New-York daily tribune., 1861-06-11
A CARD FROM ROBERT DALE OWEN
CORRECTION.

Since the Editor of The TRIBUNE declines alike to
publish that article of mine which called forth bis
structures and my reply to these structures perhaps he
wi at least, give to state the bare facts in
this case.
l. That, In commenting his article, copied the
whole context giving him the benefit of the condi-
ions under which he thought Baltimore ought to be
destroyed by shot and shell.
9. That the words which he accused me Of making
him say were literally contained in his original arti-
Gle quoted entire by me, but By him, in repro
ducng that article omtsd; four asterisks being sub.
stituted for the paragraph containing them.
3. That my argument was that in civilized warfare,
no circumstances arise las King Francis of Naples
learned to his cost that will justify ndiscriminae
slaughter without distinction OF age sex, or OF In
nocent and guilty and that such slaughter the
essary concomant of shelling popuous city.
4. That, in arguing such a difference Of opinion,
abuse il out of place.
To one fault confess, namely: TO have devated
from the good European practice Of addressing ed
itor, not pers,n. Ny apology is is accus-
toned 80 intimately to associate The IRIBUsE and
NJ. Greeley that almost forgets though ought
mott that they are not interchangeable terms.
column Of abuse in The TRIBUNE Of June s. thai Mr..
Greeley not even the article 10 question until after
it was printed. would, at any time, willingly take
double the amount of vtuperaton thus bestowed, TO
be assured that an old friend vino had behaved
dlshonorably to guiitless also in this case.
Gladly do take back all that referred to him in my
original article substituting, in his place the editorial
shade, be be who he may, who has forgotten that the
nd hot, fba old I1e
horrors of war there are Of cruelty ablor
rent alike TO Civilization and Christianity from which
our Government despite violent counsels pressed upon
ii has scrupuIousy abstained and which Govern
ment can permit itself without justly losing the sym
pathy of the good and degrading in the eyes Of the
world the nation over which il presdes.
ROBERT DALE OWEN.
Philadelphia, June 8, 1861.
Comments.
Mr.. Owen has no warrant whatever for assum-
ing any dissent on my part from the position
taken in the article of The TRIBUNE with which
he most impertnently connected my name in his
former structures. His attention was simply
called to breach of propriety and good manners
on his part, which, since he so frankly admits
it, demands no further remark.
He now presents the true ground on which he
is al issue with The TRIBUNE-namely, his as.
sumption that - civilized warfare no circvm-
stances can arise " that will justify the sheiDg
| of great city like Baltimore. | take issue
with him distinctly and decisiyely on this
| point. The bon moardment of Baltimore would be
terrible necessity; but if the traitors in that
city rise against the Union and attempt TO ex-
pei the patriot forces | trust il io,H be shelled
if necessary, aud hold that the rebels. not the
Unionsts will be guilty of all the blOodshed thus
melted. Smelling a reyoted city differs in no
essential respect from firing on mob which is
stoning and killing patriot troops, as was most
rshteously done by the Massachusetts Volunteers
in Baltimore on the 10Th of April, and BY the
Union Volunteers in -. Louis on snbsequent
occasion. To say that - under no circum-
" stances" shall this extreme measure be re-
sorted to, is to proffer impunty TO skukng
rebels and cowardly assassns. If King Francis
only bombarded Palermo when she was in
fagrant, defiant rebellion, and when his troops
bad been driven from her streets by mushet-
shots from her windows, he was no more to
blame than the French for cannonading Rome, or
(save that his cause was bad) the Sardinans in
bombardng Gaeta.
The pinch of the case is just here: To shell a
city in order to punish defeated, broken-down
rebellion, would be a cruel, needless destruction
of the innocent with the guilty; 10 do the same
thing when necessary to put down a rampant.
formidable, atrocious insurrection, and save the
Nation, would be justifable and right. Mr..
Owens former article deliberately, injuriOusly
ignored this vital, palpable distinction. IL. C.
A QuAGnIRr UsDER PRIMARY ScHooL.-Pr