New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-09
THE BUTLER DINNER
10 me Editor Of The Walton.

To the Editor Of The Nation , A., ,,oot
SIR: suppose that YOU as wei Rno oS presided at
90 ,nantind are quite az 10 ,,ce Gree
that Butler dinner" long rs y wa re Nation aud
ley Bni, as ny p p ~ an occasion which mas
again been made the subject OF some 10 Apologies TO
will you allow me- while MOI tesf pt%nec Of conscience
about The matter TO Few Wend the dinner 10 Mr.
An hy'Sn o@sared was about to leave inc county
ms ul-Gencral TO Egypt ~ who IT, believe
Inc INVITATION ctd ~ yirtnOus and respectable VINO
was never 80 Jar know I ,yorn md known as
the commandnenISy writer with Butler himself was
learned anu limited never having seen MN, ana
entirely % OF him except that he had received an
impoTtant official az mem t NJ i,od time fonnd
ON ~ What are called distinguished individuals
ulJoniatiyes Of the bench and BAR wall men anu
editors and writers ron noo nted fro from TE
Daner Offices IN the city You nave quotnn IA. ,ba
RgItRuSE The of few OF them put beslde tese
asTGT wSTo P %y To the master Of told
ye fIat Mr. Greeley who had been asked 10 preside
could not attend, and that must take hls place.
Now, these being the circuhlsttnC M's 'o
editor who took part IN the affair guilty OF any tnln9
should be hold responsible for the Ghrao'e' ipa
aud anecedents Of those with whom ne Sis aJ Ape' as
host or gnest. Look, then, at a few experiences.
A short time before the Butler dinner, attended
public banquet at DelmOnlcos 10 Chafles DeheIs, at
which Horace Greeley presided, and at which iouh1
the editor Of The Nation ana many oller % NY ai
confTeres. Did we, by our presence luOTse te
or marital virtue Of Dickens or the nor'y OF eic''ns
influence of his wOIksi 50, 49,. A.
About the same time attended public dinner 70
views Did did Mr.. Brayant aud the other epnDii
cans there indCrse by presence senator Cassey
politics. Certainly not in the atter-dlnner speeches
About the same time l attended puOnc ulhher 70
military general for whose genius ana career hu inc
most exalted admiration. Did compromise myself
In short may not an editor other person DC oitem
called on TO take part in affairs At which nc VIII meet an
sorts OF people Could not one attend dinner 10
Perices without justyng hs private life, or 10 Dante
without accepting his religious ideas, or 10 Jean fau
without admitting his style, or TO Capt Nolan NItnou AZ
proving the cavalry charge INTO the mouth OF he WHICH
Iepnyson once supposed he had made 7 Couldnt sou
ACCEPT an invitation from the Pope without being q
Catholic or send to Meternch without being an ap-
solutis would not attend f6te In honor OF Cangul
because believe he was bad man; nor IN hohoI Vi
George Francis Train, because consider MN quach
| wish could make this note shorter; OUT, IN ciOIng,
must relieve The Times from an imputatlon OF 1HE
TRIBUNE. Before the affair in question: my edltoIiai
connection with The Times had been dissolved go that u
was In no wise responsible for my presence IN the place
previously assigned TO Mr.. Greeley. JOIN SHlNIoN'
Ne0 York, July 49, 1872.
MR. SwintOn's accuracy would have been better
worthy of his logic but for his mistake IN the last
paragraph If he win refer to the lmputation" III
question, we believe he will find that 1t was not
made by The TRIBUNE, nor in any way youched for,
unless like thousands of Others by quotation, duly
credited to the widely circulated paper from which
IL was taken I'll