The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-12
LADY BYRON AND THOS. MOORE.
BY THOMAS Campbell

BY IHOMAS CAMPBELL.
The following paper, which originally APP
peared in The Ne,o Monthly Aagazine of
April, 1880, will show that Mrs. Stowe was not
the frat person to come forward, unauthorized,
with ''True Story of Lady Byron's Married
Life. Nearly forty years ago, Thomas Camp
bell thought fit, on the plea of refuting the
slanders of Moore, just as Mrs. Stowe now
sets up as a pretext the slanders of the
Countess Guiccioli, to publish for the edifica-
ton of the world an account of his private
interviews with Lady Byron, and confden-
tial letter she had written him.
Campbell, however, does not tell the whole
story, but only darkly hints at it.
From letter of Lady Byron, quoted by
Miss Martineau we find that she repudiated
this interference with her private affairs, as
she would doubtless have still more indig-
nantly disclaimed her posthumous American
advocate
81 found my right to speak on this painful
subject on its now iTreo0cd6te publicity,
brought up afresh, as it has been by Mr..
Moore, to be the theme of discourse to mil
lions, and, if err not much, the cause of
misconception to innumerable minds. 1
claim to speak of Lady Byron in the right of
man, and of friend to the rights of
woman, and to liberty and to natural reli-
gion. i claim a right, more especially as
one of the many friends of Lady Byron, who,
one and all, feel aggrieved by this production.
1t has virtually dragged her forward from the
shade of retirement, where she had hid her
sorrows, and compelled her to defend the
heads of her friends and her parents, from
being crushed under the tombstone of Byron.
Nay, in general view, it has forced her to
defend herself; though with her true sense,
and her pure taste, she stands above all spe-
cial pleading. To plenary explanation she
ought not-she never shat be driven. Mr..
Moore is too much gentleman not to shud-
der at the thought of that; but if other Byron
lists, of far different stamp, were to force
the savage ordeal, it is her enemies, and not
she, that would have to dread the burning
ploughshare. 1A ul+L
! ''We, her friends have no wish to 'prolong
the discussion; but few words we mast add,
even to her admirable statement--for hers
| is a cause not only dear to her friends. but
having become, from Mr.. Moore and her mis-
fortunes, q publicly agitated cause. it con-
Germs morality, and the most sacred rights of
! the sex, that she should (and that, too, with
out more special explanations) be acquitted
out and out, and honorably acquitted in this
business, of all share in the blame, which is
one and indivisible Mr.. Moore, on farther
reflection, may see this, and his return to
candor will surprise us less than his momen-
1 tary deviation from its path
| "For the tact of Mr.. Moore's conduct in
! this affair, / have not TO answer; but, if in
! delicacy be charged upon me, scorn the
| charge. Neither will l submit to be called
| Lord Byrons accuser-because word against
! him / wish not to say, beyond what is pain
fully wrung from me by the necessity of own
ing on illustrating Lady Byron's unblamable-
ness, and of repelling certain miscon-
ceptions respecting her, which are
now walking the fashionable world,
and which have been fostered Though
Heaven knows whore they were born) most
! delicately and warily by the Christian god
fathership Of Mr.. Moore.