New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-23
COBBETT AND HIS WORKS.
A LETTER FROM ONE OF HIS DAUGHTERS
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES OF AN ENGLISH
WRITER AND PUBLIC MAN.

WRITER AND PUBLIC MAN.
The following letter from daughter OF the
author of Cobbett's Grammar has been received
by Mr. Robert Waters of IIobozen, who recently
published biography of Cobbctt:
Chapel lane, welmslow, Manchester, October, 1889
Dear Sir friend has lately lent US Ito my sister
and myself your interesting book called How to Get
on in the World in which ! see. p 1856, that you
at loss TO find tho place in Cobbctts Grammar"
where the author slightly mentions tue words So
and such.7 You Will find this in para 1s3.
Allow me to say that VIC have found great pleasure
In reading your book in which you show so much
more discrimination and good judgment regarding my
fathers character and nature and his motives anu
&C lions than have been found in almost any OF
the Lives" d" Sketches" of him that have ever
seen, although there small sketch of him by
Chambers which was free from the usual III nature
and mlsreprescnt alton
There have besn many booksellers books about
my father and many ch-penny notices of him IN
little magazines, all, of course containing certain
quantity of odd and amusing anecdotes. calculated %
make the production sell. but without the least re-
gard TO truth I'm their selection and those who have
prepared these things have Of belonged to that
class of persons whom my father stgmatized as Inc
rare thai WRITE To this race belonged the Rev.
selby Watson whom you mention as the most oiten
quoted of any writer on Cobbett. / have never seen
him mentioned by any but yourself and no doubt
his book been referred to In England because
OF the shocking event which closed his career, and
which, as proceeding from mental arrangement ron
dered It necessary 10 keep him in secuson for the
rest Of his life In America the case would be differ
ent, as he would not there be known
To the race that write Lord DAZZLING did not belong
but he could catch up anecdotes and use them in
the idlest manner although would LOOK upon such
a man as a credible authority. He, however, told over
again that attractive fiction of The Tines newspaper
about my father keeping a butchers shop at kensng
ton and Lord DAZZLING told another anecdote OF his own
creation which was that when my father was invited
to the Speakers dinner on entering Parliament, he
declined the Invitation the plea that he was unused
10 the company Of gentlemen! 1t is very likely that
some member might have been returned TO that Para
mcnt of 1882 who might feel modest reluctance TO
make Of such company, and Lord Daling had
perhaps seen the latter, and aferwsrd in harim-
scarum way have confused the men in his own mind,
but biographer should be so little accurate. As It
happened my father could not 60 to the dinner because
he just starting to keep engagement In the
country and he out Of the door telling my brother
John Morgan Cobbett answer the letter for him.
When, therefore, Lord Dalling's book came out, my
brother knowing all the cirOums anccs, wrote a letter
to The Standard explaining that he had written the
letter for his father the Speaker and had not giron
any such reason for declining the invitation. Upon
this Lord Dallng told mutual friend OF his and ours
that he should give directions for the anecdotes TO be
! left out IN second edition, but whether his book
! reached second edition do not know. 1t was his
duty publish his apology in " The Standard but
this he did do, and his conduct serves to show
how lttlo trIth there in biographies and how little
honor in the writers Of them, well how great is
their ignorance of the subjects on which they
writing.
We have been surprised whilst reading your book to
lind that you have clearly the real state of the
case in some of those questions which have been
handled again and again by those discussing my fathers
action IN matters of consequence, such as tho court
martial affair and the Pitt dinner. which latter we
remember so often to have heard mentioned when we
were children, and when the parties wero all alive.
| And what bother has been made for so many years
about this simple event.
| 4" English Grammar" and agree completely with what
you say In the preface as 10 its excellence 1t has
cOmmofion IS made when II came out. The booksellers
eager for IT that the street in mont OF the
publishers house packed with their messengers Ions
kept up protect the windows The political allu-
| sions took people quite by surprise, particularly a
sentence near the beginning of para, GAG, where are
| now the words The Tyrant, with the spy, have
| brought Peter 10 the block" The words originally
were sidmOuth with Oliver the Spy, have brought
| Brandrcih 10 the block which was daring sentence
| for that day. friend Of NY fathers happened
to be at the sale OF genteman's library just then,
and he heard Lord Drougham say to Lord sldmouth
| Have you CObbetts Grammar 10 which Lord
sidmouth answered: You know have and that Is
| why you * mo-
IL VIII be interesting 10 You IN near tnat we POSSESS
| the very lowihs grammar with which my father
| provided himself when he young man, and as
you think 50 highly Of his wrtngs you viii doubtless
also like to hear that we have occupied ourselves for
many years in cndeavorng to Get together some com
plee sets Of my fathers Political Regster Tor the
purpose OF placing them in public libraries where they
| woNld ic read and be safe. We have succeeded In
completing nine sets. which We have sent 10 some OF
| the principal Libraries IN England scotland ana
America vel Is one to AUS raa All these libraries
have been glad TO purchase them, and though 1t has
been great satisfaction 10 US 10 be ape 70 preserve
the volume which we got together, sun II has been
periodical published weekly during so long range OF
years and 10 that every page was there and every
In doing this. too. have not been in the situation
Of booksellers who could 10 sales and buy the books
IN iots, ana sen again VIA they uu noI Want W.,
what wanted by writing 70 various booksellers for
what they might have, and you may suppose what
| trouble and expense this has been but we have had
IL mach at heart, because our eldest sister who died IN
1877, and who bad written The ke.ser from dlei a
ton during great many years OF ner ne ana oohu
| upon every volume a. so much old gold, determined
and sh- having collected large number OF volumes
| before hc- death. "" have been anxious to carry on
each volume complete IN uiles. contents ann 'lhueA
| for though my father published many Of the later
| solicitor In Manchester has taken the trouble 10 "a
through these volumes and make the Indexes, In order
| 10 make The work complete A. 10 reference. Those
| we have sent 10 America have gone to Boston and
TO Baltimore' and II you shoala noM any nu.SS
wanted, should Ike to send II, Tor we have q az
pleasure in rejecting that We have placed these 1e
valuable BOOKS Miunh IN" I,doh w many nv 10
| prize them We might also supply he HSsinA
Volumes 10 those air aGy possessing part OF set.
We are 50 much pleased with your book that We
| intend 10 inquire Of London booksellers the way Va
procure Il, II gives no nna'on OF beng published
! In England and wish that our nephews should
possess copy of IT, With the united sincere lcgaio'
Of ny sister and myself believe me dear sit; yours
! very truly. SUDAN SobbLii'
now "CHIVALRT" WINS ~ THE SOUTH.
Charleston s. c.. Dec. 21.-A notice of contest was
served on saturday upon william Elliott, Democrat
bv Thomas r. Miller. Republican candidates for Cen
cress in the With District of his State The causes
given for the contest by Mr.. Miller are I'm part as
follows: That a majority OF the legal voters In the
district ca. their votes for him that all the managers
Of the election were Democrats and refused to LEI many
RctmlIlcans vote who lad proper registration certd-
Gates that I'm certain precincts which are mentioned
| rAor...ctafic rnra hnf Nh