New-York tribune., 1894-04-29

which is now frankly expressed by the grand
son. They parried direct inquiry In the best way
possible without giving up any Of the credit or
advantage which was du. 20 famous literary
achievement Sir Philip whatever else he may
have said about the letters OF Junius. never de-
prcciated their authorship. i always suspec'eu
Burke" said he sometimes. or what the reader
asks and is tempted to answer his own question
nv naranhrasing another cf S~ Philips remarks.
"Of believing me to be Junius For sir
Philip himself never did tell what II was that he
suspected Burke of doing In public ne took the
posItion OF a critic adverse to Junius; In private
he sometimes waxed eloquent upon themes whicn
Juuius had discussed Then his thoughts anc
expressions were suggestive. MT frahcis speahS
~ ono occasion remembered by a near relative
Of Lady Francis when Sir Phiip caught up
ouota,,on from the letters. illustrated i, and
canned II by another fIom the same source
adding THUS It always is with the assertors
:, ,roa, rrircnles" His manner such that
the narrator OF the ahecuo'e "e'e' "'''' "N
doubted who Junius was.
While the author comedies to George ~ a cor
roc, oninion on the subject OF Junius. he denies
that George III could have suspected Francis
Such suspicion lodged in the old kings mind
be thinks must have emerged when mental SELL
control was lost AS II never was uttered. IL
could not have existed. But the monarch might
have known it vicariously In the persons OF MS
ministers This conjecture belongs WIN MI
F'rancis's theory that there was httle arrange
rnent I'm March, 1872. in which three parties
wore concerned Francis and the Opposition
and the Government as represented by certain
leaders. Nothing more was to be written IN
the name OF Junus. and the author was 10 oe
nromoted within a reasonable time. MT frah-
c,s doas no, hesitate to use strong words To de-
ecr,ha what he nevertheless calls only a con-
tocture He says that "a close conspiracy OF
silence was the natural policy Of all the persons
concerned" This conspiracy which was at
least not malevolent in It's purpose, involved
ord North. who carried 1t out; Lord Grenville'
who must have supported the claims OF 80
earnest an admrer and advocate as Junius: ana
strangest Of ALL Lord Darlington. the head of the
War Office in which Francis was subordinate
when the letters OF Junius appeared. Lord Bar
rington had, indeed. been bitterly attacked by
Junus but he Is here supposed to have peeh
quite capable OF forgivIng Francis all the IN
Jury done. If only the fact OF his forgiveness
were not made public AZ member ot Gov
ernment which counted Itself lucky in having
survived a conflict in which Junius cut consid-
cradle figure. he may have been willing to see
he could DO less harm TO the party In power than
no might do in London. II this theory Of a
political bargain b. correct, then all the parties
to IT, except Francis may have been shrewd
enough to see that by accepting the appoint
ment I'm India under such circumstances as he
did ne cancelled all future claims against either
party. No man could play the part - JunilS
second time. But without the dread that MS
pen inspired. the man masked ~ Junius was
helpless His only hope was - secure All MS
political gains AZ the outset tn" "ihciAi obhv-
ion in which Sir Philip F~ancis remained
from middle life until his death seems &" confirm
the authors view ~ the case. HIS conclusion
Is not merely his own. IL is the tradition ~ his
family, believed also by his father ana MS
sister. Mr. Godshall Johnson. the one.
perhaps 81 Sir Philips daughters VINO most re-
sembled him In keen political in'cscnc"
Besides the indirect tradition ~ the family. Air
Francis holds that BE- has firm chain 81 ''l-
dence In certain pieces Il SIR Ih'lp hahH-
writing. At the request of Miss watkins. who
became Lady Francis. Sir Philip once copied ior
her three poems which he had written ~ '"nth
One Of these series ~ stanZas ~ b nor -
belinda" which had h-cn known rr.'iuufly
but never In the authors Handwriting The fAci
that he acknowledged the verses ~ last was
significant. FOR when sent - the lady for whom
they were originally intended. they were ac-
companed hy not" In th" handwriting famous
FOR many years hs "ihc foigncd hand II Juu!us"
THE Younger Woodfalr' recognized this script
instantly. It took a long time FOR All these fac,s
to come into tho authors possession. bui when
they did come to hand. he soon Inferred from
them that Francis. having confessed the poem.
must own 10 the feigncd hand ~ Junlus. and 10y
the same token 30 The authorship - the letters
The proof ~ simple but II Is apparently COM
plete The only wonder IL that In a whore
differences from all sides direct there
ever should have been any question or that I'm |
view Of the actual mystery there should be !
nothing but inference and belief and iudcclsiye |
tradition In Sir Philip Franc!ss own family !
Mr.. Francis brief "ssay Is accompanied by fac |
SMILES 81 the documents upon which his main |
argument rests