THE STOWE-BYRON NUISANCE.

Southland Times, Issue 1234, 8 April 1870, Page 3

THE STO WE-BYRON NUISANCE.

We may conclude that another nuisance has now been finally abated. • Our readers will recollect that in the autumn we devoted considerable space to an examination of Mrs Beecher StoWs charge against Lord Byron and his. naif-sister, Mrs Leigh. Since that time the contra-, versy, if so it may be called, has raged with greater or less severity, 'but we awaited the publication of Mrs' Stowe's promised final proofs. They have arrived at last, and they are. absolutely worthless. ' They are mere reiterations of the allegation ■ in, her. Maamillan article. Yet, perhaps, .bhey ought not to be called worthless^ because they all tell the other way to that desired by her; and taken with new letters of Lady Byron's, which have appeared in the Quarterly Review, they show that at the time when the criminality was said to have occurred, and for years afterwards, Lady Byron could not have believed in what she is alleged to have said to the American lady. The Titties, which at first thought that a damning stain had been fixed on Byron's character, and that it would be impossible fonread his books any more, now reviews the whole case, and is for acquittal. The Quarterly has always been loyal to Byron, and poor Mrs Stowe comes in this, week for a tremendous castigation, inflicted,, we believe, by Mr A; Hayward, the translator of :" Faust," and a veteran critic. We now hope to hear no more upon a subject which ought never to have ' /been touched, seeing that there was no one's character at' stakej while great pain was" "caused to the' descendants of Mrs Leigh, anil all society was set talking on a topic kaud~-nominandum~ inter - Ohvistianos.-rr Some News. ; ; ■ . ;