The Sun. — London, England, 1819-04-15 00:00:00

An ADDRESS to the WORKING CLASSES Them.,ly intelligent in Europe and America., be .their "ence when publiely called ripen, now t trit h Ot those priuciples which I heye edvocati d as preirninary to the introduction of a new s\ eit.en for the goverumeot of mankind.— tl.thelto, no individual, either in this cooetry rir abroad, who possesses any knowledge (if the h e ory Hi, pr ar:t ice of eorerning men, or of lot m- in 4 their.ch,r.,!cter, has totempied to prove error in any one of ► he pi incipl,s d e veloped in the " new view of ,rociei V." Ou close examination, tio.y :rue all troind to' be nature's laws, and therefore on2 , sailable. 7 1et all men have from infancy been forced to think and act as it other notions were true; and, ns they have never seen :my part of mankied placed under tirenmstances in which they could act On li,ose principles hich they are now obliged to admit are true in theory, they very naturally, from past experience, conclude, that, although the principles of the " new system" are capable of the most evident demonstration, they cannot be applied to practice. All this, however, means no more than that they who come to this conclusion are incompetent to reduce cor rect principles into beneficial practice : and the persons who thus hastily decide without having sufheient data on which to form any accurate iiidgment, •woold have made the same landed 'assertion respecting any of the great improve rite nts in scieece, prior to their introduction. — Such individuals forget that i: is a modern ioven tion to en a ble one man, with the aid of a ldtle steam, to perfor'm the labour of 1000 men. ‘Vhat wolin these unbelievers in huutau improvemeot ► say if the truths of the Copernican system were now, lot the first time, to 'be introduced to their notice ? But we will leave theta to brood over their melancholy fancied wisdom, until facts shall overcome their disbelief ; for the time is at hand when they Nvill behold with astonishment the simplicity anti beautiful order of those movements, the eo mbro it tion of which they now deem to be impossible. Yet before this change, so much to be desired by you and by every other cliss, from the 'tidiest to the lowest, can be perniitted to take place, one formidable obstacle must be re mot/I'd. From infancy, you, like others, have been made' to despise and to hate those who differ from you in manners, language, and sentiments. You 'rave been filled with all uncharitableness, and, in con sequence, cherish feelings of anger-tdwards your fellow-men who have been placed in opposition to your interest. Those feelings of anger most be withdrawn before any being; who has your real interest at heart, can place power in your bands.- You must be made to know yourselves, by which means alone you can discover what other men are. You will then distinctly perceive, that no rational ground for auger exists, even against these. who, by the errors of the present system, have Irken made your greatest oppressors and your most bitter entmies. An endless multiplicity of circumet ancet, over which you had not the smallest controul, placed you where you are, and as you ate.. In the same manner others of your fellow men have been lot toed by circumstances, equally uncontroulable by them, to become your enemies and grievous oppressors. In strict justice they are no more to he blamed for these results than you are, nor you than they; and splendid as their exterior may be, this state of matters often causes them to suffer even more poignantly than you. They have therefore an interest, strong as your's, in the change which is about to .commence for the equal benefit of all, provided you do not create a more formidable counteracting interest on their parts ; of which the result must be, to prolong time existing misery of both classes, and to retard the public good. The existing order of things has placed some of your fellow-men in situations of power and emo lument, and in the possession of privileges on which they have been taught to - set a value.— While you shew by your conduct any desire vio lently to disposses them of this ! t ower, these emo• lunments and privileges, is it not evident that they must continue to regard you with jealous and hos tile feelings ?. That the contention between the rich and the poor will never have an end, and that whatever relative changes may take place amongst you, there will - ever be the same oppres sion of the weak by the party who has attained to power. Before your condition can be ameliorat ed, this irrational and useless contest must cease, and measures must he adopted in which both par ties may have a substantial interest. Then' will anger aged opposition subside, anti those arrange ments which now appear impracticable to the in experienced be carried most easily into practice. And these changes are 'at hand ; for a clisis - has strived new in the history of mankind. The ex perience of ages has now developed truths which demonstrate, " that all men have been forced by she Circumstances which have surrounded them from birth, to become mere irrational • and lo calized animals, and who, inconsequence, have been compelled to think and eel on data directly opposed to facts, and; of course, to pursue mea snres destructive alike of their own happiness and of the happiness of human nature." I am well aware of the feelings which the developetnefit of this truth will at first excite in those who are now deemed rich, learned, and powerful, and in all tho,e who have been taught to imagine that they possess some knowledge. This troth, however, is not thus -declared to inflict unnecessary pain on a siogie human being. On the contrary, it is held up to the light of the world, solely to shew man kind the first step of knowledge - which can lead them to rationality, and out of the ignorance and tv,iiery in which they have hitherto existed. The, pain which the development of this all-important tint'h must create will be transient, and pass away without real injury to any one ; - while the sub stantial benefits which it will pKoduce perpetttally- experienced by the whole of human !wore .through all succeeding generations. It is front a thorough -kn,owedge of this' troth, and of the infinite benefici.l consequences which will re sult to mankind font its being universally known,. !hat I nowlyring it before your minds, not as an t,b . - trit et theory to amuse speculative men, but to itlVw you the source of all the errors which efflict society, and which must be removed lodate your condition can he ameliorated. There is no know led;:e except this which can make human nature truly benevolent and kind to the whole of the species, and. wi.h the certainty of a mathemati cal demonstration, render all men charitable, in the mo,t enlarged and best sense of the term. It will force on the human mind the conviction that to blame and to be angry with our fellow-mentor the evils which exist, is the very essence of fol ly and irrationality, and that \ notions whicb can give rise to such feelings never c ould en t e r i n to the companion of any human being that had been once made rational. Are . you then prepared to hok upon all your fellow-creatures in power, and out of power, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, good and bad; as beings formed solely by the circumstances of their birth, and who have been made as they are, what ever they may he, front causes which exclude th e poisihnity of the smallest controul on their parts, in the formation of those fAcidries and qualities they ni , iy happen to possess ? If you cannot see d co mpr ehend this truth, then is the time,not yet come for your deliverance' from the depths of mental datkness and physical misery. But I trust the light is not now too strong for you to receive without injury ; for I have been gradtially pre paring- you for years for its reception ; and it the experience which I have been permitted to acquire of human nature does not very much deceive me, it is not now a premature disclosure. It you then can bear to be told that human beings, possess lug • the most attractive fotm, and the highestin tellectual attainments, which die world has ye secs, can justly claim no other appellation than that of localized animals , peculiar to some of the innumerahle districts Into which irrationality has drvided the world, and if your minds can now comprehend the principles which place this truth among those which are capable of the easiest de moustration, then is the time of your deliverance from mental slavery come, and the period is proaching when you may acquire some title to be concidered as rational creatures. If you are in this adaneed mental state, so much to be desired for your happiness, then you will at once cease to blame others for the evils which you sutler ; anger, revenge, and hatred, almost to the very recollection of then:, will be withdrawn Iron: your feelings ; you will not loner dissipate all your energies in attempting to find the cause of your miseries among any of your fellow-men, and thus destroy your minds and tl►ap piness by erecting unceasing useless irritation. No. In all respects your. conduct will become the vet y reverse of this. - You will regard all your fellow-men without distinction, as beings who are soon to become your friends, and active co operators in the attainment of the substantial happiness to which human nature is evidently de stined. You will say to those who are now in possession of riches, houours, ptewer, and privi leges, which they have been [-aught to value, " retain these in perfect security, as long as you can hold them in estimation ; our whole conduct and proceedings shall he a pledge to you that we will never attempt to dispossess you of any part of them ; nay, while you can derive pleasure from -additional wealth, we will add to that which you now' possess. The cause of con test between us will henceforth cease. We have discovered its irrationality and titter use lessness. We will not, except to acquire expe rience from it, recur to the past, in which all have been compelled to act an irrational part ; but we will earnestly apply ourselves to the fu ! ture ; aod having discovered the light of true knowledge, we will henceforward walk by it." All this you may with confidence say to the higher classes, whose supposed privileges you will soon cease to envy. For, without entering into contest with them ; without infringing •u any of the imaginary privileges which prior cir cutustauces have,placed in the:r hands, a new view of your interests shall be speedily.opened to you, by ►which, without interfering with the rights of army class, without exciting any feeling of oppo sition to your proceedings, you shall be enabled to relieve yourselves and your descendants from poverty, from ignorance, and from the innumer able causes of misery to which you have hi therto been victims. When you shall thtis be enabled to understand your real interests, you will have no desire for any of the fancied advantages now possessed by the higher classes. Had those who are of this order in the civilized world been permitted to discover what human nature really is, they would have distinctly known long, ago, that by being raised, as it is termed, to time privileged ranks, they are placed under circumstances which render their successors, except by some extraor dinary chance, increasingly useless to themselves and to• society. They are taught from infancy to set an inordinate value on themselves,, because they possess what are miscalled privileges, the only real effect of which is to surround them by circumstances wt:ich must inevitably make them more helpless and dependent than other men.— They are trained from the cradle (and therefore' cell for our pity, not blame) to take pride to themselves for pestling me►msures which deprive the great mass of nranl.iu d of the most essentiel benefits that belong to human nature, ,in order that they, a most insignificant part in point of numbers, may be distinguished by advantages over their fellows. The feelings which this ab surd conduct generates throughout society, keep the whole population of the world in a lower de gree of enjoyment and rationality than most of the animal creation. They are the very essence of ignorant selfishne... .You will now soon pass this error. You will discover that there is no compariso') between the result of such conduct and the p.elasure to be derived from the most active exertions to give to all your fellow-creatures the same privileges and benefits which you your 'selves possess, and, by this means, so far increase the'aggt egate of human enjoyment, that ti►e least gifted member of society will experience a larger share of continued and permanent happiness than has hitherto fallen to the lot of time most fortu nate. The motives -which lead to the former conduct are altogether irrational, and will not bear ►he glance of an enlightened mind ; while those which -will compel you to adopt the latter are in unison with every sound principle and just feeling, and defy•time most rigid scrutiny to detect in them any error. Let me, however, guard you against a mistake - which exists t 9 a great extent among the unprivileged orders. The privileged classes of the present day, throughout Europe, are not, as this mistake supposes, influenced so much by a desire to keep you down as by an anxiety to retain the means of securing to them selves a comfortable. and respectable enjoyment of life. Let them distinctly perceive that the ame liorations which you are about to experience are not intended - or calculated to inflict any real in., jury on them or their posterity, but on the con trary, that the same Measures which will improve you, must, as they assuredly will, essentially be nefit theat,, and raise them in the scale of happi , ness and intellectual enjoyment, and you will speedily have tbeir co-operation to carry the con templated-arrangements into effect. it must be satisfactory to you to learn, that 1 have had the most evident proofs from many individuals high in these classes, that they have now a real desire to improve your condition ; but, from the un fortunate situation in which . they have been placed by birth, *they cannot, of themselves,. devise measures by which you can be benefited, and - their own circumstances improved. Such changes must poceed from pfactical men. Wkat has been said is sufficient for your minds to digesl - at; time. When you are prepared to receive moist, it shall be given to you. Heed not whit men, with fanciful theories and without practicalknowledo, may say to you. Many of them, 1 have no \ doubt, mean well. But, be as sured, that whatevo tends to irritation and vio lence, proceeds tr 4 the most gross ignorance of human nature, and' evinces an utter inexperience in those practical Measures by which alone so ciety can be reliey l ed from the evils which it has so long suffered: My fixed intention has long been to devflOne truths, which it is of the ut most importance to the. well being of mankind to make publicly known at this period; an d I have been gradually preparing the public, mind to re ceive them. IVhere great darkness has ever ex isted, a sodden admission of strong light would destroy the infant powers of vision. Thlesi the most salutary truths, when they arc opposed to centuries of prejudice, are introduced- with due care to those whose miatls have wandered in a labyrinth of error from their birth, the tender germ of rationality would likewise perish, and ignorance and misery must continue to prevail over knowledge and happiness. As you become acquainted with these truths, one after the other, your long injured minds will acquire strength, and your rat tonal powers gt adually expand, until that knowledge of human nature, which now ap pears so incomprehensible to you, will discover itself to be-as simple - MS — a - 0y of the other facts which surround you, and with which you are now the most familiar. Wha,t I have now stated, is intended to prepare the public mind for the following conclusions :- Ist. That the rich and the poor, the governors and the governed, have really but one interest. 2d. That the notions and arrangements, which at present prevail throughout society, are neces sarily destructive of the happiness of all ranks. - . 3d. That a correct knowledge of human nature will destroy all animosity and anger among men, and prepare the way for new arrangements which wilt be introduced without violence, and without injury to any party, and which will effectually re move the cause from which all the errors and evils of society now proceed. 4th. That the higher classes in general, no longer wish to degrade you, but in any change that may be proposed for your benefit, they demand only that advantages' should be secured to them, at least equal to those which they now possess, and this feeling.is quite natural, it would be yours if you were in their - situation. sth. That you now possess all the means which are necessary to relieve yourselves and your de scendants, to the latest period, from the sufferings Which you have hitherto experienced, except the knowledge how to direct those means. 6th. That this knowledge is withheld from you only until the violence of your irritation against your fellow-men shall cease ; that is, until you thoroughly understand, and are influenced in all your conduct by the principle, " That it is the circumstances of birth, with subsequent surround ing circumstances, all formed for the individual, (and over which society has now a complete con tronl) that have hitherto made the past genera tions of mankind into the irrational creatures ex hibited in history, and fashiOned theta up to the present hour into those localized beings of coun try, sect, class, and party, who now compose the population of the earth." 7th and Lastly. That the past ages of the world prest'nt the history of !Inman irrationality only, and that we are but now advancing towards the dawn of reason, and to the period when the mind of man shall be born again. New Lanark, March 29, 1819. ROBERT OWEN. SUICIDE.—An Inquisition was taken before TFIOMAS SHELTON, Esq. Coroner, at the Bull public-house, New . Diver-road, Newington, on the body of a female, whose name is unknown, who was found hanging.—On the evening of Fri day week, Miss Partici., who possesses a number of houses in Newington, was accosted by the de ceased,' who told her she had just come to town from Woolwich, and hail no lodging or friends in London. Miss Portier told her she had an empty house, and she would partly furnish it and let it to her. The deceased went to the bOuse, received the key,and paid a week's rent in advance ; on the suc eeeding days she was seen going in and out frequent ly, and she purchased some articles of furniture of tradesmen in the neighbourhood, one of whom was on the Jury, and described her conduct as wild; and her language as incoherent. On Monday the de— ceased was not seen by the neighbours , . Miss Pottier found the house door locked, and when she knocked she received no answer; she em ployed a man to get in at the chamber window, who, on opening the kitchen door, found the de ceased suspended by a sitk handkerchief from a bolt of the door ; her knees nearly touched the ground ; her clothes were. considerably burnt; . it appeared that the deceased had put a candle on a chair near her, which, on burning dowr4, set the rushes on fire, and communicated to her clothes, but did not consume them entirely.—Verdict— " The deceased came to her death by suspending herself with a handkerchief, being , at the time de ranged in her misad,". LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Aram 14. This day Chief Justice ABBOTT sat in Gni 4l 7' hall, to try several Special Jury Causes left at - th° -last sittings. action V. INNIS. • This was an on a policy of insurance on., the Carlotta, front Copenhagen to London. Tb e i Carlotta was laden with ba!e goods, cobalt, A" watches, put on board at Copenhagen. 'rite ves: sel sailed on the 25th of May, I SI 6, and rnee ti "q with bad weather ten days after, the crew were obliged to quit her, and save their lives in hvat-5 off the Naze of Norway. • The action was brought against the Defendm g r to recover a loss amounting to 1501. The (Idol ° was, that this was an attempt to defraud the th" derwriters. There never had been any waie bel or cobalt put on board, and the ship bad, more over, been sunk by design.' A witness was called to proYe the facts. lie stated that he had been employed to effect the Po licies, and defraud the Underwriters, by empty chests on board, instead of cobalt ou watches, and that the owner had offered the Car fain of the Carlotta 1001. and the Mate 50L, to sink the vessel. Another witness was called, to prove tha t re rough weather followed the sailing of the ' 6 '4 lotta. The plaintiff endeavoured to 'resist thl testimony by calling the Mate - again into the bolt.. He denied the truth of the evidence for t he fi ve fendunt, and deposed that he had been offered 0 ; hundred dollars if he would state there was cobalt or watches on board, which he refuse d ' The Jury found a Verdict for the defendant. s The above cause occupied the Court seven 110" POLICE INTELLIGENCE. THE ROBBERY AT THE BULL AND MOUTH' mANsioN-HousE.:—Yesterday, Wrn. Crelethe6° well-known character, was brought op an d 0 1 derwen , s, t ,an examination, charged „ susp icion O l stealing from the Bull and Mouth Tap, B ali ' l „, r Mouth-street, a basket, in which were (w° P o . ; cols, containing eleven thousand pounds, in bi ; -- t: Bank of England, and Local Bank n otes, ` t ' i 'n t had been left in the bar for a few minutes O r Guard to the Old Fly Worcester Coach , while went to time his bill at the Office. Her ecciv t : S et the parcels for the house of Sir William C"' ~, and Co.—(The leading particulars of this robbcl; we r have already stated.) William Taylor, an Officer of Aldersgate, Obj: served the prisoner, on the morning of the ": 0 1 berg, standing at the corner of Little afterwards loitering about-St. Martin's-lc-141. close to Bull and Mouth-street. 11,100111 Edward Viles, who keeps the Bull an—A Tap, deposed, that on the 30th March, abo ut . 4 eleven o'clock in the forenoon, the m orning u left tberep the robbery, After the parcel had be n , h cline that the prisoner Crowther, as he ",.°6l"-t" ,here into the tap, and called for a thC: was another man close by. Witness went to - .01 fire-place, and taking out .the hot poker, 1" it up stairs to set light to another fire `teato,l, away from alp bar about a minute and a half , ° 4 upon his return found the two men gone, lea part of their beer (little as they had) un drin'''. The exact contents of the parcels, we O de ,j, ' glass Or ate. stand, were about 70001. in bills and drafts , fi . c i, the remaining 40001. in Bank-notes, of wfbble 9001. were Bank of England.- The negou 3 d in bills and - drafts were, since the robbery, fon t/ na an area or yard in Sherborne-lane. Th e p ris°" ' was remanded for further examination. 1-.11 BOW-STRRET.—Yesterday Charles 1 11 " -- 7,, ' was brought to the Office by Charles HorDPr",.ol, the (-unstable, charged with attempting ° several of the company coming oot of CO"e,:ce• Garden Theatre, et the close of t h e pefforout 1- on Tuesday night. 'He was committed for examination. bcc ia CoCrn' HATTON-GARDEN..—.YCSteTtIay Th° l7-- , 1 job" wall, William Clark, James Clark, 611 pl - J o l l a Smithers, were' brought up in the custodY tsvo Limblick and Edward Read, officers, we 61.6 former for a final, and the t latter f°r a itt ° examination, charged with being COrn in°ll terers of forged Bank of England notes. COM. MAltli.E'r, APRIL 14. Prlc e ' de nips at 'Market. SW ps sold. a to 4 15. • gi ll 76 Newca5t1y.............39 .. si a. Ou• - os. A_ 18 Sunderland ... y ci d to 0.1 ...33%. • ......S. A, Od• t I 7 '' 1 Stone Coal .........0 ..........—S• ' ...-"S' • 2 CUirn ....4 2 .....335. oil. to______:„.---" BIRTH. di ' 4 On the 7th inst. at Tain, Ross-shire, N. B. the l'a e - Captain Grant, 78th Highland Regiment, of a daughlt`. MARRIED. I . ' Ati i ‘ e On the 13th inst. Robert Bratty, M. D. to Rehr ec .. 3 0 : Ili ° eldest daughter of Captain Wilhiuson, late::f... the Battalion. • DIED. ta rtlet, On the 14th inst. in Tavistock-street, Cov ent. " • f ,one o. Richard Miles, in his 791 h year. On Tuesday evening . last, NIG Richa rd Thel'P' Cockspur-street, in his 65th year. F.,,,005., °" PROVINCIAL BIRTHS, MARRIAGES , / 11‘'D l ' i , BIRTHS. .as of d Lately, in Rutland-square, Dublin, th e l ' : ' Sy on ne, , Esq. of a son eir. g the 7th instant, an in h North Cumberland -street, p übl itt, Mrs. I. Williams, of a daughter. • MARRIED. r _ Tiw iltra't On Monday last, at St. John's, Chester, lkfr. F. " ,fishes. : Master of Earl Grosvenor's school, to Misslioltord, 1" of Countess Grosvenor's scl►ool. ",., tor, of • Same day at S.lll - I S Mr. Thonias .taY , . 1.. , . ( ESCOIII ), . lISSCX, Cranbrouk, to Mies Ades, of Seildlescornh. . ----..5..- --- DIED. • BoylleY, "°c ~r rcbtrk On the the 7th inst. at Wribbetiliall H hoota s 'ouse; tershire, Elizabeth, third datightex o f the late 'ward, Esq. of Seed•green, in that county. Lately, William Hey, Esq. F.R.S. of Chester sc Tile i On Sunday se'liniglit at 'Tull, aged 35 Juba * 30 1 deceased was in the nie ' 7 t a lto niorable en.gagement a teb ec ' • fought under the command of the brave Wolfe. Lately, at Hibaldstowe, near Brigg, Yorkshire, 1 " .1. * . 5 . . England, aged 60, who was with Captain Cook wheallC eras killed at the island of Owyhee by the Ihdiaus. -- . • _.----" r.: 0 LONDON: Printed by J. B. 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