The New York Herald Newspaper, July 24, 1874, Page 3

THE SCANDAL The Disclosures of Mrs. Theodore Tilton. Her Husband the Author of His Own Disgrace. TILTON BEFORE THE COMMITTEE harp Questiuns and Indig- nant Replies. we a PUBLIC OPINION. The Voice of the Press on the Scandalous Revelations. HOW SYMPATHY IS DISTRIBUTED. * The excitement of the public, yesterday, in ref- | erence to the great scandal, was greatly intensified by the publication of Mr. Beecher’s denial in the morning papers and of Mrs. Tilton’s statement in the evening journals. This circumstance absorbed interest in all apparentiy meaver things in relation to this controversy. The atmosphere ‘of public Opinion was cleared by the publication of ‘these statements of the vaporous element of dis- trust and suspicion that had hovered around the controversy since the appearance of the Tilton thunderbolt, and there seemed io be a silver Mning creaking through this dark and heavy | Mr. Beecher’s behalf, I answer, that this is again untrue, having never seen the lawyer until intro- duced to him @ few moments before the arrival of the committee, by my step-father, Judge Morse; and in further reply I submit the following state- ment of my action before the committee and the feparation from my husband :— ‘The publication of Mr. Tilton's letter in answer to Dr. Bacon I had not known nor suspected when on Wednesday evening he brougnt home the Golden Age, handing it to me to reaa, Looking down its columns I saw, well nigh with blinding eyes, that he had put Into execution the almost dalty threat of bis life—“that he lived to crush out Mr. Beecher; that the God of battles was with him; he had always, been Mr. Beecher’s superior, and all that lay in his path—wife, children or reputa- tion, if need be—should fall before this purpose.” 1did not read it, I saw enough without read- ing, My spirit rose within me as never before. “Theodore,” I said, “tell me what means this quotation from Mr. Beecher?’ Two years ago you came to me at midnight, saying, ‘Elizabeth, all tet- ters and papers concerning my difficulties with Mr. Beecher and Mr, Bowen are burned, destroyea; now don’t you betray me, for 1 have nothing to detend myself with,’ ”? “Did you believe that #” said he. “J certainly did, implicitly,” 1 said. “Well, Jet me tell you—they all tive; not one ts destroyed,” It this was satd to intimidate me it had quite the contrary effect. [had never been so fearless, nor seen so clearly before with whom I was dealing. Coming to me a little later he said :—*I want you to read it; you will find it a vindication of yourself, You have not stood before whe community for five years as you now do.” Roused still further by the wickedness hid behind 80 false a mask, I replied, “Theodore, understand | me, this is the last time you call me publicly to walk through this filth, My character needs no vindication at tnis late hour irom you. There was @ time, had you spoken out clearly, truthfully and Manfully for me, I bad been grateful; but now 1 shall speak and act for myseli, Know also that if 1m the future I see a scrap of paper referring to any buman being, however remote, which it seems to me you might use or pervert for your own ends, I will destroy it.” “This means battle on your part, then,” sald he. “Just so far,” I replied. I write this because these words of mine he has since used to my barm. - The next morning I went to my brother and told him that now | bad decided to act in this matter; that I had been treated by my husband as a non- | entity from the beginning, a play thing, to be used NEW YORK HERALD, FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1874.—-WITH SUPPLEMENT. alleges Mr, Beecher to have been guilty with Elizabeth Tilton? To the asking of this question Mr. Tilton mani- fested the greatest indignation, He did not ex- actly rage, bat be denounced the impiication in the loftiest terms. He was dramatic, He put himself upon a very higb pedestal of dignity. Mr. Tracy then asked Mr, Tilton as to his private relations with another woman, naming her. To this Mr. Tilton replied very calmly. He was not wounded in that place, Mr. Tracy then asked Mr. Tilton if he had ever held any improper relation or criminal invercourse with a third woman, naming that woman. Mr. Tilton thereupon again raged and fumed, and expressed his indignation in terms of theatri- cal and almost tragic tmport. Mr. Tracy then asked Mr, Tilton if he had not had improper relations With another woman, the sister of the last one reterred to; if he did not take her with him on opé certain occasion to Winsted, Conn,, when he daitvered a lecture there, and if he and that woman @id not then and there occupy the same room together, Mr, Tracy indicated also that bis question was founded upon charges to that effect made by the clerk and prapriesar of the hotel tn which Mr. Tilton and his Woman are alleged to have stayed, Mr. Tilton again raged with indignation, Re made, as he does 1m answering nearly every im- portant question put to him, a speech, He de- clared that if this form of warfare was to be kept up he himself would do some talking. Ifnames were to be called in that way, be would have some Renee to mention, The thing should not end in that way. In fine, Mr. Tilton put himself -on the recora as threatening 10 expose other parties, who, as he musinuated, had been guilty of improper conduct at some tine or other and in some place or other. Mr. ‘tracy said:—Mr. Tilton, you have charged your wife with having committed adultery with Mr. Beeeher. Now, answer this question, Did you ever commit adultery ? Mr. Tilton (running his hands through hts locks, Henge shein ont to thelr longest extent)— ir! Tal ine as gne sep 2 8 to another, J decline to be questioued in ish aay Mr. Tracy—I ask you the question squarely. It 18 a question easy to be understood, and you can see that it 1s @ question easential to this case. You have stared that you had a beantiful home until r, Beecher corrupted your wile. The Commitvee want yo know What sort of a home you made for your wife; Whether or not you brought other wo- men to your house and held improper relations there with them, You sce tt ts essential to know what sort of a peaceful and happy home you made 1t for her before Mr. Beecher, as you say, corrupted her and ruined that tome. Now Mr. Tilton, I put the question squarely to you, did you ever commit adultery? Mr. Tilton {striking @ Tiltonian attitude and stretching out his Anger after the manner of Na- than to David) —Mr. Tracy, did you ever commit adultery? Mr. ‘Tracy—When I shall have charged my wife with committing adultery it will be ume for you to ask thal question, Mr, Tilton—Well, sir, 1 decline to answer that question. It is an meuit to me, sir! If Il have ever had any intimacy with ladies, 1 would be a scoundrel, sir, to call their names! Mr. Tracy—Well, under that head we will sup- pose that you have already named your wile, Mr. 'Iiiton again rose to an indignation pitch and refused to answer. ing papers, Mr Moulton replied that he ‘deemed it fohaliy inadequate te he occasion.” This ended the interview. THE PRESS ON THE SCANDAL A Chaotic Condition of Things. (New York Commercial Advertiser, July 23.) The reply to Mr. Tilton’s “statement” by Mr. Beecher 18 ambiguous where it should be clear, concise and outspoken. Thus far we have the original Tilton scandal; a semi-retraction by its author; the “confession” of Mrs. Tilton and her recanting of the same; the final declaration of Tilton, and its apparent denial by Mr. Beecher. This state of things leave the whole affair in @ rather (chaotic condition, from which we are very glad to leave Plymouth church to extr- cate it, the more especially as to that organi- zation of incompetents is owing the openmg of the whole esclandre. There is one very clear fact, however, that certainly places Mr. | Tilton in & Most unsatistying light—not to use a stronger expression. We cannot reconcile with Our VieWs Of proper manhood the position occupied by bim, with regard to Mr. Beecher and Mrs, Tii- ton, when he confessedly was aware of the rela- tions alleged to have been existing between the | two guilty parties. Condonation of the sin, both | in law and morals, obliterates it from the calendar of crime. No amount of friendly feeling for the one or regard for the other nig property dictate | the attitude assumed, for more than two a are, bs Mr. Tilton, and at the same time perihit of hi jater action, A far more manly and honorable gourse would have been to have crushed at on the sin and fae sinners at the ouwwet, alwars suming Mr. Tilton to be anything but a most wiliui, wished and iniaous slanderer, which certamly bas hot yet beeh shown, Beecher Fully Up to the Demand. (New York Evening Mail, July 23.) Mr. Beecher's statement m reply to the recent charges made against him comes fully up to the demand, everywhere expressed, that he should frankly meet and squarely apswer all damaging accusations. “Only let him do this,” said most of | our leading journals, ‘and there will be a uni- Versa} sense of relief, and the burden of proof will | be put upon his accusers.” He has not at all come sort of this demand. He neither equivocates nor | beats the bush, His denial is both general and particular; unqgualitied, direct and earnext. Now, let the sensation mongers give the pablic a rest, We can patiently await the Tesult of the’ investigation now going on, pe gentlemen who are conducting it know all the parties to the controversy, their peculiarities and surroundings, their characters and their respec- | escape may | Mr. Tilton, what justification can he offer? self and Mr. Beecher in relaiion to these letters— namely. Mr. Francis D. Moulton and Mr. ‘Francis | B. Carpenter. Neither of these gentiemen is known | to have yet testified before the committee. ‘The testimony of Mr, Moulton, who is repeated! alluded. to in the letters sv the common tend 1 Mr. Beecher and Mr. Tilton, and in whose hand- writing the greater part of the most remarkable one of them appears, is neediul vo any settlement of the truth in this miserable affair, Uuti Mr. | Moulton’s testimony shall be rendered and Mr. Beecher personally examined, any expression of | charges is premature; and we sincerely trust, for morals, that no iurther unauthorized disclosures, such as this one for which Mr. Maverick is respon- sible, May duce prematare discussions and judg- ments, Why Mr. Beccher Wished He Were Dead. {From the Chicago Inter-Ocean.) if Mr. Tilton is crazy the fact 1s not generally known. Being sane, the horrible story he tells the world this morning carries with it a most dis- heartening air of trath; for no sane man would aliow himseli to tell such a tale with malice pre- pense, The penalty jor such an ofience against ali society could never be fixed at a sufficient wetght. stand why Mr. Beecher ‘‘wished he were dead ;” and the query will arise in every mind capable of appreciating his terribie position, Wil) mot that Wish meet a speedy fulfiment ? A.1 Mast Be Convinced of Its Truth. [Prom the Chicago Times.) All Who peruse the statement will be con- vineed of its truth, Mr. Tilton substantiates bis letters, the confeaston of Mrs. Tilton, the evidence of Messrs. Francis D, Moulton and F. B, Carpenter, two of Mr, Beecher’s most intimate and trusted friends, all agree in fixing upon the Plymouth pastor the stigma of the seducer, The chain of evidence is complete, and in any court of law would lead to convietion. Unfortunately for Mr. be made. But it may be sald that judgment 18 rendered on an ez parte hearing of the case. It is true Mr. Beecher has not been beard in his own defence. Butin the face of his numerous | letters confessing the crime which are quoted by He must either prove that Tilton nas forged all the | letters that he quotes and 18 a snaufefaced per- | | jurer and tiar—an utter impossibiitv—or confess | to the indictment presented by bis accuser, Beara the Impress of Truth. {Prom the Cnicago Tribune.) tive credibility, The investigawors are men of too high standing to be able to afford an unjust or | hasty verdict, even if they were disposed to thus | ruin themselves, which no one susperts or could be made to believe. They have their own reputa- tion to maintain. They will not now lessen the esteem in which they have been held, When their verdict comes the public will accept it as the end of a most uniortunate, demoralizing and disastrous | each other and witn what has gone before, | Course itis only one side of the story, | remains to be told, and it will be only bare justice ; to wait tl the other side is heard. Such is the substance of Mr. Tilton’s sworn state Ment. Lt bears the impress of trath, and ts forti- fled by a chain of circumstances which tally witn Of ‘The other Mr. Beecher opinion as to the truth or falsity of Mr. Tilton’s | the sake of justice to jndividuals and of the public | If it is trae, the reader may very readily under- | charges by incontrovertible proofs, Mr. Beecher’s | Beecher, there are few loopholes through which | 3 persons have conversed at various times with him- | himself the world can afford the utter extinction of ! such a man as Tilton. But if he cannot, then Til- ton’s long suffering ana forvearance, that he might save others, must commend him as one of the nobiest martyrs that the world ever knew, what- ever may be thought by better balanced minds of the wisdom of his course. The Basest of the Ba: (From the Syracuse Courier.) Heretofore, tn the absence of positive proot against the purity of Mr. Beecher’s character, we | thought it best to give the reverend divine the benedt of all the doubts, But the testimony of Mr. Theodore Tilton, which we publish elsewhere, | #worn to as his statement is, brands Beecher as one of the most perfidious scoundrels that ever dis- | eng the pulpit. In this statement Mr, Tilton raws the cloak of charity aside from Beecher, and | the pastor of Plymouth church—a ciergyman who | Ras heretofore stood in the front rank of the dis- | Wnguished theologians not only of America, but of the world; & lecturer whose presence alone Was suficient to fill the largest auditory with delighted hearers; & preacher Whose eloguence was admired by the whole people of a continent, and whose genius Wax acknowledged alike by the common peasant aud the most accomplished scholar, and | to whose lips thousands daily jooked for trutp | and virtue—a man, 10 4 Word, against Whom cal- | umny never pointed its withering finger, now stands, according W Mr. Tilton’s statement, a8 he | Dasest of the base. | Beecher a Scoundrel or Tilton a Pere jurer. {From the Albany Times.) There is almost unanimity of opinion that the siatement of Mr. Tilton is terrible. Itis puertie to | seek longer to avoid the issue that either Mr. | Beecher is a hypocritical scoundrel of the worat dye, who deserves to be driven from his puiptt and society with execration, or else that Theodore Tilton has been guilty of the most horribie per- jury. There seems to be po other alternative, and the reply of the accused will be looked for with painjul interest. It ts extraordinary that the com- mittee should have allowed Tilton’s sworn state- } ment to be published before the end of the investi- gation, when the whole case might go to the public | atonce, The bane and the antidote (uf tuere be an | antidote) should go togetner, | Consequences Cannot Fail To Be Ca- lamitous. {From the Buffalo Courier.) | Whether true or faise; whether contradicted or | not—and its circumstantiality and cttation of doc- ulnentary evidence impart to it an air of plausi- bility which It will be extremely dificulc tor the respondent to explain away—ils consequences to | ali the parties interested, whether guilty or inno- cent, Cannot Lali to be calamitous. \ cetera | A Defence of Tilton. ] (From the Philadeipnia Every Evening.) If henry Ward Beecher ts innocent Theodore Trl. | ton is a villain worthy of all the opprobrious names cloud. This, however, was not the only event of Mr. Tracy—Mr. Tilton, do you know that your in- | which may be showered upon him, but we raise controversy. Let us wait, in the confidence which | ‘the day of some significance. There was a meceting of the committee In the alternoon, at the residence of Mr. Storrs, No. 34 Monroe place, Brooklyn, the session of which issted four hours. It was con- Mined entirely to the cross-examination of Mr. Til- ton, who appeared to be in a testy humor, unwill- ing to give the committee much information im bis replies, and frequently dropping into small speeches on the side tssues of the questions that were put tohim, At the close of the session there was a general feeling of unsatis- factoriness produced on the minds of the com- mittee by this conduct of Mr. Tilton, and a strong conviction that he was unwilling to give the com- mittee the information that they desired to obtain, MRS, TILTON’S STATEMENT. To pick up anew the sorrows of the last ten years, the stings and pains I had daily schooled myseif | to bury and forgive, makes thia tmperative duty, + a8 called forth by the malicious statement of my busband, the saddest act of my life. Beside, my | thought of following the Master contradicts this | act of my pen, and a sense oi the perversion of my | Ufe-faith almost compels me now to stand aside, ill God Himself delivers, Yet I see in this wanton act an urgent call and privilege from which I shrink not. To reply in de- fail to the twenty-two articles of arraignment I shall not attempt at present. Yet if called upon 10 testily to each and all of them I shail not hesi- fate to do so, Suffice it for my purpose now that I reply to one or more of the most glaring charges. Toucning the feigned sorrow of my husband's compulsory revelations, I solemnly avow that long before the Woodnull publication I knew him, by insinuation and direct statement, to have repeated to my every near relative and friend the substance of these accusations which shock the moral sense of the entire community this day. Many times, when hearing that certain persous had spoken 111 ef him, he has sent me to chide them for so doing, and then and there I learned he had been before me with his calumntes against myself, so tuatl | ‘was speechless. | The reiteration in his statement that he had “‘per- | sistently striven to bide” tnese so-called facts is | utterly false, as his hatred to Mr. Beecher has ex- sted these many years, and the determination to | ruin Mr. Beecher has been the one aim of his life. | Again, the perficy with which the holiest love a | ‘wile ever offered has been recklessly discovered in ‘nis publication reaches well nigh to sacrilege; | | { | and, added to this, the endeavor, like the early scandal of Mrs, Woodhull, to make my own words condemn me, has no parallel. Most conspicuously, my letter qnoting the read- ing of “Griffith Gaunt.” Had Mr. Tilton read the pure character of Catharine, he would have seen that 1 lifted mysclt beside it—as near as any ho- man may affect an ideal But it was her charac. | ter, and not the incidents of fiction surrounding it, to which I referred. Hers was no sin o! crimi- bal act or thought. A like “confession” with hers I bad made to Mr. Tilton in telling of my jove to my friend and pas- tor one year before. And I now add that. not- withstanding ali misrepresentations and anguish of soul, I owe to my acquaintance and friendship with Mr. Beecher, as to no other human instru- | mentality, that encouragement in my mental lile and that growth toward the Divine nature which enables me to walk daily in a lively hope of the life beyond, ‘The shameless charges in articies seven, eight | and nine are fearfully false ip euch and every par- ticular. The letter referred to in Mr. Tilton’s tenth paragraph was obtained from me by importunity, and by representations that 1; was Decessary for him to use in his then pending diMcuities with Mr. Bowen. I was then sick, nigh unto death, having | suffered a miscarriage only jour days beiore. I signed whatever he required, without Knowing or ‘understanding tts import, The paper | have never seen, and do not know what statements it con- tained. In charge eighteen, & Jetter of mine, addressed to Mr. Francis Moulton, is quoted to prove that [ never desired a separation or was aavised by Mr. er Mrs. Beecher to leave my husband, I reply, the letter was of Mr. Tilton’s own concocting, which he induced me to copy and sign as my own—an act which, in my Weakness and mistaken thought to help him, J have done too often durmwg these un- happy years. ‘The implication that the harmony of onr home ‘was unbroken till Mr. Beecher entered it as a fre- | quent guest and iriend is a iamentable satire upon the honsehola where he himself, years be- fore, laid the corner stone of free love and dese- crated its altars up to the cme of my aepartare, Bo that the atmosphere was not only godless, but impure for my chiliren. And in thts effort and throe of agony | would fain lit my daughters ana ail womanhood from the insidious and diabolical Weachings of these latter days. His frequent efforts to prove me inane, weak inded, insignificant, of mean presence, all rank in the category of heartlessness, selfisuness and | falsehood, having its climax in his present endea- vor to convince the world that !am or ever have been unable to distinguish between an innévent and a guilty love. In summing up the whole matter, | am rm myself before God to be innocent of the crimes jaid upon me; that never have I been guilty of adultery with Henry Ward Beecher tn thought or dead; nor has he ever offered to me an indecorous or improper proposal, To the farther charge that J was led away from my twme by Mr, Boecher’s friends, and by the ad- | vice of @ lawyer whom Mr. Beecher had sent to me, 400 who, in advance of my appearing before the committee, arranged with me the questions and answers Wivoh are to constitute my testimony in | goodby forever, | husband standing by my bed, In avery tender, | kind voice, ] then show my hurt, | recent professions to me, his former spirit was un- | eternities with these mysteries to reveal. | Noon. | thelr counsel nor the or let alone at will; that it had always seemed to | me | was a@ party not a little concerned. I then showed him @ card I had made for publication. He respected the motive, but still advised silence on my part. I yielded to him thus far as to ap- pearing in the pubitc prints; but counselling with myself and no other, it occurred to me that among the brethren of my own communion J might be heard, Not knowing of any church committee, I asked the privilege of such an interview in the parlors of | those who had always been our mutual iriends. Mr. and Mrs. Ovington then learned, for the firet time, that the committee woule meet that night, and advised me to see those gentlemen as perhaps | the goodhest persons I could select, This I accord- ingly did. | Ine. There, alone, J pleaded the cause of my husband and my children, the result being that their hearts were moved in sympathy for my family—a feeling their pastor had shared for years, ana for which he was now suffering. On going home! found my husband reading in | bed, { told him where I had been, and that 1 did not conceal anything from him, as his habit was from me. He asxed who the gentlemen were; said no more; rose, dressed himself, and bade me The midnight following I was awakenea by my he said he wished tosee me. I rose in- stantly, followed him into his room, and sitting on the bedside. he drew me into his lap, said “he was proud of me, loved me; that nothing ever gave nim such real peace and satisfaction as to hear me well spoken of; that, mecting a member of the | committee, he had learned that he had been mis- taken as to my motive in seeing the committee, and had hastened to assure me that he had been thoroughly wretched since his rash treatment of | me the night vefore,” &c. Then and there we covenanted sacredly our hearts and lives—I most utterly—renewing my trust in the one human heart J loved. ‘he next day bow happy we were! Theodore | wrote a siatement to present to the committee when they ssould call upon him, to ali of which I heartily acceded, This document, God knows, was a true history of this affair, completely vindicating my honor aud the honor of my pastor. In the afternoon he lest me to show it to his friends, He returned home early in the evening, passing the happiest hours 1 had known for years, renew- edly assuring me tbat there was no rest for him away trom me. So in grateful love to the deur Father I slept. Oh, that the end had then come! [ would not then record the cruel blow “which made a woman mad outright.” The next morning he called upon our friends, Mr. and Mrs. Ovington, and there, with a shocking bravado, began a wicked tirade, adding, with oath and violence, the shameless slanders against Mr. Beecher of which I now believe him to be the author, ‘This fearful scene llearned next day. In the afternoon he showed me his invitation from the committee to meet them that evening. I did not | but carried it heavily within, but calmly without, all night, till early morning. Reflection upon this scene at Mr. Ovington’s con- vinced me that, notwithstanding my husband's changed; that his declarations of repentance and affection were only for the purpose of gaining my assistance to accomplish his ends in bis warfare upon Mr. Beecher. In the light of these conciu- sions my duty appeared plain. Trose quietly, and, having dressed, roused him only to say, “Theodore, I will never take another Step by yonr side. The end has indeed come.” He followed me to Mrs, Ovington’s to breakfast, saying J was unduly excited and that he had been misrepresented, perhaps, but leaving me deter- mined as before. f. How to account for the change which twenty- four hours have been capable of working in his mind, then many years past, I leave for the That he is an unreliable and unsafe guide, whose idea of trutn-loving Is self-loving, itis my mistertune tu this late, sad hour to discover. July 23, 1874, ELIZABETH R, TILTON. TILTON BEFORE THE COMMITTEE. pe ASE PM EAE {From the Brooklyn Eagle.) There was a very interesting meeting of the Beecher investigating committee yesterday after- The Zagle is able to produce some of the incidents of the examination which have come to light through means that neither the committee, | Witness could have any | knowledge of. The Eagle, of course, does not | choose to disclose the source of its information, but it can be relied upon as perfectly trustworthy and correct. ‘The course of the examination might by stretch- ing a point a trifle, be called @ cross-examination of Mr, Tilton, tf any questions put to him by Mr. B, F, Tracy, and answered or not by Mr. Tilton, as he saw fit, could in any sense be termed an examination, cross or direct. The object of the questions put to the principal witness in the case might not at first be aetected; perhaps, if Mr, Tilton were himself represented by counsel, many of them would be at once objected to as ir- relevant, Perhaps before a lawiul tribunal they Might, or again they might not, be excluded; but a second thought will disclose the aim and intent of the queries. They go to discredit the character of the principal and, as will be seen by bis own admission further down, the only witness in the | . Tijton was quietly asked by Mr. Tracy as to his relations with @ certain woman, not Mrs, | Victoria Woodhull, Had he not at certain specthed limes and in certain alleged places been guilty of | the offence with that woman of which Mr, Tiivon | | down the scandal, “although Ehzabeth told me at | himself timacy with public women greatly disturbed Mrs, Tilton and made her life unhappy? Mr. Tilton (with another attitude) —What do you mean, air, to talk tO me about public women ? A Member of the Committee—Mr. Tilton, Mr. Tracy does notmean public women in an odious sense. He means rejormers, Mr. Tilton (coming down to his usual manner again)—Oh, yes; Elizabeth was very much an- noyed that l ever should associate with such per- sons, She said they were not sound in theology; they were heretics and exercised bad influence on She talked very much about it and always opposed it. “She hated,” she said, “such women ax Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Mrs, Woodhuil.” She said ‘they were on the wrong side always.” She feared I was going to be led astray. In another connection Mr. ‘lilton said:—One great grievance of my wile was that I was nota clergyman. Thank God, lam not a minister! 1 | want you to put it down, Mr. Stenographer. I despise the Church, I despise creeds. Not but that lam a religious man, though; I am a religious man. I love God, but I despise the Church, Tsaw the cowardice of the Church in the great anti- slavery fight, and it has aiways been false. But Elizabeth bas always had a reverence for | the Church, and she has been greatly disiurbed be- cause I could not receive the doctrine of the divinity of the Lora Jesus Christ. I could not re- ceive it, [had to reject it, and it disturbed her very much. It is asort of keystone to her wncle taith that Chriet is divine, aud my refusal to be- lieve it has been the subject of many conversations and many of her prayers. She spends whole bours on her knees in prayer. A whiter souied woman does not live to-day than Elizabeth Tilton! Jn another connection Mr. Tilton admitted that “MY COMPLAINING FRIEND”? to whom one of his celebrated ietiers which goes uuder fiat name was addressed had no existence whatever. It was, he said, a aevice of his to quiet the time Sg it would make tt all the worse.’? During tife examination on Tuesday Mr. Tilton stated facts which prove incontestably that he was THE SOLE INSPIRATION | of the Woodhull scandal, and that he gave Mrs. | Woodhui! all the alleged tacts on which her expos- ure was founded. Among other srt in answer to the question whether he had sald anything to Woodhull reflecting on the integrity of Beecher be- fore Woodhull pnbilshed her scandai Tilton said, “Oh, Fess I gave her my opinion of him very trecly.”? it has also come to light that Tilton did his best to induce Beecher to preside over the Woodhull woinan’s Meeting, and used as one inducement the necessity of conciliating Mis. Woodhull, who, he said, was in possession of damaging rumors concerning him, and would possibly use them against him. He told Beecher that he had bette: look out or Woodhull would injure him. With reference to but one action in presiding | over that meeung Tilton says that he reached the | hall only ten minutes delore the meeting com- enced, Woodhull was indignant because there | was not aman there who dared to introduce her, aud Tilton said he dared do it and would do it, He said he did not know what her utterances would be, although be mught have known, as the proois of ber address were in nis office. He had not read them, Tne most extreme things sne said, however, were not in her wanuscript, but were what he calls ‘‘ebullitions of the moment.” TILTON’S WORD THE ONLY EVIDENCE. The following question was put to Tilton by Mr. ‘Tracy — Mr Tilton, have you any evidence of Mr. Beecher’s adultery except what you say your wife told you? Tilton—I have none whatever. It also appears that one of Mr. Beecher’s letters, from which Mr. Tilton extracts a few lines of doudtful meaning, ie over a column long. Tilton has twice promised to produce it, but has not yet done so, He may produce it this afternoon, when his cross-examination wu be resomed. The com- mittee want to know what is in the whole letter. It is sair to presume that Tilton has taken from it | only Such parts as suit bis purposes, THE FEELING IN BROOKLYN. + A representative of the HekaLD yesterday traversed Brooklyn from ene end to the other, in order to ascertain tue views of the leading citizens and the populace generally regarding the latest developments of the painful controversy. There were very few gentlemen of prominence to be found who seemed at all willing to express an | opinion as tothe probable resuit of the termina- tion of the war. The ministers are reticent and Will say little or nothing. Some of them, among | the number Rey. Christopher Rhodes, of the Cen- tral Baptist church, will not credit the truth of the serious charges against Mr. Beecher, and express the sincere wish that the eminent divine may yet be able to clear himself trom them. Another minister, who, fn common with other members of his profession in Brooklyn, did not de- sire his name to be mentioned in connection with the scandal, as he termed it, said that he was in- clined to condemn both Beecher and Tilton. Among the professional men in Brooklyn many were found yesterday who asserted most posi- tively their faith in Mr. Beecher, There was one expression quite general amoug them, and that was that now the public and nota few men, who composed a select committee, were the jury to de- cide the fate of Mr. Beecher. The public, it was conceded, would judge both Mr. Beecher and bis accuser fairly, and they would not be satisiied with a simple report embracing the conclusions of the committee, but would ex- pect and demand a presentation of tne whole | evidence adduced at the investigation. The members of Mr. Beecher's church, judging from the tone of their conversation, still have the utmost confidence in the ability of their pastor to disprove each every allegation tmpngning | his honor as @ citizen and his character as & Christian. Shortly alter the adjournment of the committee last evening a representative of the HERALD called at the residence of Mr. Storrs and asked that gen- leman if the committee bad anything to co’ uni- cate, and was informed that they nad not, but that the end was pot yet, and that many others would be examined before they would feel at liberty to make their proceedings public, MR. TILTON SILENT. Previous to the meeting of the committee last evening & HR&RALD representative met Mr. Tutou on his way to Mr, Storrs’ residence, and wished to know his opinion of Mr, Beecher’s statement. Mr. Tilton said he could not say anything, as what he had said already in some respects had been mis- construed, and what he might say ~~ be also misconstrued by the newspapers or the pubitc. Therefore he preferred to remain stieat, “TOTALLY INADEQUATE.’? Later in the evening a reporter called upon Mr, Francis Moulton, at his residence, No. 49 Remsen street. Mr. Moulton did not desire to be inter viewed on the subject of the controversy. In an- aw to # question as to What he thonght of the Statement of Mr, Tilton, as published ty the evens their characters and pea tons inspire, and give can walt no longer, LU he confesses the substantial the gossips a wide berth and a cold shoulder. | bY n | has been a long time in coming to the point, but he | Mr. Beecher’s Denial Comprehensive. [New York Evening Express, July 23.) Mr. Beecher’s defence, copied in full elsewhere, is comprehensive and complete. It meets in a general way the general and specitic allegations of Mr, Tilton, and its defence ot the ptrity of Mrs, | Tilton and of his own bearing towards her, is all | the answer, short of evidence, which words can give. The specific charges of Mr. Tilton are to be met hereafter before the committee. Mrs, Tilton’s | statement will be quite as complete as that of Mr. Beecher, and the public are to judge between in- uendoes, circumstances, allegations and, perhaps, belief upon one side, and broad, manly and timely denials upon the other. Puere are several kinds of people in the world (they used to be divided into the good, the bad, and the Beecher Jamuy) who are passing judgment upon this case, They are, first, that Class who are ready to believe and like to believe the worst of a man, especially if he is a clergyman, Such persons will be digappotuted, if not sorry, if Mr. Beecher 18 Not proved to be ail that Mr. Tilton allezes. Men and women, especially of what the world cails good society, are sure to suffer from ihese slander- ous tongues, and the personally criminal, uf tempted, will often be even more unMerciiu! than the pure and innocent. Another ana better class will always deplore do- Mestic strife and the publicity given to troubles between man and wife. if im any way they are a party to them, as mn the case of Mr. Beecoer, they willbe ready to go to almost any length o1 self- | mortification to undo the mischief wrought by their interference or mistakes with the supposed eulferers. Mr. apd Mrs. Beecner’s sympaiby for Mrs. ‘Tilton was carried #0 far as to produce posi- tave mischief, and the result, as shown in the Memoranda takep down by Mr. Moulton, was de- plored in the most self-avasing and repenting words. The Beecher-Tilton caee is now where it never should be, and where it never would bave been | but for a vicious curiosity and injudicious triends, ‘The offence, whatever it Was, Was committed yeurs ago. The alleged cause 01 if, as admitted by ail, is iar removed as to time. Friends long separate had been reunited and might have remained so forever, 1n form at least, Mr. Beecher had re- pented in dust and ashes all he had done to en- | | | diously planned and accomplished the seduction of ) Mrs, 'Titon in the courage Mrs. Tilton 1p her discord witn her hus. | band. Jealousy and the iil nature 01 an ambitious Mf not bad-hearted mau entered the paradise Of @ once jovely home. A restless, curious public then heard the wh perings of an iniamous woman, the disciple of iree love, and wanted tu know more, Then, and as the ntipodes ol this walking embodiment of vice, c me an Ecclesiastical Council, and they, too, | Yeurs had passed since the serpent of | wanted to know more, and satin judgment upon | Mr. Beecher, wo was acquitted, though waolly de- | flant upon the question of the authority of such | council over Plymouth church, Then Rev, Dr. Bacon wrote and the journals published and the world read, Then came Tilton with his Golden age, Milea to the brim with ex- torted, ex parte, wicked innuendo, spiced with the text torn from context memoranda of Mr. Beecher to Mr. Moulton, and now tne begin- ning of the end of a scandal which filis the coun- try, breaking the hearts of many, reaching the innocence of children, an injury to the Church and ministry, & digrace to decency, & series of broken poe and an outrage upon society. Ii any- ody can find pleasure in suc @ record, or in it any cause to sneer at virtue and religion, or any | wish to prolong the scandal, they are rather to be pitied and despised than defended, The pooner, therefore, the curtain falls upon the past the bet- ter for those who suffer, and for tie public who, as (Paden now look with wonderment upon a trath which is stranger than al) ficuion, not ex- cepting Catharine Gaunt. How the Case Stan [New York Evening Post, July 23.) The inguisition upon the pastor of Plymouth | church by @ committee of his religious society troth of Tilton’s charges, he thereby acknowledges that he lied when he published his general denial | last June, and that he has been a hypocrite and a scoundre) these many years, for Mr. Tilton’s state- ment requires us to believe, not that Mr. Beecher feli in an unguarded moment, but that he stu- wae of her religious adviser, and that he continued his toul intercourse until dis- covery made it no longer possible, Come, No Concealment. {From the Boston Post.) Mr. Beecher is the jast person who can aliow any | concealment now. His only salvation consists in | perfect openness, in even a defiant welcome to in- | vestigation, in a scrutiny that throws the light into every corner of bis life and character. [fhe can | pass through this test unscatbed, he will come out stronger than ever in the estimation of that vast | | public which has habitually loaded him with its admiration and honored him with unparalleicd draite on its conlidence, Veracity of Beecher and Tilton. (From the Hartrord Courant.) Asbetween Mr. acter, there would be no hesitation in deciding in favor of the former. It remains to be seen whe- | ther Mr. Tilton has further evidence to offer, or whether Mr. Beecher’s explanation of the apology &iud correspondence will be sustained by Mr. Moul+ | ton, who 1a probably the only third party in pos- session Of the tacts. The Worst is Out. {From the Springfield (Mass.) Republican.) fence and that of Mrs, Tilton, It could not will be | otherwise, With the ‘publication of Mr. Tilton’s | statement longer silenoe on his part was an admis- sion of guilt. To the charge of adultery his denial 18 straigot and unequivocal, and the thousands of bis friends who have doubted, not without some turn. The worst is out and the worst is dented. For the proot aud the fuller statement to come the public can afford to wait till is has been sifted by the investigating committee. Tilton’s Wild Emotion. [From the Boston Advertiser.) ‘There is much in Mr. Tilton’s statement not prop- erly relevant to its main object, the publication of which by him can only be explained on the theory t his pride, honor and judg- ment are alike at the mercy of nis wild emotions, His wife’s+ letters to him tu 1863 Were, no part of the present case. If anything on this planet is sacred, they were sacred. To in- wanton and cruel projanation which nothing but | utter madness can excuse. A Square Dental. {From the Boston Globe.) Mr. Beecher has at last spoken, and spoken to the point. He has given a square denial to the charges of Mr. 'tilton, accompanied by such a gen- eral explanation of the circumstances under which bis contrite letters were written as to make them appear wholly consistent with both his aud Mrs, Lilton’s innocence, One of the Saddest Documents in the History of Mankind. {From the Troy Whig.) It is one of the saddest documents In the history of mankind, and 18 so fortified by letters and otier written instruments that it must be seen on its face to be trae, or else aseries of the most mon- strous falsenoods and forgeries ever put on record. | As Mr, Moulton, the friend who bas stood from the | first between named by bim for the purpose, has taken such @ | piainly been consulted in the preparation of the form by reason of the premature disclosure of the charges preferred to the committee by Mr. Theo- dore Tilton, that some explanation of the present stage of the business becomes due to our readers in advance of the close of the investigation. The statement conveyed to us yesterday from Mr. Tilton, to the effect that he did not disclose to the public the document which he read to the commuttee Monday evening, nor afford any means for its publication, proves to be incorrect, in a certain sense, now that the method of its disclosure | It now appears, by whe confession of | is revealed. Mr. Augustus Maverick, who is an editor of the Brookiyn Argus, that he volunteered to assist Mr. ‘Viton’ in transcribing irom the original draught the document the copy which was presented to the committee, and that at the same time he took a tri sell, from which the publication ad Maverick states that he published it without Mr. ‘Tnton’s Knowleage or consent, But it clearly ap- pears that Mr. Tilton, in a certain sense, afforded the méans for its puvlication by accepting the aid of so.indiscrect a volunteer, whose character he must have known, since Mr. Maverick, in his con- tession, states that he was the groomsman oi Mr. Tilton at his marriage in 1855, and bas been his irlend ever since, Mr. Beecher does not see fit, in view of the pro- ceeding of Mr. Maverick, to remain silent to the public until the report of the committee, and hi accordingly, published a card in this mornin; newspaper, replying in general terms to Mr, ‘ von’s charges and indicating what will be his line of defence against them, ‘The substance of the charges and Of the intimated defence is briefy as follows :— Mr. Tilton charges Mr. Beecher with committing adultery with Mrs. Tilton, alleges in support of the charge confessions of Mrs. Tilton to himeelf, spect- fles two occasions upon which he observed equivo- cal acts on the part of Mr. Beecher, adduces aev- eral letters of Mr. Beecher expressing great con- trition for some unspecified wrong doue to him in relation to his wile, and also adduces propositions alleged to have been made to him that he should go abroad with his family and remain there sey- eral years at Mr. Keecher’s expense. Two of the points in these charges are met thus:—(l.) Mrs. Tiiton has appeared before the committee and denied making any such contes- sions. (2.) Mr. Beecher, tn nis card, positively dentes the alleged equivocal acts, and prononnces Mr. Tiltor testimony in that particular abso- lutely false. The letters adduced by Mr. Tilton are not denied to be genuine, but Mr. Beecher indi- cates that an explanation of them will b» afforded by evidence whict he proposes to put be- fore the committee to she effect that Mrs. Beecher and himself were consulted by Mra, Tilton with regard to diMicuities between her snd her husband, that they gave advice in the mattes, that he became convinced that his advice was wrong, and that the contrition which ne ex- pressed in the letters was induced by an over- whelming sense of the grave conseqnences which might have resulted to Mr. Tilton’s household, Te appears, on My, Tilton’s avorations. that two paper, and has given his assent to it, the supposi- tion of forgery is too ridiculous to be entertained for® moment. There 1s no possible way, then, to avoid the conclusion that Mr. Tilton has at last— alter repeated attempts to shield both Mr, Beecher and his own family—been driven tw a declaration of the truth, The Charges Are Very Direct. {From the Philadelphia Press.) It is not to be denied, however, that the case is @ very serious and painful one. Mr, charges are very direct and very specific, although the evidence outside of his own personal oath is not strong nor conclusive. It is useless, however, to speculate on testimony which 1s all on one side, and some of which would never be admitted in an ordinary court of justice. The Testimony Seems Irresistible, {From the Rochester Democrat.) Can these things be? Who shall disprove them? The testimony seems irresistible. Mr. Tilton ap- pears to jortily each allegation with persuasive sistent With itself, and it isonly by the exercise of fervent charity that the heart can restrain the mind from accepting his version a8 uitimate and authoritative, It is no stretch of the trath when we say the whole world will await with intense anxiety for Mr. Beecher’s reply. It is utterly impossible now for Mr. Beecher to keep silence. Jf he does he 1s condemned out of his owo mouth, and if what is charged against him is ® tact he 18 irretrievably talien, On! it is fad beyond expression, and millions of hearts will be Wrang with anguish, It is needless to apologize for Mr. Beecher—the Christian world can forgive, nd is willing to, but it will never again sit In won- dering aamiration at his feet. The ‘scarlet letter’? With its blood-red hue will outshine the splendor of the cross, and, though Christians will tenderly veil him in the shroud of charity, yet with the world the stain can never be hidden. Whether or not he be as black as he Is painted is not for us here and now to decide. Be that aa it may, an humble acknowledgment and sorrowful contrition of sin has ever opened heaven’s gates and evoked the favor of God, and it behooves us tojbestow upon our fellows a kindred boon, I! he has done wrong Henry Ward Beecher will, we confident believe, frankly confess it. This 19 his only alternative. When the news came that Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated, @ simple-hearted negro ex- | claimed, “O, my God, Ifeel ag though a star had | falien from de heabens.” And ff it shall appear that Henry Ward Beecher has perished upon his own Jance, the moral sky will be darker for many a year, The World Can Afford the Extinction of Tilton, {From the Troy Times.) The pablic will await With the most eager anxiety the promised reply. If Beecher can honestly save Beecher and Mr, Tilton, if the | | question were merely of veracity or personal char- | Mr. Beecher has at Jast spoken in nis own de- | reason, Will now feel their contidence in him re- | clude them in this indictment was an instance of | Mr. Beecher and Mr, Tilton, has | Tilton’s | proof, and his statement seems perfectly con- now and here at least one feeble voice against the accursed injustice with which many people and some newspapers are preparing in advance to | treat Tilton in case Beecher is guilty, If Henry Ward Beecher is innocent, in God's name, and tor the sake of decency and humanity, as well as religion, let hts innocence be made manifest, bat It he is guilty Theodore Tilton ts an outrageously wrooget and long suffering man, who has let bim- sell be guided by the advice of friends to appear an | aggressor where he was the victim. His whole line of conduct Is clearly in accordance with the ab- | surdly ‘“magnanimoas” course advised by his | friend Oliver Johnson, who professed himself shocked at hearing that Tilton proposed to expose Beecher. Ta | Tilton Can Hardly Be Blamed. {From the Detroit Free Press.) | ltisahornpble story, whether true or false, and one which the American peopie might well have been spared; but if tt is true, Mr. Tilton can hardly be blamed, under all the circumstances, for mak- | ing it pablic, If it is talse, as every friend of hu- | manity must earnestly hope it will be proved, | there is scarcely any punishment known to the } law too severe for its Inventor, Suspend Opinion. [From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser.] | It is impossible to read the statement, fortined | as itis by Beecher’s own letters, and not have the Most painful suspicion that tho story told is true. At the same time justice demands that public opinion should be suspended until the accused parties bave made their counter-statement, This | must come at Once, and it must remove every sus | picion, explain every douot, answer every charge, or Mr. Beecher 18 a ruined man, } Read with Painful Interest. \ {From the Cincinnati Commercial.} | Ir wi be read with patniul interest by tens o) | thousands of people who will weigh every fact, in- cident and circumstance therein set forth with | jealous eyes, and with hope against hope that somewhere may be found a way of escape, however narrow, irom the terrible accusation and still more terrible array of evidence im its support. For to ail {t must be patent if the accusation be pot most clearly and minuteiy disproved, it insures the downfall of the toremost pulpit orator of our time--a preacher whose words have literally gone out to the ends of the earth, and | been the inspiration of militons of human beings in their efforts to realize in their own lives that which 1s lovely and of good report in the Christian character, * * * While one cannot rid himself of the conviction of the essential truth of Mr, Til- | von’s statement and will be inclined to agree in | Mr. Tilton’s opinion as expressed to the reporters | of the New York press that “it is unansweraple,” there Will yet be @ readiness to bear what Mr. | Beecher ana Mrs. Tilton have to say tn the state- ment which they promised to submit to the com- mittee of investigation. There 18 no disposition to prejudge the case. From the time the great | seandal made tts way into print the press has | treated it with forbearance, and shown a dispost- | tion to lessen rather than wo magnily its propor. tions. | The Letters Can Hardly be Explained | Away. (From the Albany Argus.} Our faith in Mr, Beecher has been thus far sus | tained by his general reputation and by Mr. Tu. ton’s assertions of the blameless purity of his | wife. But no considerations of the inconsistency | of Mr, Titon’s statements nor of bis life can out- | weigh the force of his affidavit, sustained by the | letters he produces, if such letters are genuine, Mr. Beecher can hardiy explain away the deep hu- miliation of his abject letters, if they are indeed bis, They imply too much; too great a sin, too | terrible a crime. It was undoubtedly remarkable | iat Mr. Tilton Should tolerate such an offence ; but the public cannot deal with wr. Tilton’s eccen- tricities until Mr. Beecher establishes an adequate canse (or his sel/-abasement which shall be con- | sistent with his innocence, We hope, against the probability, that he may prove these letters to be | forgeries, Dut there is little or no chance for this. Now is the Time to Speak. {From the Cincinnati Gazette.) We bave neither time nor heart for extended comment. It is scarcely possible to reconcile the words, expressions and tone of the numerous let ters which are introduced with any other theory than that of Mr. Beecher’s guilt, Mr. Beecher has anything to say lor himself, apy explanation \ to offer, now is the time for him to speak. | | | i} Is Mr. Beecher a Clerical Don Juan? {From the Rochester Express.) If Mr. Beecher bas been no better than a clerica) Don Juan, there will be a plenty of inglorious Byrons to draw their hateful moral, and insult by their inferences the pure mothers, wives and daughters of the Christian world. If it be true, what then? One man of extraardinary vital force and pre-eminent station has yielded nis baser nagure ( brought reproach on the Cnristian religion; and one woman of gentle, susceptible nature, overpowered by her pastor's sophistry and magnetic inanence, has qieiged her virtne, and has lallen. These things have happened before, and will again. This instance eee husbands and fathers the importance of guarding with sacred care the entrance to the domestic circle, and upon women the danger of Listening to a tempter im any gui THE JERSEY OHURCH SCANDAL. No Examination Yesterday—Hundreds of Spectators Disappointed. ‘The announcement in the HERALD a few days ago that an examination of the charge of Mise Pomeroy against the Rev. John S, Giendenning, of Jersey City, wonld take place at Justice Aldridge’s Court, in Jersey City, yesterday, attracted & large crowd of curious spec- tators, They were doomed, however, tg disappointment when Justice Aldridge announeed that the order was made under & misapprehen- sion, As the first suit in the ‘Was instituted by the Overseer of the Poor on @ charge of bas. tardy, no examination will be legai till the child is born. The second suit {8 for seduction, and that is a matter solely for the Grand Jury. The third @ civil suit for breach of promise of inarrtage, Grand Jury will not meet till October. er tnd accused pastor presented himself, howe’ renewed his bonds for his appearance when on, Finding that the will be brought te Speedy issue, he d ‘ted on vacation. Hiv ed in the meantime by the jew York, and Mr. Heller: | Postmaster of Hudson City, will snoceed Mi! Pomeroy as leader of the choir, Miss Pomeray NOt appear af the Juatice’s Court yosierdaye