New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-14
THE BYRON SCANDAL.
MRS STOVES DEFENSE OF LADY BYRON.

the only remaining question IL Wnethel nis otoWe was
justified in making it. Upon this point the newspapers
on both aides NJ the Atlantic continue TO descant and
many correspondents have rushed into print to
express disapprobation, perhaps WORD may DO allowed
TO who heartily approves Mrs. stoves defense Of
her friend. andA whos thinks that while dAeharging
duty to friendship, she has rendered service to the
world.
Let us try 10 see this thing with Mrs stoweseyes or,
Mr. Charles Resde admonishes let US put ourselves
in her place. She the warm, beloved and
trusted friend OF Lady Byron for several years.
The friendship that begun during her hrSt visit to
Europe rpened into affectonate attachment during
her second and nOurished afterward py CORE
spondence Everyone who has the honor ana happiness
of knowing Mrs Stowe aware that she chershes the
memory OF Lady Byron with equal tenderness ahd ven
GRAFTON, regarding her asemnent among the ladies' OF
her time and country both in character and In uhdG-
standing, She this friend, honored, so peioVn
traduced and reviled in o volume which, III the nnt
months OF It's existence, translated into most cuu
waited languages and reviewed in every periodical "
much influence. And who Is the raduceft h'iR
mistress calumnates the dead wifei
The book we all know ia shallow and tedious but Is
not true as many asserted, that has had no una
ence upon the public mind One Of the leading
Of the United states-Ths Eew- York Times-had an cab
crate review Of book In which the statements OF he
mistress accepted without question. In other nun
bers of the paper, II am not mistaken. extracts wre
published containing the substance OF the Guccio sGy
At present the chief influence OF book is often exered
through the reviews 1t calls FORTH and the passages INN
1t which aoat In the newspapers Any one
the subject OF thus work could discern, at the time OF
publication many indications that 1t was doing uuh
toward confirming the false impressions OF Lady bynn
which that contemplate guard her husband oeatd
and spread abroad. Could Mrs. Stowe, knowing TIE
truth. and authorized TO give II publicity LOOK on ao
witness this without effort to defend her friend fr
my part. wonder the moderation and reserve OF hr
article The English solicitors may well call IL "co'"
pete.
Nor is II true. have frequently been informed
late that ByrOns influence III the world Is thing OF ts
past Except Shakespeare poet vino is not living sei
many copies per AMMAN ia thelUnited States as Byron
Shakespeare. Byron. and Scott are chief among th'
staple" poets OF the book trade But Byron IS mor
poet the young Of this generation-hes al
influence power do evil is such that any one wht
can Justly properly diminish his prestige renders
service to morality.
Let bring this view OF the subject home TO OURSELVES
veteran journalist OF the City Of Hewiork Is accus-
toned TO say that count twenytnree young men
connected with the Press wtteraturo in the three
cities Of New.YOrk Boston, and Philadelphia, who'
during fifteen years have destroyed themselves
by the nasty vices might say. the Byrono vices From
the myself have known or known Of should sup
pose that he is within the truth In putting the number OF
these amentabe suicides at twcntyhree These young
men, gifted promising many OF them capable OF great and
beneficial careers have all lgnoby pershed In the prime
their youth consequence OF an error They Thought
pretty verses striking PARTICLES for vicious
or this Sect Byron Is the apostle lie furnished
these unhappy young men with an example and ex-
and they thought they could do with mpunity or
with the applause OF the world, what Byron did, affect.
ing to despise those who warned them OF the cOnse-
duences OF their Byron affected To despse the
decent portion Of the literary olass OF his time suppose
that no man ever lived who had much power TO make
nd Was
essentially histronic. and he had such fearful
reasons assuming mask We meet his
baleful Influence wherever we mingle with educated
youth. Professors In colleges, conductors OF news
papers colonies OF regiments and many others know how
general Is the feeling among young men, that to comply
with the fundamental conditions Of human welfare Is
10 act the part OF fogy and that TO ampe upon these
conditions or set them at naught Is 10 DO dRshing
metropolitan sort OF person Byron may be called the
founder school, both OF literature and journalism
end aud aim OF which Is TO make vice attractive
and virtue ridiculous We cannot be grateful enough 70
Mrs Stowe for tearing OF mask from the most histr
onc Of writers-the wrter:of all others who had most
need 10 be hstronc, because he had the most 10 moe
Not that nces,was the worsqof his ohenses Moore To
lates things OF Byron than Mrs stowe hasrVeaed
COMPARED with beasty life In Venice, where he spent
his wes fortune upon the lower grades of harios MS
incest scars TO the rank OF yrtuous attachment The
yane OF Mrs Stoves article chiefly consists In the In
sight IL affords infinite difference between Byron
on ex hbition and Byron he was am glad 70 nave
one morel reason for detesting him. Certain as ever
was that Byrons poetry pervaded with the sprt OF
afectaton am glad to have such ndubable assurance
OF the fact and to the precise virtue OF theitruth
which 1t was the business of his life to conceal IL has
heen said that Mrs Stowe should have withheld this
revelation out regard to the descendants OF the guilty
parties Then should forbear TO discourse upon the
faults OF George III because Queen Victoria MS grand
daughter and never say anything about Lord Baeons
~. faa lfnna Of anna
members OF HE family who may stll survive Benedict
Arnold has highly respectable descendants but hstor
ans tell the tale OF STILL We are not respons
be for the sins OF our grandfahes we be really
dishonored by them If this objection were sound there
could be no biography.
Upon question OF the moral propriety OF an act,
much Difference is due TO the deliberate judgment OF a
lady who ia as superior to the average OF mankind In
character as she IL In genius He would be esteemed
rash man who should hastily pronounce Proi' Agassz
wrong on a question relative 70 fish, or charge Prof
Pierce with error In q mathematical calculation THESE
men are an authority IN their several branches Surely
lady sprung from family distinguished not less for
moral excellence than mental power, who had already
lived life Of heroic virtue before she ever delneated
one who is held In the profoundest esteem by all who
truly know her. should be regarded In the light OF an au
thorty upon moral questons-not infallible. but
not 10 be dssented from lightly. Mrs stowe
deliberately concluded the publication OF Lady
Byron's story TO be right and proper. Who
is entitled 10 pronounce her wrongi The has done
Justice to her motives but II seems to me that some
thing more due 10 person so richly endowed by
nature and so practced in doing right She has been an
organ OF the national conscience Millions thought her
wrong once before who now know that she right.
The time will come when her courageous vindicaton OF
her friend and the fine taste and feeling with which she
executed the task will DC reckoned among her other
titles to our gratitude and affection.
Plymouth, M0ss., Sept. a. 1869. JAMES PARTON
BYRON AND HIS SISTER. '