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Show 0NK HUNDRED THOUSAND A YEAR. riymouth church has takon an appropriate ap-propriate method in signifying ita devotion de-votion to its pastor. It lias fixed his salary for the present year at $100,-00(1, $100,-00(1, tho amount claimed as damages by Theodore Tilton lor tuo niicgcu seduction of his wife. It ia ft most liberal salary, doubling that of President Presi-dent Grant, and probably exceeding that paid to any other clergyman, if the incomes of a few of the prelates of Great Britain aro excepted. If litis generous act signalized a universal univer-sal belief in the great preacher's innocence, in-nocence, it would be one of tho noblest no-blest tributes of affection and pride ever pnid to man; but at the heat it goes to the world only as ft proof of tho confidence ot Plymouth church in tho innocence of Mr. Beecher in other wortWat demonstrates the faith of Beecher in himself, for Plymouth Ply-mouth is simply tho embodiment and echo of tU great founder and pas tor his creation, without which it would be as impossible as the existence exis-tence of tho universe without God. Whatever there is of originality, whether in a spiritual or an intellectual intellect-ual sense in Plymouth church, springs from Beecher, who is ft ho the financial finan-cial attraction that renders his $100,-000 $100,-000 salary a possibility. In short, there is but ono Plymouth church, and that is Henry Ward Beecher, who is its creator and divinity. There has been but ono Shakespeare, but one Webster, and there is but one great Beecher, and he can never be repeated. This answer of Plymouth clurch to a critical and unbelieving world, , which ia not maiuly composed of Beecherites, will surprise no one. The verdict of the jury was generally anticipated, and though it may be generally admitted that Til ton failed to prove hia charge by legal evidence, evi-dence, enough was proven to leave a stain upon the character of the Plymouth pastor in the minda of vast numbers of the people, which would ; require more positive evidence to re-1 move. It money and the devotion of ; bis followers can vm Ucate hia namo, this will be done; but we fear that the public generally associate Plymouth church bo clospty with Mr. Beecher that the voice of his parishioners will be regarded as the voice of Henry Ward Beecher, carrying : with it little weight save that which attaches to his own namo and evidence in support of his own cause. |