The Washington herald., 1909-07-25
COPYRIGHT YOUR LETTERS
Some Notes on the Extraordinary PretenSiOn Put Forward
by Heirs and Executors of the Late George Meredith


King. is an unwritten law. that the mem
bers OF the royal household. in fact,
everybody connected with the court.
should appoint colleagues to take charge
at their death Of the disposal Of their
papers and property, with the object OF
anything calculated 10 annoy
the reigning house from falling into evil
hands.
Thus. when my old friend, Gen. Sir
kit Teesdale. died, after having been
an eQuerry of the King since the latter's
trip TO the United States as Prince Of
Wales, II was found that his will con-
tained directions that all his privtae pa
pers, and especially those having refer
ence in any way to the affairs OF his royal
master. should be placed in the latter's
hands.
No better Illustration Of the condition
Of the law with regard to the proprie-
tory right Of letters which have not been
copyrighted can be furnished than the
case Of Gen Andre. who after having
been driven out of the cabinet by the
aversion Of HIS colleagues, and by popu-
lar execration. retaliated by publishing
in the press all the confidential letters
which he had received from former Pres
ident Loubet and from the members Of
the government while minister OF war.
The courts were appealed to in vain,
but declined TO move. on the ground that
they were powerless in the matter The
general contended that the letters were
not the legal property Of the writer but
Of himself. as the person 20 whom they
were addressed. and claimed that he was
In no sense bound by the fact OF their
being marked confidential"
He asserted that the word IN question
was OF an advisory rather than Of an in
hioitory nature, and that Il was not IN
any degree binding, unless the recipient
Of the communication chose to regard ii
as such. A hard and fast agreement be-
tween the writer and the recipient was.
80 he declared, necessary to endow any
etter with a confidential character. More
over, the general pointed out that the
mere annexation of a letter as conhden-
.iol was not sufficient In the eyes OF the
aw to invest ii with the immunities Of a
privileged communication. Thus a super
OF this kind would not exempt a
ilanderous letter from the penalties OF
he libel laws.
OF course, the temptation to a man
when attacked, to confound his adver-
5ary, or to avenge his wrongs. by pub
ishing letters OF the latter Of more or
ess compromising nature. is very strong.
That IS why so many persons make a
ooint Of destroying all the letters which
hey receive. so as TO protect themselves
rom being led. in a NJ Of momentary
into making what at other
ines they would regard as a dishonor-
Ible use Of confidential correspondence.
{ is good rule TO follow. and one which
would go far to restore the art of letter.
writing TO it's former excellence. For
loWadays people have become so much
fraid as 70 the possible use that might
De made Of their epistOlary communica-
Ions. and SO alarmed lest they should
'ass out Of the possession OF those 10
whom they are addressed into the hands
IF strangers that they write as little as
possible, restricting themselves 10 what
S absolutely necessary. and refraining
rom the expression Of those opinions
which contribute to make correspondence
The wisdom OF destroying letters that
ne receives-it is a question whether the
avs OF honor do not demand this method
I dealing with correspondence-was
hown by the failure OF the popular
iarquis de Massa TO adopt this precau- !
ion. The marquis was the playwright /
ramatist, and stage manager OF that /
rilliant troup OF amateur actors and
that was won't TO occupy the
tage in the private theaters Of the i'm /
erial palaces Of Compiegne. St. Cloud /
'ontainebleau. and even the Tuileries. /
uring the reign OF Napoleon III. While /
occupying this position ne received many
'omen taking part In the performances. /
Thus there were notes from Princess /
'auiine Metternich. the Austrian am
assadress. ard from the Comtesse Ed |
nond de Pourtales, upbralding the noble /
playwright for having permitted himself !
be hampered in his libretto by con- /
ideraions Of propriety, and suggesting /
he addition OF ''beaucoup de grains de 1
oivre.' (Angllce. many grains of pep /
err to the dialogue
There were likewise in these letters I'm. |
complimentary and unfriendly references |
D the Emperor and 70 Empress Eugenie. /
he latter coming in for a good deal OF /
j viii on the part of the writer's by /
easOn OF her self-assumed office OF CEN /
or Of plays, not one of which appears TO /
ave been put on the imperial staEe
'ithout having been subjected to the |
cissors and blue pencil of her majesty. /
Il course. these letters were never m
ended for publication They were mere |
Z dashed OF IN the impulsive impetuous \
NY so common 20 the women Of the great
'orld. The horror Of Mesdames Pour
lles, de Metternich, de Callifet, &C, may
lerefore be imagined. when some years
go they found these letters reproduced,
some Instances in fac simile. in a vol
me entitled 'L'ArmOur a Paris sous le
econde Empire, and bearing the name
M. de Lano" as author
They at once appealed 70 the MARQUIS
e Massa, demanding from him how II
as possible that he should be guilty of
lch a shameful breach of confidence
5 TO place their correspondence with him
the disposal of the most scurrflous OF
i the many scurrilous writer's concern
g the court of Napoleon III The mar
lis at once replied that he was entirely
nocent. in so far that he had never
wen away any Of the letters in ques-
on. He added that they had disappear
from his chateau. In Touraine. at the
me Of the German invasion Of 1870. In
lie course OF the war the chateau had
zen occupied by the enemy. and sub
cted TO considerable amount OF pillage
nd devastation. so much so that on
.e restoration Of peace he decided TO get
d Of the place, and sold IT,
Whether the correspondence in ques-
on was appropriated by the Germans, or
neither IL was forgotten at the time Of
.e sale and permitted 10 fall into the
ands Of the purchaser of the property,
e marquis declared It impossible 10 say.
Ut with a view OF clearing himself in
Cf Id F,f .