.
In fact, they consider that his innocence is
proved not only legally but scientif cally.
In these circumstances it is natural that
Mrs. Iilton's confession should be received
among Mr.. Beecher's friends with great sat
isfactlon. Mr.. Oliver Johnson-who, al
though originally convinced of Mr.. Beech
er's guilt, became afterward equally con-
WINGED Of his innocence-snaps his fingers
gayly, and exclaims that Mrs. Iilton has ev-
identity been hired to make her last confess
sion. fearful MIR. Shearman forgets for the
moment the grief into which the death of
his frvorite client. MIR. James Fisk, Jr.,
plunged him, and halls the confession with q
sweet smile. AS for MIR. Beecher himself,
he is so delighted at this convincing evil
dence of his innocence that he bubbles
over with humor. We can imagine how his
eyes must have twinkled when he spoke last
tuesday of his uniform and unimpeachable
truthfulness,' and how he must have chuck
led as he wrote the telegram in which he
humorously mentions tlrs. Tilton's "uni-
form, solemn, and unvarying statements
hitherto made Of his innocence. The joke
of referring to his ''truthfulness" is suffi-
GENTLY apparent, and the humor of his allu-
sion to Mrs. Tilton becomes evident when
we remember that at least twice prior to the
Beecher. Tilton trial she had made written
confessions. and subsequently retracted
them.
There is but one thing more to be dore to
demonstrate beyond q possibility of doubt
that MIR. Beccher is a perfectly innocent man.
Let him rise up in his pulpit next Sunday
and remark that quickening of his con-
science compels him to confess that the
charges of adultry and perjury heretofore
made against him are completely true. His
congregation same which, after certain
memorable prayer-meeting, mobbed Mr..
hell''-would ct once cry out, 'the vindica-.
ton of our beloved pastor is now COM
plete.' Since every other variety of
evidence-except his oral and pub
lie confession = has been brought
forward to prove his guilt, and has been in
terpreted as proof of his innocence, his con-
fession before his congregation next Sum
day morning would convincs his admirers
that in point of purity and truthfulness
he is rather superior to the average arch
angel,
It is great pity that this method of in-
terpreting evidence was not known in Jeru-
salem at the period when David became in
volved in the Bathsheba scandal. Had it
been known and recognized, David might
have alleged that Uriah had forced Bath
sheba to falsely accuse him; that Nathan
had compelled him to write q confession by
threatening him with a large
javelin; that his penitential psalms had no
particular reference to anything. and that he
gave the most explicit, comprehensive and
solemn denial to every statement which
would ''impugn the honor and purity of that
beloved Jewish woman, Mrs. Bathsheba.''
Whereupon the court would have shouted
that he was triumphantiy vindicated. Ma
than would have been turned out Of the
synagogue. Bathsheba would have given
music lessons in the intervals Of making
fresh confessions, and Nathan would have
emigrated to Damascus, with the view of
embarking in the milk business. AS it was,
David was universally believed to be guilty,
and his most ardent admirers only claim
that his frank and full confession ought to
entitle him to. forgiveness.
Beccher's Famous Letter Of CoatritiOn.
N. Y. SUM-
A reporter for the Sun last night received
from an authentic source the following facts
concerning the origin of Henry Ward Beech
er.s famous letter of contrition, which have
never before been made public. The testi-
mony in court showed that after Beecher
was confronted with Mrs. Tilton,s confess
sion, he was permitted to go and see her,
and he obtained from her contraction
which he dictated and she signed.
With this contraction in his pocket he went
home. The testimony further showed that