Year: 1875

0uStICC anu buC LII


Very possibly it is the outcome of mere


thoughtlessness, but one can hardly help OBJ


serving that number of journals which found


it Impossible to dilate at sufficient length upon


the attractiveness and importance of filthy


balderdash uttered in the course of the Brook


lyn trial by such persons as Moulton and Titon


are now quite as eager to make an end of the


testimony which is rapidly accommodating on


the other side Of the question. We hope we


shall not be suspected of lending covert sup


port to the Civil Rights bill if we mildly OBJ


serve that the evidence as to the beastly con-


duct of Titon and his associates of both sexes


gwen now by respectable colored people is at


least as worthy of attention as the evidence OF


Tilton and his associates upon any subject


whatsoever. The theory of some of our con-


temporaries, we regret to say, seems to be that


the courts of justice are only convenient reser-


voirs for supplying the daily press with ilively


and amusing topics. So long as the current OF


evidence in Brooklyn ran in the direction OF


making out Mr.. Beecher to be hypocrite and


debanchee these journals were delighted to
wallow in ii. Now that it tends to show Tilton
and Moult on to be couple of degraded conspi-
rators its nauseOusness becomes suddenly APP


parent, and the defendants lawyers are daily
adjured to put their client on the stand and be
done with the mess. The World has shown its
estimate of this deplorabe and disgusting affair
consistently from the first by its way Of treat
ing it. Mr.. Beecher may or may not be
thoroughly bad and corrupt man. But the
World has protested from the begin
ing against the monstrous and demor-
alizing notion that either he or any
man OF previously eminent and honor
able repute should be condemned in pub
lie opinion on the strength of the statements
of two such utterly base and INSCRIPTIONS
persons as his chief accusers from the begin
ming have shown themselves to be-. And now
that the matter is before a court of justice in
technical form to be tried by lawyers OF high
standing, the World must anew protest against
what has very much the appearance either OF
an impudent or of an ignorant attempt to
take the case out of the tribunal. Any Journal
may decline, if so minded, to enccmber its COL
umns with the evidence in this case. The law
yers who are defending Mr.. Beecher have per-
feet rig BIT and it is their clear duty to protract
the production of evidence as long as they may
deem iudcious and as the court will permit.
1t is always open to nybody who is in the at
titude of spectator of the trial and who gets
tired of it, to walk out of the court rom and
60 about his business And in like manner it is
| always open to journalists who knew all about
| the case before it began to be tried, and who
| took pleasure in reproducing everything that
| was said by, of or about the people who took
| their view of the matter, to refuse to print a
| single syllable uttered by the people who do
| net take their view of the matter. n
While the case is going on it is an attack up
on the very foundations of society 10 howl at
the lawyers ON one side or on the other for dis
| appointing either the settled convictions of the
partisans of one or the other side, or the appe-
| tite of scandal-mODgers in or out of the public
press. The best way in which the press eau
serve the interests of justice In community,
| is to assert and maintain the absolute indie
pendence of its courts and its tribunals in
| their methods and ia their proceedings,
| against public clamor and popular impatience.
| From the very constitution of the public press,
| indeed, it is rather more than doubtful wheth-
| erit ever can serve or ever has served the


interests Of justice in community in any
| other way