The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-11-25
Mrs. Stowe and Lady Byron,

Mrs. Stowe and Lady Byron
The Fall Mall Gazette says: The
second edition OF The Quarterly Re
rteo contains postscript to the arti
Gle on Byron, in which one or two
new facts are stated. The reviewer
complains of "the illlberal insinua.
tions' which have becn based upon
the appearance in The Quarterly OF
Lady Byron's letters to Mrs. Leigh.
"They do,' lie says, eft itadmirably,
bnt did it never occur to the critics
who affect surprise at the circum.
stance, that this sort oftitness is one
ofthe ordinary results Of truth p
The existence of these letters was
known, and they were frequent
subject of conversation in mctropoli-
tan circles, some weeks before the
appearance of our article. The orig
inals are in legitimate and honorable
custody, and their authenticity is
guaranteed by two noblemen whose
names Freely circulated already can
be given if required. The original OF
the first letter, the undated one, was
in our possession when we wrote,
along with several other autograph
letters Of Lady Byron" The article
proceeds:
Far from admitting Gas stated by
The Saturday Revie,o) that the speci-
fed crime twas the substance of the
famous communication to DR.. Lush
ington in 1876" the inclination of our
opinion was, and Is, decidedly the
other way, Notwithstanding the for
cible inference from his confirmed
silence. The language of the ere
Marks we repeat, is all but decisive
on this point. Lady Byron stated in
1880 ~ that the conduct of which she
complained in 1916 was of q nature
to be palliated or excused by insani-
ty; (2) that all the facts were known
to her when she arrived at Kirkby
Mallory, although part Of them
were kept back. Now the crime in
question, in which t,co persons were
concerned, could not be excused or
palliated Gift could be excused or
palliated at alD by the insanity of
one: no new light was or could be
thrown upon the reserved facts so far
as they affected Mrs. Leigh; and it is
Lady Byron's unchanged demeanor
to her sister in.law that must be &C.
counted for as well as her changed
demeanor to her lord.
After remarking that in september,
1916, Lady Byron went TO stay with
Colonel and Mrs. Leigh at their place
near Newmarket, and that down to
and including the period Of Lord By.
ron's last illness his sister was the
medium Of Communication
between Lady Byron and himself,
the reviewer goes on:
After stating (date p. 4lo) that
Mr.. Wilmot Horton disclaimed every
charge made by Lord Broughton, we
said: "We are not aware whether
this specific charge was named
among the rest" We are now able
to state positively that the specific
charge was named by Lord Brough-
ton, and distinctly disclaimed by Mr..
Wilmot Horton on behalf of Lady
Byron. At the burning of the auti-
biography Mrs. Leigh was represen-
ted by one or both Of Lady Byron's
confidential friends, Mr.. Wilmot
Horton and. Colonel (Sir Francis)
Doyle.
The problem which Mrs. Leecher
Stowe may really help to solve is, III
the opinion of The Quarterly, this /:
At what period Lady Byron first
specified the charge, and by what
supposed evidence or mental process
che arrived at it, That, assuming
her to have specified it in 1916, she
did so under the influence of mono
mania, is theory of which the re-
veiwer declares he never so much as
heard till he saw it attributed (by
The Saturday Rerie,o) to himself-on
the strength Of his having said, in
reference to Lady Byron's multiform
statements during the last ten or fif-
teen years of her life, that the most
Cor only charitable hypothesis was
insanity. But (the writer goes on)
"even as regards that period. we did
not say it was our hypothesis; and
we must beg leave to suspend our
opinion on that point. Enough for
us to have demonstrated that when
ever, or under whatever state OF
mind, she brought the accusation, it
was false" The conclusion arrived
at is that-s'if we assume the charge
to be false, we at allevents clear Mrs.
Leigh. But if the charge was well
founded, or even if Lady Byron be-
lieved it to be well founded, we do
not clear her. She still stands self:
convicted of prolonged course Of
dissimulation snd hypocrisy, which
is more likely to make angels weep
than hail her spotless member Of
their choir"
The Quarterly does not say, but
people who ought to know do say,
that the noblemen spoken ofin the
postscript are the Earl of Chinches.
ter and Lord William Godolphin Us.
borne.
DIR. LUSHINGTON.
The London Post of Nov. 2, is in.
formed that DR.. Lushington's contin.
ued silence on the Byron mystery is
in no respect attributable to his age
or state ofhealth, his intellect being
remarkably clear and vigorous fol
his age; nor doss he shun illusions Ia
the topic, although he declines Ia
state whether Lady Byron did OF
did not make the specific charge in
question.
Nothing is more common than u
hear people talk of what they pay
newspapers for advertising, etc, ~
SO much given in charity. News
papers by enhancing the value Of
property in their neighborhood and
giving the localities in which they
are published reputation abroad
bereft all such particularly if they
are merchants or real estate owners
thrice the amount yearly of the mea
gre sum they pay for their support
Besides, every public spirited citizen
has laudahle pride in having a pa
per of which he is not ashamed, even
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