Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-06-14
WHOSE BETSEY?

The controversy about the authorship Of
"Betsey and are Out" wakes pretty hot
between the adherents Of VIII. L. Carleton
and Mrs. or Miss Enerson-for there is a
provoking uncertainty as to which she is.
The Rochester Democrat "trusts there will
be no controversy in tbs case; but there
Z certainly ought to be Lawsuits" and that
journal adds, as if with 8 supercilious sneer,
"Mra. Emerson wrote the poem beyond
question, copying 1t in round, fair hand
from an old Toledo Blade" That is quite
emphatic. Now let Us see what another
New Yorker knows about the authors hip
of this celebrated poem. A Watertown
correspondent of the Utica Herald ssys one
might suppose that Cartoons card, brist-
ling as II does with words seldom used out
side the fighting rateHIity, would seem,
even to an Indifferent public, somewhat IN.
becoming in q man claiming place among
those who Quintilian has said care born,
not made" But, says the correspondent,
when his words meet the eye Of person
who knows, beyond the possibility OF
doubt. that the woman be sssails wrote the
poem upon which he built bis reputation,
the feeling Of their improperly warns into
one of Indignation. The CORES ondenl
then proceeds 10 tell what he knows OF
Miss Emerson and her "Betsey" as follows:
0Haying been brought up side by side
with Miss Emerson, in Wakefield, Massa-
. chusetts, have been quite intimately &C
ouainted with her family, her tastes and
former literary efforts. Yet L should do
her injustice did neglect TO state that l
have not seen her for ten years, and have
no interest in this controversy except as 1t
appeals TO my sense OF tair play. Mr.. Carle-
ton speaks of Der as "a Miss Emerson
The use Of the indefinite article is cheap
mode of trying 10 be severe. Mr. Carietoh
knows more about Miss Emerson than he
would have US to suppose. He has been
aware of her intention to contest her claim
from the day the poem first appeared IN the
Toledo Blade, and when he found his laur-
els were in danger, he endeavOred, through
the medium of third party, to buy the
poem outright OF Miss Emerson. so much
for the indefinite article.
"The incident upon which this poem was
built actually Took place IN her own family;
and among her intimate friends the verses
were household words before they ever APP
peared over Will Cartoons signature. In
manuscript form the paem was freely circu-
lated among her friends. To establish this
there is a flood of living testimony. The
proprietor of Boston paper for which she
was long a contributor has made affidavit
that she submitted the poem TO him before
Will Carleton published it. Others have
borne cheerful testimony TO the same effect.
Her sister, SEEING it as published iii the To-
ledo Blade by VIII Carleton, supposed she
had sent it out under a fictitious name.
- Other friends who had heard read the poem,
wrote to her complaining because she had
taken a male nom de plume. Among those
who are best acquainted with her modest
character, she hes long enjoyed reputation
as a swee. singer which Betsy and L can
neither increase nor diminish. Before
Carleton had managed TO get himself before
public notice, she was converting the ira
ditions of her family into ballads which for
naturalness and homely pathos are superior
to the disputed poem. Mi Emerson dld
not visit until the poem has gained notorl-
etv before publicly claiming TO be It's eu-
thor At the time first learned she wrote
II. l had reither heard of the poem nor OF
Will Carleton"
This testimony lacks nothing in direct
ness and point, and unless Mr.. Carleton can
bring forward something better than bis ILL.,
hammered card, be had better retire from
the field.