The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-09-25

CaDafd-Tbe True story Oh hnrrtet beecneFS
True story-A shrewd Bohemian Specula-
tion-Slntement Of Attache OF Lady
Byron. s... ,sso
From Bouclcault to Beecber Stowe and Byron
from yellow haired eruptions to yellow hvered SIAN
der The British public have dropped Drury Lane,
and Formosa and her reveis OF the Fulham villa are
suddenly oversnadowed by the Yankee ghoni and
her grubblngs among the graves. Mrs. Stowe may
az least congratulate herself upon having created
one of the greatest sensations OF the age IN the pub
lication of her "True Story Of Lord Byron's Life"
and she ought to feel grateful to the English news
papers, which, by their gratuitoas advertising on her
behalf, have insured wonderful sale Tor her clever
..yeilow covered literature" speculation. just as q
few weeks ago, by similar exercise OF generosity,
they bestowed temporary success upon
one Of the most trashy plays ever written by Bouct-
cault the Bold. Nearly every issue Of every London
journal has for some two weeks past contained an
editorial communications, or both, upon this Sin
GUAR subject, and all the English world appears TO
have been worked up to point Of frenzied excite
ment over the question whether Lord Byron was
peastIy monster Lady Byron suspicious, tattling
stupid Old woman. The solicitors OF the family have
even thought fit to put themselves on record In the
press although their position Is one naturally taken
by lawyers that any facts relating to Lord or Lady
has any business to use them as capital. 1t is
noticeable that neither attorneys, editors nor cor
respondents give positive denial to the statements
put forth by Mrs. Stowe. That 10 to say, the lady ID
accused by no one Of manufacturing lie out OF
whole CLOTH and the most that is done by his Lord
ships clique is to argue against the posslbl lily Of
the truth Of Lady Byrons suspicious, while her
10 the unauthorized use Mrs. stowe has made Of her
accidental communications with the deserted VIE.
B0th OF course concur In their liberal abuse OF
Mrs Stove. Now it certainty seems that 1t would
have been the part OF good common sense to have
LETT that lady and her sensation speculation severely
alone. What she needed was just the notorety she
has achieved. Her paper has been prepared for
some time, and had been offered to three different
publishers before 1t was accepted. Mrs. Stowe
with the shrewd money making capacity for
which other members OF her family are dis
tngusned desired to secure share in the profits of
the sale Of The article as well as certain sum in
hand, aud her terms were objected to until she was
fortunate enough to treat with the people, Knowing
many years between the TWO clans into which the
Byron and Milbank families and friends were divided
Stowe foresaw the revival Of the auarre that would
follow the appearance Of TER True Storyn and she
would have paid lioerally as profitable investment
for the abuse that has been lavished upon her.
She wrote In the hope OF controversy ana
publicity, Just as her brother breaches his sermons
on Sunday, with view to their publication in Mon
days HERALD. 1t Is IN her favor too, that every
writer who attacks her story does so IN passion.
eS all anS WIN hT m 5ns rawlings bass ARE
unnotlced it would have died q natural death Of its
own weakness and absurdity at q very early age,
especially as the magazine In which 1t appears en-
Joys what is known as respectable but Is, in fact
q very limited circulation
But Is Mrs. Stoves story truer Yes, IN one sense,
probably, and no in another. Within the past week
person who was in close relations with Lady Byron
during the last fifteen years Of her life, and who Is
perfectly familiar with the circumstances OF Mrs.
Htowe's Introduction to and brief acquaintance with
that lady, has, in an interesting conversation with
your correspondent thrown some light upon the
q
exCitabie temperament and particularly extreme
In her notions and prejudices. Her husband
cloud Of her life. At one time she would
believe HIM to have been guilty Of one enormity az
freely stored with scandal and sandora by those
sympathizing friends who are ever to be found
ready to prevent their fellow creatures from forget
ting their real or imaginary wrongs. In other moods
Lady Byron would avow her disbelief IN her hus-
bands sin1g1es ana w0 snd a o an % me
crimes imputed to him by Lady Byron was the
oGence with which Mrs. Stowe charges him; but it
was never, even by the wife In her worst moods
stated a. more than q horrible suspicion. AT the
time Mrs. stowe met Lady Byron the latter had been
suffering from one OF the attacks to which she was
her marital wrongs. 1t ID the conviction OF the party
from whom this statement proceeds that the clever
American novelist with an eye to business, TOOK the
opportunity to ''pump'' Lady Byron, by process
well known to American Bohemians, aud elicted
from her hint OF her suplcions against the dead
poet Tnat Mrs. Stowe ever received any written
statement or proof Of any kind from Lady Byron to
support her sensation story my informant totally
such documents passed between the two ladies
without the knowledge Of the person in question.
But Mrs. stowe well knew the mystery that had
enshrouded this domestic drama, and the profit that
might one day be realized by story bearing some
show OF authenticity and purporting TO unraye the
complicated plot She saw prospect OF turning
her acquaintance with Lady Byron into dollars and
cents and shrewdly awaited herself OF the chance
Mrs. Stoves story is therefore true, 80 far as Il
shows that Lady Byron was wont sometimes to
attribute TO her dead husband the helnous offence OF
criminal intrigue with his half sister; 1t Is false
when 1t represents this disgraceful crime as proven
fact and false in all its sensational coors Of Lady
ByrOn's statements from first to last Like the sus-
picon itself, Mrs. Stoves story has not TITLE o.
evidence to support It, and mad 1t been published
during Lady Byron's lfetlme--which, OF course, Is
an Impossible supposition-would, in all proba
coon as IL fell under her observation. Tne change
ableness OF Lady Byron's disposition is in no In
that very shortly AFTER the interviews which ar
represented by Mrs. Stowe as 80 full of sympathy
Informant, in no equivocai terms, an uniavoraDi
opinion OF her American VISITOR ~ lacking Il
genuineness and incllued to pry."
1t will be seen That the modlcum OF truth In Mrs
Stoves story Is ridiculousy minute; and althoug
a grain OF poisoned SANDER IL often sufficient
liant the story OF whole life, yet the improbable
ties OF this scandal were patent that IT might we
have been left 10 die out OF It's own absurdity
II deserving Of any notice at all it was only as
stupid Bohemian hoax, concoc;ed to make none
and destitute OF shadow Of proof The tone OF IN
discussion that has followed the publication OF tn
bestowed upon the story an importance and note
rety to which OF itseif 1t would never have attained
AS to Mrs. stoves position In the AFFAIR, 1t Is OF yer
little consequence how much censure or praise si
may receive SO long as her venture pays, aud II
not likely that she Will be any more deeply adecte
by the English criticism OF her literary gnoullsn
than she was BY the copperhead assaults upon he
clever and interesting Niger adaptation OF tn
characters created Dy Dickens AMI other novelist,
AT the same time there Is very absurd snoD0lst
ness manifested by some OF tine writers VIII
have undertaken TO overhaul Mrs. Stowe. IN
burden OF their song Ia a sort OF Indignant surpr
that Mrs. Stowe should have been admitted TO an
sort OF intimacy with Lady Byron. The idea OF a
American novel writer being made conhdante
by the widow Of Lord Byron startles their ideas
the proprieties Of "caste," as II an American Lad
were not TO be regarded as the equal OF an Engis
woman with an accidental "handIe" TO her name.
This is the more absurd, inasmuch az the gre
'secret," as 1t Ii called, which Mrs. stowe 30 nger
ousy binds In yellow, was in fact no secret al a
but was talked about by Lady Byron when In u
.'grOwls," even In the bearing of servants. MI
MOVE has, therefore, told nothing that was n
wnownlbefore-that Lady Byron, among other broo
ing suspicious, sometimes harbored this more III