Year: 1874

down what supposed was condensed
memorandum of my words, and con-
tlnued talking about the desolation of
Tilton's family. It was not dictation,
and he put it in such shape as suited
his purpose; and then signed it, sup
posing it to contain the points of our
conversation. He did not give me the
paper and I never heard of it until its
publication by Tilton recently.


New YORK, Aug. 14.-The continua.
tion of Beecher's statement to-day. oc-
cupies two columns of the San Francisco
Bulletin. He confesses an error of iudg.
ment in his relation with the Tilton
family in the following words:


have not the light which Analyses
and disseminates things with one blow.
There is opened before me revelation
full of anguish-an agonized family,
whose inmates had been my friends
greatl; beloved; the husband ruined in
worldly prospects; household crumb-
ling to pieces, the wife by long sickness
and suffering either compelled to deceit,
as her husband alleged, or SO broken in
mind to be irresponsible, and either way
it was her enthusiasm for the pastor,
as was made to believe, that was the
germ and beginning of the trouble. 1t
was for me to have prevented that mis-
ckief. Ny eye and experience in the
world should have put me on my guard.
l could not at that time tell what was
true and what was not true of all the
considerations urged upon me by Tilton
and Moulton. There was grief before
me IN which lay those who had been
warm friends, and they alleged that 1
had helped to plunge them therein.
That seemed enough to fill my soul
with sorrow and anguish. No mother
who has lost child but will understand
the wild self-accusation that grief pro-
duced against all reason, blaming her.
self for what things she did do and for
what she neglected to do, and charging
upon herself her neglect or needless
ness The death of her child, while or
dinarily every one knew she had worn
herself out with her assiduousness -
Soon after this I met Tilton at Moul-
/ toms house. Either Moulton was sick
or he was very late rising, for he was in
bed. The subject of my feelings and
conduct toward Tilton was intro
duced. made statement of the mo
tives under which had acted in coun-
selling Bowen, and of my feeling toward
the Tilton family, disclaiming with hor-
ror the thought of wrong, and express
ing desire to do whatever lay in hu-
man power to remedy any evil I had oc-
casioned and to reunite his family.


Tilton was silent and sullen. He
played the part of an injured man, hut
Moulton said to Tilton with intense
earnestness: "That is all that gentle
man can say. and you ought to accept it
as an honorable basis of reco onciliation.
This he repeated two or three times
Tilton's countenance changed under
Moulton's strong talk. We shook hands
and parted in friendly way.


Not very long afterwards Tilton ask
ed me to his house. I do not remem-
Der whether I ever took a meal after
that under his roof, but 1 certainly was
invited by him to renew my visits as
formerly. I never resumed my intima-
cy with the family, but once or twice 1
went there, soon after my reconciliation
with Tilton, at his request.


Beecher then detailed his efforts to
prevent the scandal being made public,
which was threatened by Tilton. by the
Church, and by Tiiton's friends. was
determined to carry out my pledge to
Moulton for him, and do all in human
power to save him from himself, even
that would resign, if that would stop
the scandal. I wrote letter of resigna-
ton, not referring to the charges against
nae, but declaring that I had tried for
years to maintain secrecy concerning a
scandal in noted family in the Church
and that had failed and herewith re.
sign. The letter was never sent. A lit
tie aferthought showed how futile it
would be to stop the trouble, a mere
useless sacrifice, but showed it to Mr..
Moulton and possibly he copied it. I
have not the original N my house. If
l could at this moment remember any
other letters which I have written to
Mr.. Moulton will do 80. If he has
preserved my effusions of feeling he
must have large lot. wished him to
bring them to where the Committee
met. should have been glad to get
such hints as they may contain to re-
fresh my recollection of facts. I have
no fear of their full and fair publication,
though they would doubtless make side
exposure of my weakness, grief and de-
spondency, they do not contain line
confirming such guilt as has been charg-
ed to me, or word inconsistent with
my innocence, or any spirit other than
that of genuine remorse over q great and
irreparable evil. However intense and
numerous may be these expressions of
grief they cannot possibly overstate the
anxiety which I constantly felt for the
future, the perils of which. It is now
clear, l did not exaggerate, nor the sor-
row and remorse which had unwitting-
ly done to beloved family, and after
wards for the greater injury which I be-
came satisfied had done by my unwise
mind and useless efforts TO remedy that
injury, only, as it proved. at the expense
of my own name, the happiness Of my
own family, aud the peace of my own
Church.


Mr.. Reecher's concluding remarks