The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-09-11
From the Now York Tfuesl
LORD BYRON AND MRS. STOWE

-.
ton OF narrative such as that which
Mrs. Stowe has thought proper to lay
before the world. 1t sets no question
at rest, and consequently it will not.
oven satisfy tho morbid curiosity of
those persons who are more interested
in the scandals Of Lord Byron's life
than IN his works. Mrs. Stowe has
boon made the means of circulating q
revolving aspersion on Lord Byron's s
half-sister sister Mrs. Stowe calls her
--of whom al that is known is that
she was faithful To him in the darkest
hours Of his life, and followed him
with her sympathy in his exile. IT ig
no justification OF the course which
Mrs. Stowe has unfortunately been
advised to adopt, that Lord Byron or
iginated the calumny on nm innocent
lady. Lady Byron pursued the poet
with systematic maignity which was
sometimes scarcely compatible with
the theory OF her sanity. There was
no offence Of which she did not accuse
him. It was only after he and his
half-gigter had been dead for years
that she ventured to link their names
together in infamy. Then it vas done
III conversation with comparative
stranger, and no proofs whatever were
given in support Of the odious charge.
.Irs. Stowe was not called upon to re-
yive this miserable story of domestic
unhappiness. She can produce 10 ev-
idence in sub8tantiation Of the na3ra-
tive. All the facts and all the proba-
bilitiea contradict it. Respect for the
memory Of Lady Byron would certain
!y have suggested the propriety OF .al-
loving mystery which can never be
cleared up TO sink into oblivion. She
has now stepped forward with unsup-
ported allegations OF Il character 10
abo1ainablo ~ to compel MS to receive
them with incredulity, aud it IL but
little extenuation OF her fault that she
suffered herself 70 be imposed upon
by woman Of implacable disposition
aud relentless temper.
Is Is quite evident that lIrs. Stowe
approached her task in the spirit of q
novelist. Her account Of Lord By-
ron's affection for Miss Chatworth is
Il the gushing and sentimental order
which certain writer's of fiction habitu-
ally affect. Her moralizing, her elo-
|quent digressions on the subject of an
gels, her reflections, which arc meant
to be pious and narrowly escape being
profane, her ecstatic account of Lady
Byron's struggles with ''fcnds Of darlc-
ness" for the redemption Of her "hus-
bands soul" may also be tolerated on
the ground that they arc part OF the
stock in trade Of an imaginative writer.
When Mrs. Stowe comes 70 deal with
facts VIC get upon ground where we at
once discover her singular incau.ious-
ness in dealing with q subject of ex-
tremo delicacy. Every detail of her
story il contradicted BY the circun-
stances attending the separation of
Lord and Lady Byron. She is wrong
IN her quotations, wrong in her dates,
wrong in the account she gives Of the
mode in which Lady Byron Quilted
her husbands roof. She speaks of
Lady Byron having lived two years
with her husband The truth Is that
they were married on the Sd OF Janu-
airy, 1916, and on the 18th of the fol-
lowing January they were separated.
She states that Lord Byron wrote a
note to his wife, ordering her to leave
him. "He could not and would not, !"
SAYS Mrs. Stowe, ''have her about him,
and when her child was only five
weeks old he carried this threat of ex-
pulsion into effect" This is quite
contrary to the actual facts. The
child was born on the 10th of Decem-
Der. Lady Byron went to her fathers
house at kirkby Mallory in the ensu-
ing month, for the benefit of her
health. She wrote a letter from thence
to her husband which has always been
deemed strong presumptive proof
that Lord Byron was guilty Of no gross
offence towards her. Leigh Hunt,
Captain Medwin and Tom More read
this letter. 4 writer in a recent num-
Der of BIack1cood's Magazine recalls
their testimony in regard to it. Leigh
Hunt says it was written in a spirit
of good humor, and even fondness,
which though containing nothing but
what wife ought to write, and is the
better for writing, was, | thought, al
most too good to show. Moore de-
scribes it as tfull of playfullness and
affection" Captain Medwin states
that it began '.Dear Duck. A few
DAYS afterward Lord Byron received
another letter from his wife,s mother,
inviting him to Kirkby Mallory. The
very next letter he received was one
from her father, informing him that
Lady Byron had left him forever
Let it be remembered that Lady By
ron parted from her husband on good
terms, that she wrote to him in very
affectionate manner, and that without
seeing him again she suddenly cast him
off. These are facts which have never
been disputed. Now listen to the ro-
nance which Lady Byron appears TO
have foisted on Mrs. Stowe,
stOn the day of her departure she
passad by the door of his room, and
stopped to caress his favorite spaniel,
which was lying there and she con-
fessed to a friend the weakness of feel
ing q willingness even TO be something
as humble as that poor little creature,
might she only be allowed TO remain
and watch over him. She went into
his room, where he and the partner OF
his sins were sitting together, and said,
Byron, come to cay goodbye. Of
|fering her hand the same time. Lord
Byron put his hands behind him. re-
treated to the mantel-piece, and, look
ing around on the two that stood there
with sarcastic smile, said. When