The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-04-26
Yours, &c,
II. Fl. WALWORTH
Robert Owen In Reply to n letter In this days
Herald, signed II.

To THE EDITOR THE HERALD.
SIR,-lt Is due to YOU to your correspondent H. and
to tho world that should leave doubt the public
mind respecting the convictions that have been forced
upon respecting the subjects stated by my old ac
own name, or would personally thank him for giving
me this opportunity to explain my views
After long life, devoted to disinterested search
after truth to satisfy my mind upon the permanent
benefit Of race my convictions from calmly collect
tory to the latest discovery of them to the present
day. is that the human race hitherto has been under
the most lamenabe mental delusions and that 1t Il now
the slave of the of the latitude and Longitude
in which its divisions happen to be born and educated
In proof the latitude and longitude Of people being
given, tho language religion habits manners and pre-.
judces of the individuals also thereby given And
the world, all made to become mental
slaves to these local ignorancesn fact to become So
truly irrational to be systematically trained to be-
eve that the peculiar inconsistent and conraac
tory imaginary notions OF each OF tnssc hs
taught and that without the pale Of this local dvson
all that taught in other ATTITUDES and longtudssin
opposition, 10 error and gross absurdity.
Having with the natural strong prcudices in favor OF
the instruction received within my latitude ana
fully to examine the notions taught and instruction
given in all other ATTITUDES and ongtudes past ana pre-
sent world Of invaluable knowledge Tor practce
early period opened to me, without merit on
my part knowing that what powers possessed py ma
ture forced upon by the creating power Oh inc
universe and that these qualities have been acted upon
and influenced from birth by the circumstances IN WHICH
was placed-none Of which were in early life OF my
creation at subsequent period except 30 1ar as
those natural qualities and previous gave
me the means and power to create some few amidss
millions of others, much more ovsr~ henains II tneif
influences any unaded individual could create in
opposition to them
This course which nature impelled to pursue
opened my eyes to all the of ATTITUDES and ong
tdes the world and their irresistible power to SOW
the seeds Of evil in all colors and classes of train
ing them in falsshood and receptions, discussions
strife and in every evil passion calculated to prodnce
endless crimes and misery and make the atainmeht OF
anything approaching to nationality and happiness I'M
practicable.
With the strongest feelings to retain my early prsju
italy for this compelled to abandon all faith in any
Of these derangng systems Of latitude and Longitude
and to perceive the ncalcuabe value OF universal prin
cpes; of principles which the same to-day as yes
terday and change for in any country cline,
but are eternal truths of nature.
IL is therefore, true, that early in life was compelled
to perceive, through all ATTITUDES and ongtudes, the
amentable and gross errors Of all aritles isnis and
mental insanity, which compelled the psor helpless anu
pitabe beings made from their birth subject TO them TO
language of falsehood and conduct ofdeceptionm
mensely daily injury of all living creating the
costly governed by force fear, fraud and
alsehood, instead OF by truth knowledge charity anu
kindness The former producing d,sunlon dstrust an
manner Of crime and misery the latter calculated 10
produce union confidence and every kind OF the most
elevatng virtues insurng happiness, not partially and
for short period to the expressing few but TO oil io
Men, therefore think and wrong, that il, in oppc
stion to their happiness and the permanent happ
of their not because their nature is bad but
because, from BIRTH they most eoafly instruct
ed the preudces and alsehoods Of their respective
ATTITUDES aud ongudes and made to perceive and hate
the prudiccs Of all other ATTITUDES and longtudes-
And US your correspondent IL. states, ! am from
extensive reading, observation and reflection compel
led to to the conclusion that seeing how the char
acter of each is at and after BIRTH forced upon all that
individual rewards and punishments grossly unjust
highly injurious, and never can produce virtuops
state Of society because virtue and vice are tho una
vodabe results Of vrtuous and superior circumstances
and Of vicious and inferior circumstances.
But II rewards and punshmsnts could be applied to
approach rational action should be made to act up
on the authorities of the word-to reward those who
shall create the virtuous and superior and to punish
those who create retain tho vicious and inferior CIR
cumstances -
Let all those remember this inestimable truth which
will remain unchanged through all time
AS is the organisation of each human being at BIRTH
and the good bad superior inferior eircum-
stances in which the being shall be placed from BIRTH
will be the character and conduct of the individual
whom they compel become what he isa every moment
of his existence" AS this knowledge shall be suf
iicienty made known to t. public, sure is there
good time coming ROBERT OWEN
Now York, April 49, ls17.