New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-21
THE COLIN CAMPBELL CASE.
THE LONDON PRESs-THB PREFACE TO
THE STORY.

| nOb ulou away Wuou Iole bhb'"nu, vi" 'o'"'"
to find London absorbed in the horrors of the Colin
| Campbell divorce suit. I say absorbed and 10 Is
the only word. 1t Is the uppermost topic and 1t Is
| all but universal II lady tells you there arc
ladies whose of proprietv compeis them to
that she has read of the reports, che will none
the less discourse TO you fuently OF the mlnutest
details. In pablo 1t IL far worse than in private,
and for the extreme and extraordinary publicity
| given to which Mr.. Justice Butt calls hor-
rid scandal the English newspapers responsible
II may almost be said that this trial marks On
epoch In English journalism. Never before have the
| London papers-with one single excepton-puo-
ished any thing which comes 30 near TO the realism
| of NJ. lola and his disciples Mr. stead has per-
| feet right to tsunt his contemporaries with the
hollowness Of their virtuous protests against bis
abomnable Maiden Tribute" of last year. He
docs not fail to do so, but Of rejoinder from tue
vriuous contemporaries have as yet seen none
| Two wrongs do not make right. and Mr. Stead
cannot be whitswashed with the black ness OF other
people But, with tho exception OF The Times. the
London dailies have lost their right to get into the
| pulpit and thunder against those who send IN
decent and visions publications abroad into the
streets and homes Of London.
l have heard lawyers say that the papers have
certainly laid themselves open to prosecution
under Lord Campbells Act-a Campbell who had
|
heroes of the present proceedings and was OF no
kin that ever heard Of to any Duke Of Argyll
No doubt but who is going TO bell the catf Inc
Macphersons or MACPHERSON Grants forget which,
have family motto: Touch not the Cat but the
Glove 20 but" beng Scotch or Gaelic or some
| other barbarsm for without" Well. who has
gloves that these claws would not 20 through
Who is going on a crusade against the most power
full press in tho world, ontrenchod behind such
ramparts of past respestability and Tying dag
inscribed all over with maxms OF propriety-nay,
emblazoned like the wall Of a church with all tie
Ten Comma ndmentsi
There is no necessity excuse for this perform
ance. No necessity except that each journal
must keep abreast of its rivals whether they choose
to walk on the pavement or in the gutter; no ex-
euse except the excuse which is worse than nome
that il PAYS | hope some journal will be bold
enough TO print the statistics of its circulation
while this case lasts OF, if not its own OF some
| esteemed contemporary whom it most detests. Inc
streets arc owded and hoarse with newsboys
hawking this hideous stuff of afternoons all through
! the West End Sales enormous, pfohts no
doubt considerable and balance sheets at the end
of the month will put all Fleet Street In good
humor. Business is business and the counting
house has become the editorial room, and the pen
MES have no worse odor than the copper coinage OF
week before last and everything is for the best in
the best of all possible worlds. But there ought to
be a decent interval between this period OF pander
ing to the public taste for 9th and the Phariaeeism
which rebukes in others the vice By which ITS own
bank account is swollen. do not for mo ncnt
suppose there VIII be-
| shall in due time say what think of the merits
or dement's of the Campbell case as now tried out,
and | shall try TO say it decently. Decrncy need
| not be du!ler than indecency. But there Is room
for half dozen prefaces to this amazing story lt
| does not much matter which vou take first. But
let us keep to tho order of time, and see how mat
rers stood between Lord Colin Campbell and his
wife when these petitions for divorce were flied.
THIS is not the first of the legal proceedings be-
| tween the partners to the present suit. The owl
dence has shown married. life beginning in separa-
tion and, so far ~ Lady Colin Is concerned, con-
tinuing in GOODNESS, ind ference, disgust On his
eide there suspicion. severity, violence, and II
You credit Lady Collins letter to the Duke of
Argyll. brutality. Hopeful beginning for two
young people on the threshold Of life; to be foi-
| lowed by q worse ending.
They say that she married him for his title.-lt is
Incredible There are few positions in England
less enviabe than the position of people of title
without means to support it. man can do well
| enough by himself in London society with tow
| hundreds IA year. Half the men you meet IN half
| the best houses ar impecunious younger sons of
great families. They are not expected to spond
money. London is far less exact ng this respect
than New YORK, where, | am told. the impeeunions
person has place. But marriage changes all
that. The wife must dress, must dine. must do
| hundred things which mean money. Lord Coin
| Campbell IN the summer of 1880 was the sou of
man much poorer than he is now. The Duke of
Argyll has always been known a poor Duke l
| mean 10 say poor for q Duke; with fortune very
| moderate indeed for his great rank and great
| position. He succeeded to estate burdened by
tile extravaganza of his predecessor. He could
| give his son little. IL he could have given him
much moro, it is not the custom here to embarrass
an estate for the sake of the younger children OF
| either sex. He seems to have strained point t.
enable Lord Colin to settle $4,000 on his wife,
who for her part, brought $4,000 into the
| family. suppose they cannot have lived on 3 ne
income Of this $50 000,-certanly not $1,000
| year-but where the balance came from l never
| heard and it does not matter All mean to point
out is that IL is the last degree improbable that
Miss Blood, she then was engaged herself to an
almost penniless younger son for the sake OF
title and mere courtesy title at that, which could
not descend to her children; should there happen
to be children.
She was girl of rare beauty and of an intelli-
| gence still more rare; with tho vigorous under
standing and practical good and clearness of
vision into the facts or life which we mon are
prone to call masculine. Why she married Lord
| COIN don't pretend to know. but don't think
she risked her lfe's happiness, for the pleasure of
hearing herself spoken of as Lady Colin Campbell,
or of being addressed by servants as my lady"
| No, nor for the privilege of being allied to
family of such immemorial antiquity the Mac
| Callum Mores.
They lived little together, 1t is agreed. Lord
| Colin was an invalid; Lady Colin young. hand
some, sought for in society. Presently 1t came to
be known that, in the terrible phrase of the Lon
don world, they did not get on together. then
came whispers OF scandal; then the petition of