Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-29

they brought charges of terrible character
against his father, and went the length O
publishing a number of letters which, i
they were genuine, certainly showed tha
famous man in the light of q monster o.
cruelty and passion. They threatened LORD
Lytton that if he did not do what they con
sidered Justice to his mother-of course, q,
the expense of his father-they would pub
lish other papers in their possession, de
scribing episodes in real life not equaled il
the most sensational of Bulwer's novels ol
had never occurred since the Byron scandals
Lord Lytton would not be coerced and the
publication of the family papers was actually
announced for a certain date, when he ap.
piled to the courts for protection. The
| question to be decided was q very curious
one, but the judges had little hesitation in
! granting an injunction forbidding the
publication of documents which would in
fict terrible injury and pain on Lord Lyt-
ton and his wife and children, and could
not by any possibility do anybody any good:
The sensation-mongers were disappointed
of q rare treat; and the reputation of the
great novelist was spared. But the scheme
of the biography was frustrated, and Lord
Lyttcn himself did not come out of the at
fair altogether satisfactorily.
Until then he was scarcely known per-
sonally to the British public at ali. He
had always lived abroad, and his writings
having appeared under another name, there
seemed to be good deal of mystery about
him. But in that ugly business he came
out clearly, the public thous ht as proud,
hard-hearted man, wrapped up in aristo-
cratic selfishness and quite void of those
tender sympathies which go for SO much in
the formation of fine character. In fact,
it was said of him at the time that he
showed himself the son of his fsther-such
father as was exhibited in the letters
which were published.
The public estimate of q man is seldom
altogether wrong; and many people who
know Lord Lytton will say the opinion then
formed of him was not unjust. He was one
of those men whose particular friends like
them intensely, while others, though they
cannot help admiring them, have q feeling
of positive repulsion from them. He with
drew from the public notice, nevertheless,
with sort of lofty dignity, declining to
answer his critics or to enter into any dis
cussion of his family affairs; and returned
to his diplomatic duties where his position
was well assured. He was still Ambassador
at Lisbon when Lord Beaconsfeld resolved
upon one of those surprises which he was
so fond of bursting on his supporters and
opponents alike.
His Master Stroke in India.
He suddenly made Lord Lytton Viceroy
of India, q post of great splendor and re-
sponsibility, for which he had had no pre-
vious training whatsoever. The salary alone
is 500, 900 year, four times that of an am
bassador, and the total emoluments, priv
ileges, patronage and power make the po-
sition far more magnificent than that of
lesser European sovereign. Yet Lord Lyt-
ton was required to fill it at the age of 45,
having never been in India or had any
thing to do with administration before.
Lord Beaconsfeld, as usual, knew very
well what he was about. He did not at
that juncture want an administrator for
viceroy. He wanted man of imagina-
tion, poet, above all a diplomatist who
could understand the inner workings of
things and extend his view beyond imme-
diate causes to remote effects. No sooner
was the ex-ambassadcr fairly seated on
the vice-regal throne than he issued the
famous proclamation by which Queen Vic
toria assumed the title and authority
of Empress of India. On the plains of
Delhi, in sight of the ancient capital Of the
mogul rulers of Hindostan, he held that
durbar, at which all the princes Of
India assembled to hear the great news
from the Vlceroy himself, and to tender
their allegiance in person to the Empress
1t was one of the most
spectacles ever witnessed, even
in India, the land of pageants, and its
political wisdom has been amply justified by
after events. For the first time all the
ruling powers and military forces Of India
were brought under one acknowledged head,
and federal empire was established which
a., 81 fa1{
proud to belong to.
Decoration of the Indian Empire.
The thing was done so suddenly and 90
that Russian jealously had no
time to develop itself through the channels
of intrigue. Lord Lytton was at once ele-
waited to the degree of an earl, with the title
of Viscount Knebworth to be borne by his
sons in memory of the grand old manor Of
Hertfordshire, which has been the home of
the family for nearly 500 years. He was
raised to the highest rank in the orders of
the Bath and the Star of India, and was one
the first to receive the new decoration of
the Indian Empire.
It would have been well for him if he had
left India as soon as be had completed this
duty. Instead Of that he held the office of
Viceroy for three years longer, and a terri |
BILE time he had Of it. Whether he was
stration will always be matter of opinion;
but it is certain that no Viceroy made him |
.elf more obnoxious to the British officials |
DR. to European society in India generally. |
Europeans in India have the reputation Of |
being very lax In their notions of morality, |
but the state of affairs at the Viceregal |
court in Lord Lytton's time scandalized |
even those who had lost the power of |
olushing by long disuse Remonstrances |
we're in vain. The Viceroy seemed to think |
himself sort of caliph or Oriental Cesar, |
who was quite above conventional rules in |
'uch matters, and the cynical indifference |
which he displayed to the feelings of those |
who cherished the sanctities of family life |
lot less in India than in England, was Bit |
erly felt.
His Personal characteristics.
Yet he himself was accompanied by his |
wife, beautiful and virtuous woman, of |
he great family of Villiers, who shared with |
lin the grief of losing their eldest son and |
me or two other children from the effects
If the Indian climate. 1t was happy day |
or them, as well as for India, when they |
eft the country on the defeat of Lord Bea-
'onheld's ministry. in 1886. Lord Lytton
vas not a man who could be kept in the
He was immediately ap-
pointed Ambassador to the French Repub-
ic, post which he held up to the time of
lis death with signal success. He was 60
7ears of age, but in the prime of life and of
Utilities; and there was no saying what
,reatness might have been in store for him.
he was most peculiar looking man, not
mike the portraits of his father that may
,e seen in some editions of 'tPelham" or
'ther early novels of his, but different in
laying a head of hair so curly that it almost |