'THE LATE' MR. CHARLES LEVER AND HOME-RULE. Pro THE EDITOR
OF THE " SPECTATOR. "3
Sus,—In an interesting note in the Spectator of January 10th, passages from the dialogue of "The Knight of Gwynn() " are -cited, with the object of showing that its distinguished author, Mr. Charles Lever, would, if he were now alive, be found in the ranks of the opponents of Home-rule.
It is never safe to assume that a writer of fiction makes any 'character an exponent of his personal opinions. On such a basis, it would be easy to conclude, from a perusal of " Adam Bede," that George Eliot was a Wesleyan Methodist, and from a perusal of "Daniel Deronda" that she belonged to the -Jewish communion. Whatever the opinions of Charles Lever • on Irish affairs may have been at the time of the publication -of " The Knight of Gwynne," there is no doubt that in his -closing years he was an earnest advocate of the principle of Home-rule.
Mr. Lever died on June 1st, 1872. Speaking at the Home- rule Conference held in the Rotunda, Dublin, on November 19th, 1873, the late Rev. Joseph Allen Galbraith, one of the Senior Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin, and the author of the term " Home-rule," thus described the attitude of Mr. Lever on this question :—" It may not be known to the members of this Conference that Mr. Charles Lever took a sleep interest in our movement, and was from ,conviction and love of country a genuine Home-ruler. I hold in my hand a paper : it is labelled on the back, Home-rule— author's proof.' It was written and revised by Charles Lever for Blackwood's Magazine, but he went so far in expressing this sentiment that it was suppressed. It was too much for Blackwood. It -came into my possession by his desire. I never publicly read any passage from it before, but I am sure there is no gentle- man here that will not be glad to hear a few honest words in favour of Home-rule from Charles Lever. The paper is a long and interesting one,—one of the series so well known as ' The O'Dowd Papers,' in which, with brilliant wit and choice words, he touched upon all the political topics of the day as, they passed before him, and, amongst others, Home-rule. I should also tell you this,—that in many private communica- tions with my respected and revered friend, I found that he was thoroughly with us."
Mr. Galbraith then read several extracts from the suppressed article, and amongst them one passage which proves that Mr.
Lover saw that " Ireland blocked the way," and was in favour of a Federal system, with the retention of the Irish Members in an Imperial Parliament. Mr. Galbraith died last October ; Mr. Lever's suppressed article is no doubt in the possession of Mr. Galbraith's executors. Its publication at the present time would be a welcome contribution to the literature of Home- rule.—I am, Sir, &c., [We are very glad to admit that we were wrong. But if Mr. Lever had lived to see the misdoings of the National League, we cannot help believing that his good sense would' have brought him round to our side. For Mr. Lever to have been either Parnellite or anti-Parnellite after the history of the last ten years, would have been well-nigh impossible.--. ED. Spectator.]
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