The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-08
BUTLER ON BYRON.

The Hero of the Dutch Gap Canal Reviews
the Stowe scandal, and DenOunces It in Toto.
From lengthy article by General Benjamin f.
Butler, in the Boston Journal of Monday, we present
the following extracts
When we contemplate the alleged motives OF
Lady Byron for disclosing the horrible tale OF guilt,
which should hardly be named among Christian
men, forty years after her husbands DEATH we are
struck with the extreme pueTility-or, as Lady Byron
was then at the mature age Of 81, better the senity-
of the reasons given for the desirableness of it's pub
lication and the necessity for this consultation.
How could Lady Byron or her advisers believe that
the interest OF the masses OF the people of England
in the cheap edition of Lord ByrOn's poems would
by his wife that he had been guilty OF in
cest with his only sister, and that the
wife had assented to that intimacy by living with
him during quite their whole married life, until she
was driven away? Nor is 1t explained how il
supposed that this disclosure was to go hand IN hand
with the cheap edition to the people of England.
Was it 10 be put by the publishers us an advertise
ment to that cheap edition? Without further crti-
cizing the sutlcency Of the motive for this disco-
sure e., TO prevent the sale of the cheap edition,
was it the true one? If so, how does it cOmport
with tbe fact stated by Professor Wilson in Black
,g00d i'm 1892 thar Lady Byron sat specially for her
portrait TO illustrate very hgh-prced edition of all
ByTons works, then aboutto be published 10y Murray
and thus to enhance the sale OF "Manired," "Caln,"
"Don JUAN and all, among the arlstocracy OF Eug-
land?
alone, then had this examination of its credibillty
probably never been made But the last gift OF the
sister to the erring brother when they parcels
mentioned incidentally in one OF the letters or Byron
to his publisher ordering books for his library, five
years after the separation when there could be no
motive for not stating the TRUTHS so convincing Of
the Woful fasity of this "rue Story that the writer
was led to examine the testimony to prove it, What
coud Christian men and women conjecture to be the
last gift of an adulterous, incestuous, slsterpara-
mouT to her brother when they were about parting
it may be forever separated under the threat OF the
exposure OF their guilt by the Injured wife If they
ever met again? Under date OF october D. 1921, at
RaVenna, Byron, writing 10 Murray MS publisher,
to send him books, among other things! says;.-
"Send
A common Bible, of good legble print bound in
Russia). haze One but as II was the last gllt OF
nv sister (whOm shall probably never see again,
can only use 1t carefully and less frequently because
like to keep 1t in good order"
It is difficult to see how this mistake OF two years
! for one could have been made by Lady Byron; a
wife could never attain an age Whlcn could ciOuu
| her memory of the pungent eplgram naue Dy her
husband on his wedding-day, as 10 the uuralloh oi
their married life:-
| TO PENELOPE.
| This day, of all our days, has done
The for me and you
| Ills Just SU years since we were one
And nee since we were tnO
Let us now examine the two main staiehents i to o
| this "True Story to which we can apply any yes
OF truth other than that Of probableness, py COIN
pairing them with other known facts II the sIoID
of the wedding scene and the story of the manner
Of the separation, in the circumstance OF eaGn ae are
found, as set forth in this '"True Story" 10 be en-
trey contradictory to every other fact and clrcum
stance, heretofore known or believed IN reatlol
thereto; and if-mOTe than all-the very statemen
lscontradctory in ITSELF then tnere VIII be no neces
SHY Tor analyZing further this ''Irue story, DuJ
can De dismissed from the minds OF all good mel
] WIN the simple wish that II had never been tOd