Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-05-05
MRS. SIGOURNEY AND MRS. SOUTHEY.

MRS. SIGOURNEY AND MRS. SOUTHEY.
Our readers will tecollect that Mrs. Sigour.
ney's late work-"Pleasant Memories of Pleas
ant Lands"--contained an extract from letter
written to Mrs. s. by the wife of DR.. Soutlley,
relative to the health of that distinguished poet.
Under the head of American Literary diShon.
esty," The London Morning Herald, received by
the Britannia, has an article, charging Mrs.
Sgourney with having " interpolated and alter
ed the letter of Mrs. Souihey, for the purpose
Of acquiring consideration in the eyes of Amer
lean publishers" The London Herald further
states, that
MRS. Sigourney, perfect stranger, wrote TO Mrs
Sou,hey TO request her correspondence. Mrs. South.
ey having other objects TO engress her thoughts de,
clned the honor, but simply and politely answered
her inquiries as 10 Mr.. Southey's health. All this
under the recognised seal OF private correspon-
dence, which ought to have been considered all the
more sacred from the way in which Mrs. Sigourney
had herself brought il about. Mrs. Soulney's aston
ishment may be readily imagined when she alter
wards saw her letter not only printed in the public
journals, but interpoiated uiM phrases implying in.
tmacy, and calculations Of patos not ono Of ,rhict
The British public will know from this expose what
degree Of faith they are in future attach to the rev.
Citations Of American authors.
1t might perhaps be enough for US, in reply
to this, to say in the language Of the Boston
Post, that
"Of course, no one on this side of the water will
give it the slght 81 credence The statement seems
TO have originated in n periodical that is not inap-
propria,ey named (The Story Teer) Mrs. 81.
Courtney, if capable Of the ascrbed to her,
must have been guilty of it without an adequ,e mo-
tive for we are sure tie world will think that her
correspondence conferred as great an honor upon
Mrs. southey ms Mrs. Sou'hey's most UNLIMITED
confidence" could confer upon her"
But we happen TO have the means in our
hands of more effactualy rcpelng this Sian.
der, and of cyculpa,ing Mrs. Sgourney entirely
rom the charge brought against her. Her
friends here, need 70 assurance that she is in.
| capable of anything unworthy or dshonorabe
yet they will be glad 10 he made acquainted
with the facts in the case.
Since the publication Of the charges to which
we have referred, a per1sal of Mrs. Souhey's
letters, has enabled us to defend Mrs. Sgour.
hey, from an accusation, which her friends can
not suffer to pass unnollced. The circumstan.
ces OF the case fully justify her as we think in
using the means uf self defence, which the cor.
| respondence itself furnishes.
Having con'empla ed visiting DR.. Snu,hey al
| Keswck, Mrs. Sgourney, on leaving England
wrote to Mrs. Sonthey regrcitng that the &C.
! counts she had received OF DR.. Sou,heys ex.
IRENE illness had deprived her Of the pleasure
Of seeing him. In reply to this Mrs. Souhey
wrote under date OF April 3, lS43, as follows:
"Permt me thus Familiarity TO address one whose
name at least, has long been familiar to me- and TO-
wards, whom, having specimens of he
beautiful poetry cannot feel as toward a stranger.
Aud thus closing
at will please me 10 think that shall be held il
kindly Remembrance, in far off land by one who's
genius was held in honor, by him who was thumanl,
speakng) my" light Of life"
With regard 10 the alteration of Mrs. South
ey's letter. or " the interpolation of phrases i'm
plying intimacy and calculations of pathos,' il
| is enough To say, that there is not the sightes
| foundation for the charge
We are able to state this confidently. after
careful examination and comparison of the man
uscrIpt with the printed page.
The only remaining charge is that of having
published Ms. Souihey's letter without author
lty. We cannot answer this better than by
stating The silaple fact, that since the appear
ance of Mrs. Sigourney's book, she has recev.
ed cordial letter from Mrs .Southey, in which,
she (Mrs. Southey) fully approves, to use hcl
own words, of "he publication Of those fe,
uords Of mine, In aohich y0u hare dine TOO mucl
honor--J0,h 10 them and their ,criier"
We are happy to he able thus completely I,
rcpel the charges brought against Mrs Slguur
ncy, and to show that they are not made will
Mrs. Sou,hcy's consent or Appreciation. The,
are probably instiga'cd, as the Bos,sn Post sug
gests, by the " feeling Of mdlignl,y" whcI
many English papers manifest towards ever
thing Amercan.--H arJo,d CoUrdnt