OCR Text |
Show BEC.CHER Tlt-TON PLY- Xew York, 25. Among documents whieh Theodore Tilton includes in his long open letter to Rev. Dr. Leonard Bacon, on what is commonly common-ly known us the "Becehcr-Til ton-Scandal," ton-Scandal," is the following, under date of Mav 1, 1S74: "Henry Ward Beccher, Sir: Mr. F. B. Carpenter mentions to me your saving to him that under certain cer-tain conditions involving certain disavowals disa-vowals by mo, a sum of money would or could be raised to send me with my family to Europo for a term of years; it therefore compels mo to state explicitly that so long as life ! and self respect continue to exist to-: to-: gether in my breast I shall be de- barred from receiving either directly or indirectly any presents or other ' favor at your hands. The reason for ' this feeling on my part you know so ; well that 1 will spare you the state ment of it. Yours truly, Theodore Tilton." Tilton follows this with reference to what he declares a fact that although ho had received from the clerk of : Plymouth church on the 13th of May a communication announcing that his (Til ton's) otler to appear for trial had been read by Rev. Mr. Halliday, assistant pastor of the Ply- mouth church, and submitted to the cxaminin-j committee by whom it had been rejected, Mr. Halliday had somo forty days afterward emphatically emphati-cally denial to several newspaper reporters thatsueh an otler had ever been received, and branded the whole story lis false from beginning to end. Rev. Dr. Bacon having in his speech characterized Beccher as the most magnamiiuous ot men, and referred to Tilton us a di.g and knave, leading the public to infer that the latter was iti some way the creature of Bccch-er's Bccch-er's bounty, Tilton states that he called Beccher 's attention to the oHeusivenei's of the statement and insisted on its correction by either that gentleman or himself. Tilton closes his letter to Bacon as follows: "If tho public have heretofore considered my silence as inexplicable, lot my jutlicienl motive be now seen in the ust forbearance which I felt morally bound to show to a man who had scut ir.c a written and al-solute apology; apol-ogy; but my duty to continue this forbearance ce.ised when the spirit of that aioloi:y was viol ited to my m-luryby m-luryby its author, or his agents. These violations have been multitudinous multitud-inous and they threaten to multiply m future, forcing me to protect my-seit my-seit against them in advance, particularly partic-ularly against the cunning device of the clerk of tho church who, acting .is attorney, appears to be conducting ihi.-. business against me as if it were :1k1 ease: although, had the fair spirit . which I had the right to expect from I'lvmouwi Church, at least for its pastor's Nike, been shown toward me I wou'd have continual to rest in oiienie. on -Mr. Beeeher's apology, ai d never, during the remainder of my hie. would I have p-'ianttevl any p-;b!ic word o! mine to a.mde to Lie , o:1.. i:e of the "Ill-nder: but tho in-; in-; juri- measures en. braced by the i author oi i'n is apology, who has since : permitted u.s eiiurc.i to take against i me. wiLiout t,-,..test on his part, in j vohing gross m lir; to me which . ;hae been greatly K.cr.i rated hv your ! wntmcs.tuie put uic Vforc mvcoun- J ' tryir.cn in tne c'uaracttr OI' a base ,and i-ad man, a character hich i i:us:i fort i, in to my nature aud j hie. b nuer lue accumuiating -a,.; .- ( of this ixiium iumucLv" bestowtd j :uc, neither patience nor chanty c.q 1 j demand that I keep silent. I Mr. Beccher is now on his firm at ! Pee k kill, and to-day. the children, "eaei'en? and friends of Plymouth Sunday School, go ihere to congratulate congratu-late t.'eir p-te.:1" Oil the ':'-urrec':e of his sixt-i)--: birth-Lit-. ' |