The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-22
LORD IND LADY BYRON.
NEW EVIDENCE PRODUCED BY LORD LINDSAY
Unpublished Letters from Lady Byron
and Lady Anne Barnard.

The London Times, of the 7th instant, con-
tains the following letter from Lord Lindsay,
giving new evidence in relation to the Byron
scandal, in the form of unpublished letters
from Lady Byron and Lady Anne Barnard:
TO the Editor Of The Times:
"SfR-I have waited in expectation OF cate
gorical denial of the horrible charge brought
by Mrs. Beecher Stowe against Lord Byron
aud his sister, on the alleged. authority OF the
late Lady Byron. Such denial has been only
indirectly given by the letter OF Messrs. Whar-
ton and Fords in your impression of yesterday.
That letter is sufficient to prove that Lady
Byron never contemplated the use made Of her
name, and that her descendants and represen-
tatives disclaim any countenance OF Mrs.
Beecher Stoves article; but it does not specih-
caly meet Mrs. Stoves allegation that Lady
Byron in conversing with her thirteen years
ago affirmed the charge now before US. 1t re-
mains open, therefore, to scandalloving
world to credit the calumny through the ad-
vantage OF this flaw, involuntary, believe, in
the answer produced against it.
"My object in addressing you is to supply
that deficiency by proving that what is now
stated on Lady Byrons supposed authority is
g. variance in all respects with what she stated
Immediately after the separation, when every
thing was fresh in her memory in relation to
the time during which, according to Mrs.
Beecher Stowe, she believed that Byron and
his sister we're living together iu guilt.
publish this evidence with reluctance. but in
obedience to that highor obligation OF justice
to the voiceless and defenceless dead which
bids me break through reserve tha. other
wise should. have held sacred. The Lady
Byron of 1918 would, I am certain, have sane
toned nv doing so had she foreseen the pres
ent unparalleled occasion, and the bar that th
conditions OF her will present las l infer from
Moorrs. wnaltuu and Ford's letter) against
any fuller communication. Calumnies such as
the present sink deep and with rapidity into
the public mind, and are no. easily eradicated.
The fame Of one of our greatest poets, and
that of the klndest and truest and most
constant friend that Byron ever had, is at
stake; and it will not do TO wait fIr revelations
from the fountain-head, which are not prom
ised, and possibly may never reach us.
. "The late Anne Barnard, who died in 1926,
con temporary and friend of Burke. Windham,
Dundas, and a host Of the wise and good Of
that generation, and remembered IN letters as
the authoress of .Auld Robin Gray had known
the late Lady Byron from infancy. and took
warm interest in her, holding Lord Byron in
corresponding repugnance, not to cay pre]u-
dice, in consequence of what she believed to
be his harsh and cruel treatment Of her young
friend. / transcribe the following passages
and letter from Lady Byron herself written
in 1S1s) from ricordi, or private family me-
moirs, in Lady Anne's autograph, now before
me. include the letter. because, although
treating only in general terms of the matter
and the causes OF the separation, it affords COL
lateral evidence bearing strictly upon the point
Of the credibility of the charge now in ques-
tion:
"sThe separation OF Lord aud Lady Byron
astonished the world, which believed him o re-
formed man as to his habits, and becalmed
man as to his remorses. He had written moth
ing that appeared after his marriage till the
famous Fare thee WE'LL which had the power
Of compelling those to pity the writer who
were not we'll aware that he was not the un-
happy person he affected to be. Lady Byron's
misery was whispered soon after her marriage
and his ill-usage, but no word transpired, no
sign escaped from her; She gave birth shortly
to daughter, and when she went as soon as
she was recovered on visit to her fathers,
taking her little Ada with her, no one knew
that It was to return toher lord no more.
"'At that period severe fit OF illness had
confined me to bed for two months. heard
OF Lady Byron's distress; of the pains he took
to give harsh impression OF her character 10
the world. 1 wrote to her, and entreated her
to come and let me see and hear her, if she
conceived my sympathy or counsel could be
any comfort to her. She came but what O
tale was unfolded by this interesting young
creature who had SO fondly hoped to have made
a Young man of genius and romance las she
supposedly happy! They had not been an hour
in the carriage which conveyed them from the
church, when. breaking into malignant
imagination. How is it possible woman of
your sense could form tae wild hope OF re-
forming me? Many are the tears you will
have to shed ere that plan is accomplished. II
is enough for me that you are my wife for
me to hate you; il you were the wife OF any
other man own you might have charms &c.
"I. Who listened. was astonished. How
could YOU 90 on after this said my dear
Why did you not return to your fathers p Be
cause had not a conception he was in earnest;
because reckoned it bad jest, and told him
so-that my opinions of him were very diff
ferent from his OF himself, otherwise he would
not find me by his side. He laughed it over
when he saw me appear hurt, and forgot
what had passed till forced to remember it. l
believe he was pleased with me, too, for lit
tie while. suppose 1t had escaped his memory
that was his wife, But she described the
happiness they enjoyed to have been unequal
and perturbed. Her situation in short time
might have entitled her to some tenderness,
but she made no claim on him for any. He
sometimes reproached her for the motives
that had induced her to marry him-all was
vanity, the vanity OF Miss Milbanke carrying
the point OF reforming Lord Byron. He always
knew her Inducements; her pride shut her
eyes to his; be wished to build up his charac-
ter and his fortunes; both were somewhat de-
ranged; she bad high name and would have
fortune worth his attentlon-let her look to
that for his motives o, Byron, Byron, she
said, how you desolate mel"
"'He would then accuse himself of being
mad. and throw himself on the ground in
frenzy. which she believed was affected to con-
ceal the coldness and malignity Of his heart
an affectation which at that time never failed
to meet with the tenderest commiseraton. l
could find by some Implications, not followed
up by me lest she might have condemned her.
self afterwards for her involuntary disclosures,
that he soon attempted TO corrupt her prnc-
pies. both with respect to her own conduct and
her latitude for his. She saw the preclpice on
which she stood, and kept his sister with her