New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-24
THE DIAMOND WEDDING.
vieu,. Bartlett Challenges the Poet.
Fgg POET STANDS By BIS BHYERs.
The Lieutenant Shows the White Feather
A SUIT FOR LIBEL THE FINALE.

Lieut. w. A. Bart eft, u. NJ, fstnerot nfs OSi'4''
sas 4 c. Stedmsn. esq, author Oh sa'"e eo"@7'
1.-THE Diamond Wedding" shico reconuy appeaeu
in your pager, bsviig been shoat Tor Three OF 'out
a,,. ard actually found their way into one OF TIE
n.ysYs. and Mr. Bartlett having expressed his deter
ma a,iop 10 prosecute Mr.. Stedmsn for libel, 1t Is
De. med Advisable by Mr.. Stsdnans freDds 10 publish
a.. o,,,ssntpespce entire, with state Dent Of the
sireumttsnc.s, tnsr the public uay judge the merits
Of the case.
Ills proper 70 state that Mr. Bsr1st frat declared
h intention to publ ely cowhide Mr.. 5teduao bu, the
friend to whom be subsequently, referred the matter,
dsciped 70 have anything to DO with it, II he per-
sisted in this determination, and only took The matter
10 hand with the understanding tina, Mr. Bartlett was
10 conduct the affair in accordance with the code OF
honor.
With this understanding he consented TO act as Mr..
Bsrtlstes friend and the bearer Of the following
ssss 70 Mr.. stsd nan:
mo. J, oogs);v vou,,,,,,u..r Oct, ~ 1859
Mr. EpnUsDC SJEDNAs.-Sp nave Ju't seen
n TBE NV. YORK DAILY TRIBUsg Of this Gate an
article 10 verse, entitled The Diamond Wedding
an inc lib the iibe On The other eide OF JOrt4n
ard setting forth that It was written for The NEW
"YoKK TRBUsE by Edmuad &. edm,n."
The object OF this note is % inquire II you are the
Edmund G. S,tdtnsn referred To, end II 30, II the
a,hcls 20 entitled sriven and pusis5ed by you.
vsrJ respectfully, "AshS A. bAhILhiI'
To this note Mr.. Stedman Immediately made the
following reply, and Mr Adams was the bearer Of the
zane to Mr. Bartlett
mo. Q copy.l LOG EAST FOURTEENTH STREET,
Oct. 10, 1889. !
Capt WASHINGTON A. BARTLETT-Sr: Your
note OF the IS ust. has been handed me by your
Gietd, MIR. +. & A5sms. Inrepy, woulf say tn,t
am the Eopupd c. sedman referred to 10 your Letter,
aad the su'bor of Poem called 1.-THE Diamond We'd
ding" published in yeste, Days TRIBUsE.
have the honor 70 be your 9oed.1 u ssry.nt
EDMUND c. SFEDMAN
To Mr.. Stsdmsns reply, Mr.. Bartlett rejoinsd As
follow:
3gW ISL FOURTEENTH STREET, Jay, p. n.
S,r: BY your note Of this date, in reply - mine
Jon M Ce 20 10 yoo1
"leteJ, and the author OF poem called The Dia-
"'nord Wedding, published in yesterday TRIB-
"UsE."
have now to say that the Poem" "a, you term III
referred TO is gross libel upon several members of my
family and therefore offensive in the hghest degree.
That il false 10 its petendet relation OF TACT, con-
eeived NTH the cole obi ct of ridculpg sod p9s.
Bile, ceeraditg those whom you do not know, and Ii
&c, tiour 10 vulgar description and allosons.
Myself ard family whom you hsve thus iusu!ted
have ntrnoed themselves upon your notice; ADD
rucb conduct toward them your part can only be
aoped for by prompt and adequse satisfac ion.
It remeins to be seen whether you are dsposed to
nsle such an end as can be accepted
Nv friend Nj f. Z. Adams is fully authorized to oct
for me and waits opon vou With tins note
Respectfully, wAsHN A. sAhTLErf
Nj fbNvSD srEpmAS, JOG East Fourteenth sareet'
Accompanying this letter was the foosing extraor'
dpsry document which Mr.. Stedman asked to
Hsn:
al. Edmund c. Stedman Of New.York, having ai
us.d Ia Washington a Bartstt, ssq ss per my note
Of Oct. 10 mt, that an the Edguod u Stednsn
referred to in ysur (hs letter, aud the suthor of
Dc. m called The Diamond Wedding, Published in
yesterdays TRIBUNE nSlh Oct. inst do HEREBY
declare that publicly recall said poem fro N circaG-
f,rhid W lea deca at
said poem in s that relates to Sir. aud Mrs. Bartlett,
Mr. De Ovsdo, aud his bride, to be an entire perver'
sop tf the facts Of the case, aod utterly unworthy to
have been written or published by me at any time or
place. and much more Of parties whom do not know
ptIsonsy and who have not in any manner conducted
themselves as related by me in tina, poem
81 therefore make this public recaDt stion OF said
po.m sno apologize 10 Capt Bartlett and Senior de
Ov,do and their families for all alasions to them,
and the public for having written and published said
poem
At this stsge Of the correspondence, my own con-
Iec,iop with the affair commenced. was sent for on
Thursday evening, Oct. 20 by Mr. Stedman, who
showed me the above correspondence, and requested
me 70 oct a bis friend. After reaiing the letters,
told him there but construction to be placed
upon the matter and that, in my opinion, Mr.. Bart
let's letter Was a. diect al invitation as was ever
written either to sign the apology ne sent 70 fight
sduel Although VA opposed 10 tho dueO, had
no hesitation 10 oct, sn,e was satisfied that mao
Who could AK another to sacrifice his sersspect so
far as to sign the absurd and degrading apology he
had sent could not himself possess self respect enough
to stand to challenge. Furthermore, l supposed
Nj Bartlett possessed common sense enough TO kroE
tat To provoke sduel trivial matter, in a
uuni,y where dueipg vas held in adherence, would
be to subject himself to an amount OF ridcule aud
contempt be would be unwilling to incur. Further,
that since there was nothing in the poem deserving
the censure Mr. Bartlett had given it, there wss of
courte nothing to apologize for, and that in my opn-
ion the proper TO reply to this effect deny
ing the charges of Mr.. Bartlett and re usiDg any
spoloey.
Mr.. Stedmsn concurred in this view Of the MISTER,
and wrote the following reply, which l. his friend
delivered to Mr. Adams on Friday morning:
LOG East l4th-st, Wednesday evening, Oct. 10.
SIR: have this afternoon received, Through Mr.
Acan your note of yesterday evening, together wn
aremNksble document drswn up by yourself tor my
signature.
/ DO not know wh,ther to be more indignant a, the
unjust charges contained in the former, a. your
psoSuon that any man, under any snoe could
sfhx bic to paper absurd and degrading beyond
precedent -,
would or, ude an answer On my part bat have
word 20 esq IN deOi> Of your several allegations.
Ipst.sA Of beog ga .rcsr libel upon you your fam
ily 9Th. Diamond Wedding ssimply ssirics Poem,
published in a reputs ble journal showing the hunor.
QUE side Of even 9, which have been both town and
Newspaper talk fer an entire teasop.
The facts therein set forth are taken directly from
TIE public journals where ,eey have been alleged over
and over ssap without denial on the part OF yourself
or friends.
furthermore claim that, vhstever may b the
uers Of the poe in question, there Is rot line IN u
uhich sry pure miod sould deem "l centious in val
NJ sa haan q y rl.-dD 8