MR. JUSTIN McCARTHY'S REMINISCENCES

New Zealand Tablet, 15 December 1910, Page 2049

MR. JUSTIN McCARTHY'S REMINISCENCES

. \isited in his home at Folkestone, a Daily Neivs representative found Mr. Justin McCarthy full of memories or the past. The interview was asked for in view of the tact that in November the veteran journalist, politician, and historian entered upon his eighty-first year. For the Daily \ews the occasion was of domestic interest, Mr. McCarthy having been chief leader writer on that journal subsequent to his surrendering the editorship of the Morning Star, which was controlled by John Bright. In reply to his visitor, Mr. McCarthy said he was now engaged upon the final volume of his history, which will bring it up to the end of the late King's reign. From history Mr. McCarthy turned to his reminiscences of London journalism, and of the great Liberal statesmen or his day. 'When I was editor of the Morning Star,' he said, I saw much of Bright; there was nobody like him, In those days at the office we used all to have tea together at 5 o clock. Bright would often drop in there, and we held a sort of free Parliament. What a fund of humor he had. Gladstone was more inclined to sarcasm. Both of them had voices of extraordinary effectiveness in public speaking Gladstone s rose up to the rafters and to every corner of the gallery as a lark soars up into the sky but he had not the deep, rich, mellow notes of Bright. - . I left the editorship of the Morning Star to travel in America and on my return in 1871 I joined the Daily Neics as a leader writer. The paper had acquired a great reputation from the work Archibald Forbes did for it during the franco-Prussian war. Henry Labouchere had also written for it his ' Diary of the Siege of Paris.' The Daily News and the Morning Star had been the only two papers to sympathise with the North during the American struggle. Ihey both predicted with confidence the ultimate victory ot Lincoln and his party. The Times surpassed itself iii the vehemence of its advocacy of the South, and even a month before the end of the war refused to believe that its proteges were beaten.' Thackeray, John Stuart Mill, and George Meredith were among Mr. McCarthy's friends. Sadly he related how just a week before Thackeray's death, he received a note inviting him to a 'quiet' dinner with the novelist. 'I accepted, but before the day arrived Thackeray, like Colonel ISewcome, ''stood in the presence of the Master." John Stuart Mill taught me to champion the rights of womanhe would be glad to know that I am a member of the local society for promoting women's suffrage. Meredith could be very charming when he met with people who did not bore him, but he had a keen tongue, and could make a man feel uncomfortable at times. His love of the open air amounted -to a passion, and before his health broke down he was possessed of tremendous physical endurance. I was once invited to a house in the Isle of Wi<dit and told that Tennyson was to be there. Naturally I was delighted, but when I got there, lo and behold! there was another guest—Garibaldi in red shirt and flowing cloak Ihe poet was quite eclipsed by the man of arms, and got no chance to shine. . s • ' SI! A th - ?-? iI K News >' said Mr. McCarthy in conclusion, that in the changes which time brings my principles have not altered. I was with the paper in its battles and triumphs for liberty in the old days; in its struggles for the same cause I am with it still. b