New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-23
THE LATEST FROM LORD DUNRATEN.

Lord Dunraven's dinner speech at Cardiff adds
nothing essential to his publication In "The Ion
don Field" but 1t Is not without value as more
complete disclosure than he had made before of
his mental and moral limitations. 1t Is now
evident that he brought to this country when
he came to race for the cup suspicion that he
might be cheated II he relaxed his vigilance for
. moment. His original request that the yachts
should be clearly marked externally an English
but not an American custom. was one OF the
first manifestations Of his dishonorlng anxiety
as subsequent events have shown, though II was
not recognized as such at the time. To mind
SO disordered every incident conveyed wei
come confirmation Of preconceived theory, ana
# Lord Dunraven's friends choose to plead IN
his behalf that he was afflicted with species
Of mild insanity from which he has not yet even
begun TO recover they will probably olfer the
hest possible excuse for his conduct
Meanwhile. upon the assumption that his lord
shin IS in possession of all the faculties which he
has ever had at his command, there are some
noints in his Cardiff speech which, though they
GRO NOT directly involved in the main question
now under investigation by the special commit
foo Of the New-York Yacht Club are worth some
attention 81 have not made an accusation
AGAINST onvbody." SAYS Lord Dunraven. and in
the next breath he declares his firm belief that
no was swindled. 1t would be difficult to con-
ceive of n more fatuOus contradiction IMAM mat
7, no was cheated. he was cheated deliberately
and with infinite adroitness by Mr.. lsehn
orders or with his connivance, and necessarily
through the cooperation or large NUMBER vi
nersons A weight Of from twelve TO hfteen IONS
% ole 1nn K
of ballast did not spontaneously shirt ltseif Dack
and forth between the Defender ana her tender.
And vet Lord Dunraven pretends TO De aInazeu
that ANYBODY should feel deeply insuted, ana
"creatlv deprecates the introduction OF the per
sonal element into the inquiry If he Is actual
,r ncanable Of perceiving that Mr.. 1selin and
otbors IN this country would be beneath con-
tempt If they had ignored the personal element
which is inseparable from his accusations. 1t Is
bich time that n commission de lunatico were
appointed in his case.
II Is scarcely conceivable that sane English
men will applaud the fantastic attitude in which
Lord Dunraven thus puts himself, but he does
ask two questions to which they are perhaps
entitled TO plain answers from this side OF the
Atlantic rs 1t not strange" he inquiries. that
.if nv complaint can legitimately bear the
"heinous complexion now placed upon 1t, no
"indipnation was expressed when 1t was made
ain September? Why was it not commented
"upon in October. when the New-iork lacht
"Clpb nubljshed nv complaint to the world
The fact is that the American public never
dreamed in September that Lord Dunraven
Thought he was being cheated. 1t was supposed
when he demanded a remeasurement that ne
meant to intimate merely that an error had peeh
innocently made. Officials OF the New-A OK
Yacht Club had. ii is true, an Imperfect clew 10
what was in his mind, but, as the chairman OF
the Cup Committee has lately said, ne maze 10
direct charge Of treachery, and they evidently
did not comprehend the implication Ierhaps
they ought TO have given II more attention. but
T. must he remembered that Lord Dunraven at
that time was supposed TO be gentleman. that
he was held in respect and In general GOODWILL
and that it was only natural to make allowance
for what was interpreted as sign or ho'llhg
worse than excessive solicitude. AS TO the 1eei-
ing in this country which the publication OF his
comDlaint in October produced there has never
been Il particle Of doubt II came at Time
when public attention was engrossed by politics,
hut II was commented on" in terms OF Just
INDIGNATION by the press and the people The
Tribune for example. said at once that the with
drawal of Mr. Roses challenge was less regret
table than it otherwise would be, owing to the
fact that 1t was occasioned by Mr.. Roses regard
for the feelings OF a man capable OF such an
odious accusation. From the date of that dis
closure the American public fully shared the
opinion which individuals having earlier knowi-
edge had already formed concerning Lord Dun
raven.