Year: 1874

Ross and General Tracy, met at Mr..
Beecher's residence and after con
sultation of about three hours, drew
up the following statement. made by
Mr.. Beecher, for publication


81 do not propose at the present
time detailed examination of the
remarkable statement of Theodore
Tilton, made before the committee
of investigation which appeared in
print July 22d. l recognize many
reasons which makes it of transcen-
dent Importance to myself, to the
church, and to the cause Of public
morality, that l shall give full an
swer to the charges made against
me. having requested the Committee
of Investigation to search the matter
to the bottom, it is to them that l
must look for my vindication, but 1
l cannot delay for an hour to defend
the reputation of Mrs. E. r. Tilton,
upon whose name in connection with
mine, her husband has tried to prove
shame. One less deserving OF such
disgrace I never knew. From child
hood she has been under my eye,
and since reaching womanhood she
has had my sincere admiration and
affection, and | cherish for her a
pure feeling, such as a gentleman
might honorably offer to a Christian
woman, and which she might
receive and reciprocate without NOR
al scruple. | resent with indigna
ton every imputation which reflects
upon her honor or my own. My re-
gard for Mrs. Tilton was perfectly
well known to my family. When
serious difficulties sprang up in her
household, it was 10 my wife she re-
sorted for counsel and both of US
acting from sympathy, and as it con
sequently appeared without full
kno wledge gave unadyised counsel
which tended to harm. l have no
doubt that9Mr. Tiiton found his
wife's confidence and reliance upon
my judgment had greatly increased,
while his influence had diminished
in consequence of marked change
in his religious and social views
which were taking place during
those years. Her mind was greatly
exercised lest her children should
be harmed by the views which she
deemed virtually false and danger
Gus. I was suddenly and rudely
aroused to reality Of impending
danger by the disclosure of domes-
tic distress, of sickness, perhaps un.
to death f; of the likelihood of a sep
aration and a scattering of the family
every member of which | tenderly
loved. The effect on me of the dis
covery of the state of Mr.. Tilton's
feelings aEd the condition of his fam
lily surpassed in sorrow and excite
ment anything I had ever experience
ed in my life. That my presence,
influence and counsel had brought
beloved family to sorrow and aliena'
ton, gave in my then state of mind
a poignancy to my suffering, which |
hope no other man may ever feel
even to be suspected of having of
fered under privileges of peculiarly
sacred relation. An indecorum to
wife and mother could not but Deep
ly wound any one who is sensitive to
honor of womanhood. There were
peculiar reasons for alarm in this
case on other grounds. inasmuch as it
was then subject to certain malignant
rumors and fragrant outbreak in
this family would bring upon them
an added injury derived from these
shameless falsehoods. Believing at
the same time that my pre- enoe and
counsels had tended, however un-
consciously, to produce social Ca
tastrophe, represented as imminent,
[ gave expression to my feelings in
an interview with a mutual friend
not in cold and continuous self de.
Tending words, but eagerly taking
the blame upon myself and pouring
out my heart to my friend in the
strongest language, overburdeued
with the exaggerations of compass.
sionate sorrow. Had l been the evil
man Mr.. Tilton now represents me,
l should have been calmer and more
prudent. 1t was my horror of the
evil imputed that filled me with
morbid intensity at the shadow of it.
Not only was my friend affected
generously, But he assured me that
such expressions if conveyed to Mr..
Tilton would soothe the wounded
feelings, allay the anger and heal
whole trouble. He took down sen.
tences and fragments of what | had
been saying to use them as mediator.
a full statement Of the circumstances
under which this memorandum was
made, I shall give to the investigat-
ing committee. That these apollo
gies were more than ample to meet
the facts in the case is evident that
they were accepted; that our inter
course resumed its friendliness, that
Mr.. Tilton subsequently ratified in
writing, and that he has continued
for four years, and within two weeks,
to live with his wife. Is it conceiv-
able that if the original charge had
been what ia now alleged, he would
have condoned the offence, not only
with tie mother of his children, but
with him who he believed to have
wronged them.


The absurdity as we'll as falsity Of
this story is apparent when it is con.
sidered that Mr. Tilton now alleges
that he carried this guilty secret OF
his wife's infidelity for six months
locked in his own breast, and that
then he divplged it to me only. That
there might be a reconciliation with
me, Mr.. Tilton has since in every
form of language and to a multitude
of witnesses, orally, in written state


ments, and in printed documents
declared his faith in his wife's purity.
After reconciliation of Mr.. Tilton
with me were the consideration OF
propriety and honor demanded that
the family trouble should be kept in
that seclusion which domestic affairs
have right to claim and to that pur.
pose it was determined that it should
be confined.


Every line and word of my pri.
vate and confidential letters which
have been published is in harmony
with the statements which | now
make to my published correspon-
dence on this subject comprises but
two elements, VIZ expression OF
my grief and that of my desire to