New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-03


But Mr.. Lawson. If not proprietor OF The Da'y
7eeqraph is certainly his capacity as prosecutor
of Mr.. Labouchere public character; very pub
lic and hope lie will not object If his demeanor IN
court prove q subject of interest to moro people than
can get inside that crowded and stnfy little room
where the trial goes He has not forgotten am
sure that some hundreds of his fellow-citlzens
waited for him at the door Of the Guildhall Police
court at the first hearing of this case, in order to
testify their opinion of him; whom he in his
mcdesty escaped from as fast as ahigh-stepping
stecd and brougham would carry him. Here IN the
Court of Queens Bench the hsslng and hooting
which then greeted him would not he tolerated, but
laughter is tolerated. and there is, perhaps, more OF
it at his expense than Mr.. Lawson likes.
And yet there is something almost pathetic in Mr.
Lawson's appearance in such circumstances or
would he il he had not brought his woes upon him
self. 1t would have been so easy not TO prosecute
Mr.. Labouchere Defect of imaginative power
probably. on Mr.. Lawson's part. He Is. 80 ftr' as
one can Judge from his present performances, man
whose mental processes are sluggish lie corid not
prefgure TO himself, in any vivid or visible iorh''
what he would have to undergo; or what hs sensa-
ton wcnld be as the record OF his own
folly ara OF the scandalOus management ii
his paper was slowly unrolled in public. Nature
never moulded him to play heroic part. Il he had
taken TO the stage isnot in tragedy nor IN comedy
of the kind called high" that Mr.. Lawson would
have earned fame or money. HIS stature
docs not much exceed five feet. He is stout in body.
lis features indicate plainly enough that Hebrew
origin which he is said to have tried. fool'shly, to
obscure by change of name from Levy TO Lawson.
THERE'S room enough in that large, rolnd skull,
scantily decked with hair, for more intelligence
than he has shown in these EaOOuchcre cOntrOveT-
sics nor would the face and head together
seem wanting in power If the eyes were
larger aud further apar; and with less OF elm!ct
| twinkl": and the framework less heavily oVeriu"
with fie,h Dnt the features AZ times seem To Dc
| long 10 somebody else. :" little conmaud over
them has their nominal owner. As Nr. LihoEchrre7
intcrrog 1torlcs become more and more whw"rd -
answer the muscles of Mr. L.waon's face are seen
To br executing a series Of movements "bvi'G'N
qui G independent OF their pToprictoi's WILL These
involuntary cou,or;ious ndicat' mental pcrpleNiF
and distress just a: the moment when NJ Lawson
must particularly desire to appear c"li''.e"
and calm. Moreover. the irregular action oi
the heart AZ such moments permitting strong cur
RENTS Of blood 10 flow hurriedly ito the face, ~
creases the pity of The spectator for man who has
to endure in addition 10 his other TROUBLES inc
| nksouc scusa, on Of excessive internal heat.
Mr. Laws N has an Ntreuc elaboration III speak
ing Tins Is due probably, 10 want OF coifnnSnc~s
in his vocabulary. lie hos not what Is called com
| mand If language; n want which J. tn" more
strange bee use Mr.. Lawson was at PATS {" explain
| that he moved IN literary circles -; ans d"i"ct
he is evidently trying, though the m'w'ut IS mop
portuue. TO cure himself and when be is
| asked a question, instead OF answering u
simply his mind waId,rs of in search of fine
| phrase; and his return To tho matter III
| hand conveys to the auxious listener the
| immersion that his search Aas been NJ sue
| c,ssiuL Mr. Lawscn's efforts IN ths direction
| are conscientious; inspired. one would say, 10y
sense OF duty He really tries to bIlns hs ini'lec-
tual powers and hls phrascoogy IN 10 tn" level OF
| his own conception of his Importance as an inii-
yldnal The good faith OF the effort IS So manifest
that its IMPERFECT success becomes matter of regret
| to the sympathetic observer. But IT Is imperfect.
and then 1t has that other disadvantage o. present
| ing Mr. Lawson to the jnry III the ilghl OF
witness who is not telling all lie knows
| The iurv. not moving in literary circles.
canno; be expected 70 appreciate the linguistic aim
| entities with which Mr.. Lawson has 20 crappc.
They do not make the proper psychological dstlnc-
| ron between mental and moral qualities They
| naturally look upon Mr.. Lawson Is man OF great
| power and OF great moral courage No man with
| out great courage OF sOme kind would venture to
| ulacard all England with the statement that his
| naner has the largest circulation IN the world-un-
| less that statement were truc and IN tho case OF
The Daily Telegraph II Is VIGOROUSLY and deHonstra-
| bly untrue All the jury have read this untrue
| statement Perhaps they do not all know
| It TO be untrue but many OF them must,
| and they must have conceived high
| opinion of the imaginative power OF the man
| capable Of making ii. and of speudIug $4,000
year in bringing It to the knowledge Of the people
of Great Britain; and for tins reason, also they can
| hardly ricture to Themselves Mr.. Lawson IN the
character of witness NJ loss for the mere words
| necessary 20 state fact simply and trutiniv. Mr..
| Lawson himself, must think, should lave felt
that a court WAS not the arena for experiments
in rhc forIc A little reflection would have convinc
| 80 shrewd a man that the inflated feeb!encSs Of
dicion which Is perfectly in place III The Ddt'y
| Tclegroph Is not well suited TO legal tribunal lie
| might not like TO take Mr.. Laboucherc a. model.
but he should remember the maxim that 1t Is right
to learn even from ones cnemles and try 20 initiate
| Mr. Labouchcrc's teIse Grip direct and most in-
| tclliglbe aud convincing manner Oh speech
| QUESTION AND ANSWER.
1t is not easy 10 compress examples Of this cross
examination within reasonable limits. Mr.. Lawson
scents mischief in simplest question: ana II often
| takes time and many other questions TO persuade
him 10 answer the first Lord ColcrldCe hlinsef has
| sometimes to intervene before Mr.. Lawson can
! make IN his mind to Eyes" mo" But Mr.
Laboucerc is patient and sooner or later he brings
| his witness to book often enough in most mex
| pected manner. An example may be found III the
string of inquiries as TO the origin Of tue name Law
| son:
| When did you take the name OF Llwsoni-i think ia
| 1875.
Was it borne by any other member q your
| family lncie lit "a name which he TOOK
years ago as have always understood. from friend
who left him property, bu' have no Information dis
do You swear to tic best OF your belief that friend
| had left him property I'll have slwsys heard go.
il ,oar In h. 4