Bible into the native language, and prepared school-books and commentaries for native students. Princeton gave him the degree of D. D. in 1864.
OWEN, Joshua Thomas, soldier, b. in Caer-
marthen, Wales, 29 March, 1821 ; d. in Chestnut
Hill, Pa., 7 Nov., 1887. He emigrated to the
United States with his parents in 1830, settled in
Baltimore, Md., and was graduated at Jefferson
college in 1845. He was admitted to the bar in
1852, and established, with his brother Robert, the
Chestnut Hill academy for boys. He also practised
his profession, was in the legislature in 1857-9, and
in 1861 enlisted as a private in the 1st city troop.
He was shortly afterward elected colonel of the
24th Pennsylvania regiment, and, after three
months' service, organized and was placed in com-
mand of the 69th Pennsylvania. With this regi-
ment he participated in every battle that was
fought by the Army of the Potomac from Fair
Oaks to Cold Harbor, and he was promoted briga-
dier-general of volunteers for " gallant and meri-
torious conduct at the battle of Glendale " on 29
Nov., 1862. His appointment expired on 4 March,
1863, but he was appointed again on 30 March.
He was mustered out of service in 1864, returned
to the practice of law, and in 1866 was elected re-
corder of deeds of Philadelphia. He founded in
1871 the " New York Daily Register," a law jour-
nal, which became the official organ of the New
York courts in 1873, and he continued on its edi-
torial staff until his death.
OWEN, Robert, social reformer, b. in Newtown,
Montgomeryshire, North Wales, 14 May, 1771 : d.
there, 19 Nov., 1858. At the age of fourteen he be-
came a clerk, and four years later acquired an
interest in a cotton-mill near London. He married
in 1797 Anne Caroline, daughter of David Dale,
proprietor of the New Lanark cotton-mills, and
soon afterward became business manager of these
mills, which he conducted for many years with
success. While holding this place he introduced
rules for the working people which had for their
object the perfection of good behavior, cleanliness,
comfort, and innocent enjoyment. He published
his '* New Views of Society, in Four Essays, on the
Formation of Human Character" (London, 1813;
New York, 1825), became absorbed in these ideas,
and gave up his interests at New Lanark. In 1824
he came to the United States and purchased from
Frederick Rapp 20.000 acres of land, with dwellings
for 1,000 persons, on Wabash river, in Posey
county, Ind., intending to establish a community
there. The scheme, after a test of nearly three
years, proved a failure, and early in 1827 he re-
turned to Great Britain, where experiments of a
similar nature were made, but with equally un-
fortunate results. In 1828 he went to Mexico, on
the invitation of the government, to carry out his
experiment there, but effected nothing, because the
government insisted, in making the grant of land,
that the state religion should be Roman Catholic.
Mr. Owen continued to advocate his views both as a
writer and a public speaker, and his followers were
known as Owenites. In 1827 they were leaders in
the labor league, out of which sprang the chartist
movement. He visited the United States on several
occasions, and in May, 1828, held a public debate
with the Rev. Alexander Campbell, at Cincinnati,
on the " Evidences of Christianity," in which Mr.
Owen took agnostic ground. During his last
years he was a believer in spiritualism. His writ-
ings include " Observations on the Effect of the
Manufacturing System " (London. 1815) ; " Address
to the Inhabitants of New Lanark " (1816) ; " Tracts
Relative to the New Society " (1817) ; " Two Memo-
rials in Behalf of the Working Classes " (1818) ;
"Discourses on a New System of Society, with an
Account of the Society of New Lanark " (Pitts-
burg, 1825); "The Debate on the Evidences of
Christianity, the Social System, and Scepticism,"
including Mr. Owen's opening speech (2 vols..
Bethany, 1829) ; " Book of the New Moral World "
(London, 1836) : " The Marriage System of tlie New
Moral World " (Leeds, 1839) ; and '" The Revolution
in the Mind and Practice of the Human Race"
(London, 1849). See " The Life of Robert Owen,
written by Himself " (London, 1857-'8), and " Life
of Robert Owen," by Frederick A. Packard (Phila-
delphia, 1866) : also " Robert Owen and His Social
Philosophy," by William L. Sargent (London, 1860).
— His son, Robert Dale, author, b. in Glasgow,
Scotland, 7 Nov.. 1801 ; d. at his summer residence
on Lake George, N. Y., 24 June, 1877, was educated
under private tutors at home, and in 1820 was
sent to Emanuel
von Fellenberg's
school at Hofwyl,
near Berne, Switz-
erland, where he
remained three
years. In 1825 he
came to the United
States and aided
his father in his
efforts to found
the colony at New
Harmony, Ind. On
the failure of that
experiment he re-
turned to Europe,
and there spent
some time in study,
but returned to
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this country in 1827 and became a citizen. In November, 1828, he began in New York, with Frances Wright, the publication of "The Free Inquirer," a weekly paper, devoted to the promul- gation of pronounced socialistic ideas and the denial of the supernatural origin of Christianity. This journal was continued until 1832, when he returned to New Harmony. He was elected to the legislature of Indiana in 1835, and sat for three terms, during which, largely owing, to his influence, one half of that part of the surplus rev- enue of the United States that had been appro- priated to the state of Indiana was devoted to the support of public schools. He was sent to congress as a Democrat in 1843, and served twice, but was defeated for a third term. Mr. Owen, in January, 1844, introduced in congress a joint resolution rela- tive to the occupation of Oregon, which, though it failed at that session, passed during the next, and became the basis of the settlement of the northwestern boundary that was effected in 1846. He also introduced in December, 1845, the bill under which the Smithsonian institution was organized, and was made chairman of the select committee on that subject, having as a colleague John Quincy Adams, who had made two unsuccessful attempts in former sessions to procure action in the matter. He was afterward appointed one of the regents of the Smithsonian, as well as chairman of its building committee. His speeches in congress on the Oregon question, the tariff, and the annexation of Texas had a wide circulation. In 1850 he was chosen a member of the convention that assembled to remodel the constitution of Indiana, and was made chairman of its committee on rights and privileges, and then chairman of its revision committee. He was a member of the legislature in