The Washington critic., 1888-03-12
MIR. pEEcHER's "owN STORY.

MIR. BEECHER's "owN STORY
The extracts from the forthcoming
Biography of Henry Ward Beecher,"
which appeared in yesterdays New
York Herald, with the consent of the
publishers and compilers, relate TO
the unhappy scandal in which the
great preacher became involved a few
years ago, and give his own version
Of its origin and motives, based upon
memoranda that were found among
his papers, and doubtless intended as
vindication of himself.
What Mr.. Beecher so strenuously
maintained during his lifetime he
here reiterates with emphatic solem.
nifty, that his relations with Mrs. Til
ton never transcended the bounds of
proprfety, although she cherished an
intense affection for him that was
misconstrued and made the ground
work of n conspiracy against him.
Upon this point, he says;
At no interview which ever took place be-
tween Mrs. Tilton and myself did anything
occur which might not have occurred with
perfect propriety between a brother and sister,
between father and child, or between man
of honor and the wife of his dearest friend
nor did anything ever happen which she or /
sousht to conceal from her husband.
As to the question of Mr.. Beccher's
guilt or innocence there will continue
10 be diversity of opinion, not recon-
ciled by the present publication but
it is quite likely that with lapsing
years even his quondam enemies will
hold him in more charitable remem-
brance and give him that benefit of
doubt from which he has hitherto
been barred out.
1t appears from the story, as Mr..
Beecher narrates it, that through one
cause and another he fell into exceed
ingly bad company; that Tilton in his
misfortunes became ungrateful and
perfidious; that Moulton in his ca.
pacity of mutual friendship was un-
reliable to the verge Of downright
treachery, and that Mrs. Tilton was
made the weak and scarcely response
bic instrument of as vile blackmail-
ing scheme as was ever concocted..
These allegations may be accepted
as true in the main, having been
pretty well established on the trial.
They do not excuse Mr.. Beecher's $
ofrense, if he We're guilty, but they
show that he was beset by plotters
whose ends were wholly mercenary,
and who having entangled the pastor
in their meshes proceeded deliberately
and maliciously TO make him suffer
for his indiscretions.
Out of the whole business there
crops set purpose on the part of Mr..
Tilton, so far as he was capable of con-
tinuity Of thought, to invest his wife's
love for Mr.. Beecher with a market
able value. Tilton grew more and
more perverse and wrongheaded from
the time of the first quarrel on the
Iadepeadent, and the failure Of the
G0ldeA Age fairly wrecked his man.
hood. lie was not simply jealous; he
was thoroughly false and unscrupu'
iOuHs no illl lilIHi tN IhbbaNlh Nlbi ~ II
irreparable wrong to avenge, his
methods We're wholly the reverse Of
chivalric.
The result is too well known TO need
repetition, and its most melancholy
feature was the cloud it left upon the
reputation of a man whose intellectual
power had given him an influence
possessed by few men in the worlds
history.
The story asretold contains nothin
new; adds little to the testimony long
since adduced in Mr.. Beecher's be.
half, and is of interest principally aS
showing how heavily in after years
the weight Of his great misfortune
pressed upon his mind. Assuming
him to be an innocent man, the con
sciousness that he was destined to die
with an undeserved stigma upon his
name that no human power could ef.
face, must have been source of SUI
preme wretchedness to his naturally
high and heroic wretched.
ness greater than any physical pain,
and sharper than remorse.
II We're ~ well perhaps that the