New-York tribune., 1876-07-15
AN 1UTO-OBITUIRY.

MISS MNRTINEAJ'- AUToBloGRhPHlCAL SINFUL
The announcement Of the death OF Miss Harriet
Martincau in The iondO. Daiiy Ne'eS was sngHlarly
,pouph accompanied by a memoir which, though
written in the third person, was from her own pen;
and of this The Aecs says: "The franllness of its
scfcritcism makes IL necessary To guard the reader
AGAINST confounding her own strict and somewhat
d4p,raeing Judgment of herself with the impressions
made hy her upon others" AutObiographies We
have had i'm large numbers but do not az present
rrrui an instance of an obituary notice written by
its suicct and supplied in advance 10 newspaper.
nor are We certain that We should b. glad to lind
thi, solitary example largely adopted a fashion.
Very few men or women could be- trusted 10 do the
WORK as frankly, moGc,tly, ana compcndiou'iy ~
sl-s Martincau. The article itself is study which
- may regard rs almost unique. The following eN-
tract will be- Of special utc-c, to American readers
Hcioc the publication of icr Work whs comr'l,a ne
Ind ...rd Tor america. 1t .t-t her object wac -lHit
- 70 ~ f t''r late Lord H,rr. she Turned Lcr
10. iu liz, direction of tine rtrd States n order 10 cN-
ailIu. some points uf social I4liy ana Eulh'' h"A'-
I, Il, fi. Am. dean. lud wort 81 Of cml!au"l, put
r.u,,l'r overlooked by Iu.op au travellers Who 30 {"
.lu-, taru., ,r, au. iciLiH to fu'1. sic h'iFu To-
r i.r -,,iri. ,i ru,ce,- ilc treatment oI cilui-
uI- .r insane. and other unhappy c.ls-rs ana DO th'
di.Id.u rf ciI..'iou She succeeded ~ D,i aii7 Ia
slavery question just At tlat time en,orocd every
otarr. she arrived Just ~ ile tu.,..n, on vi ,'.,
r,-u which sh. e.. ct'ed after h'I return III
IN, Ws,ign E,ssir. u the narrative cHut.tI The
a uI
pamphlet ana b' when i". h"i "A' - '.. ,',.
al t. a!it-sye.v m'youonl m America ("hrfr u IH
VOWED tDc entire political ANA personal Autiy oI''t
c.ul ~ were hl 80 i,"a' hhy u W. '' -, @ ,,.
1i...Leau received viii utl"uud't h'lliH!ly gro M
r,lgr,d batteries though known to have written IN
aut--cFy stor, III her syre was not converted I" t"g &
American view, 4ad been hoped ana 'AttS S lI"tI
ont sac condemned SLAYER, Ju ls Pol teal cue,l res
~ Dc ore; and, for months preceding her return
some wee oks danger 0 her Ike whe travelling Nhere
the tlr-bar,. tnc cowhidc, ant ihc Pi,w were 'Ag
Al hI,f. Al silI
Threatened especially ih Eci cisy.
Miss MaItIucau speaks cauddly of the books
which she published about this country ON her Io-
turn to England. She says that upon the whole
her Society in America is not a favorable spec-
men OF hrr writings either in regard 20 morais or
artistic taste. II Is full of aiirctaons and preach
mrntS. and il marks the highest point of the meta
physical period of her mind Her second book
lEctlosp,ct of Western Tlaycll she thinks more
creditabc to her mood, and perhaps TO her powers,
than the more ambitions work" she adds:
Tie yirulcnce with which the southern press de
uouu,, hcs this day IN company Win Nis. Chapman
nud Nirs stowe scrl, To snow that her
were not ost on the American public. II tcy are opcr-
atug tia end many years, there must bc truth IN
,lcin. ThJeh the customary DISPENSERS of hospitality
in Ac United states passed rom the extreme OF court -
o that OF rudou"S' 10 the traveller she ioncd valuable
friendships ~ tuat country winch lasted rs loiE ~ htr
c. Her connection win the interests OF America re-
manned close on" ana ils political course Nas N sub
itct action to late period, aud oi study 10 the last
fusal of pension from the British Government will
he found entertaining. and think places the
writer in highly cIeditablc light:
Al various times since 1o32 she had been sounded
about accepting pension ou the civil List and she hat
repeatedly i"Ph,d by occthg 10 receive one iitf oo-
Irci ions Ituaucd iu ian force when Lord Melbourne
made express offer 10 her % pension OF $50, 10 bo
increased as circumstances permitted ds s last act be-
going out ol power IN ISL. Lord Melbourne Was
aware tIJ she bad invested her spare earnings IA uc
ictrc. ahndty, ana thit Wihr ho"esSy III >he was
very poor Her ucy;ion however, bore relation to
this cE,s oi considerations. Her letter To Lord Mel.
bourne ipuni ~ way i"to lhr newspapers "iuo"t hgr
knowledge. and II speaks for Itself Not the less Tor this
was sire nsuEdrr>tood Nothing was iufthrr from her
thoughts than passing condemnation ON tue literary rcu
OF the time. 1ncy must judge for themselves,
mC with her piiIe much - Of principle; AMI she
would have thankfully received amy acknOWcd mrnt OF
tuau through method Oi fNOriti,. she fell mat
undrE pccimary obligation 10 the Sovereign and the
political questions. though LORD Melbourne generously
deprecated any such conclusion. As IL happened, so
History OF the Thirty Years Peace" which she could
hir,ly have done while IN receipt of pension.
The concluding paragraph of the memoir Is also
curious Miss Mariucau says of herself:
Her last lines, e time OF qGiot enjoyment 10 her
sympathy, amt except Tor tE1cf-thc loss IN
1864 OF her niece Mnria wa" was TO ner - daughter
~ % S ,i - ", III ILL., ', , H.. & 80 f,, r,, ,.
verge Of Ihr horizon existence Her disease de-
trroIaton ana enlargement O the heart, the aiai char
d,tcr OF winch Was discovered ~ January, 300 ohe
declined throughout that and Subsequent Year,, aud
died
This paper being deposited in the Office Of Tie
DGiiy Aers renamed there unused for twcnty-one
years. Miss Martineau, though she continued her
literary work, does not seem 10 have thought it
worth while to add anything TO the narrative; but
il Is gratifying to know that it is compendium of
her autobiography, which will soon appear This
was printed about the time when the sketch was
written but was never published. Whether Miss
Marineau in the subsequent years Of her life added
Ia this work, we do not know.