New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31
CHI.
London, December S.


for weeks. was in America and never
heard of his illness till heard of his
death 1t is a cruel ending To friend
ship Of forty years; a friendship to which
there was one and only one Interruption:
although it had TO resist some hostile in
fiuences. During all this time he looked
after matters in which l sought legal adj
vice. When l first went to him IT was,
supposed, on the usual terms of solicitor
and client. should not have gone other
wise. But when l asked him to send in
his account he answered
There IS no account You must allow
me To do for you what l do for other
Trends
And when still demonstrated he said:
1T must be in that way or not at all.
One of the pleasures Of a position like
mine is to be able. to be Of use to
friend"
l am therefore under many real obli-
cations 70 him. which l was never per-
mitted to repay and now can only &C
knowledge. l owe it to my readers to
acknowledge them. But Lewis used to
confer obligations as If re were accept
ing them. When l wrote of him in these
columns last year ! said that II you were
his friend he would take infinite pains
for you and no fee. But / make that
more specific. l wrote then as a friend
l could not have written otherwise. l
cannot now. But friendship to my mind
only makes impartiality a stricter duty.
ard do not apologize for my friendship
when have to write of a friend. Nor do
| think personal appreciation less like
~ to be true because sympathetic. No
other is so likely to he true. The affec-
ton / had for Lewis is a guarantee Of
truthfulness, The truth is his best
eulogy.
The character / then drew of him was
from my own knowledge and from the
wider knowledge of many others. But
think few men. if any, had truer
knowledge of him than had. We were
or terms Of confidence. He talked freely.
/ saw him often. Sometimes he discussed
his own methods: sometimes his ideas Of
law reform, sometimes those conditions
Of London society which came to his
knowledge professionally; and often the
affairs Of the moment, politics excepted,
Which he never deeply cared for. Nom
inally he was Liberal, but his view
was philosophic and he was never very
keen, though always loyal, party man.
1t was in the Parnell trial that he
touched politics most closely. Not be-
cause they were politics. but because
only by politics could Parnell be cleared
even in a measure and then only by
confusing politics and morals Lewis
took up that case we'll knowing the facts
and knowing that on the facts, taken by
themselves. his client had no defence.
But that is problem which both So
hc.tor and barrister have frequently to
face Their common duty is to put the
facts in the best light, or to withdraw
them from the light if need be. leaving
t. solicitor and barrister on the other
side to present the other side The whole
procedure If the Courts is based on that.
l said to Lewis more than once that |
thought he had in this matter done the
iunIic no service He answered;
The public was not my client"
And again:
Would YOU have had me refuse to do
m. best for a man in Parnelfs position
no pat his case in my hands,
bic asked me if ! knew Parneil and
ION said no offered to introduce me.
H. IL was my business as journalist
go know many sorts OF people, and Par
nell was the most astute politician OF ms
time. and though his hands were black
with outrage he was a great figure; per-
haps the greater for his crimes. SO one
day in the Law Courts as Lewis and
Farncll were walking away together
Lewis bcckoned to me and the introduce
ton was made. For the first time |
locked into ParnelIs eyes at short range:
luminous brown eyes capable OF seeing
things. We exchanged half dozen SEN
fences and ParneH went his way. Said
Lewis afterward:
DID You not think him great gentle
man?'
There never was any doubt that Par
nell was a gentleman; he belonged to
that order. and that was why he ruled
from so great height the crew beneath
him. He gave Lewis infinite trouble at
first. for he gave him little of his conf
donco and not even his address When
he was asked in their first interview, he
said:
"The House OF Commons.
"But | may want to reach YOU a once,
when the House Of Commons is not sit
ting. Give me your private address.
Again Parnell, in his slow, cold way,
answered. The House Of Commons
and il was many weeks before he would
tell his solicitor where he lived. He dis
trusted everybody, even his solicitor. 1
will undertake 10 say that Lewis knew
the address within twenty-fOur hours.
Al their first interview he asked Parnell
whether he had submitted the forged lot
ter to an expert. parnell thought it use
less. There are but three experts, and
The Times has long since retained the
three" But / .Ais was not the man
IN leave a chance untried. He found
that two Of the three had never been
apnroached. II is an example OF the
skill with which The Times case, from
the beginning 10 the end was conducted.
/, YOU read the notice Of Lewis in to-
DAVIS issue Of that great journal you
may perhaps wonder whether they have
ever forgiven him for their defeat. 1t Is
a tribute. but a grudging tribute.
People-some people-thought OF him
as a kind Of legal machine, with the