The Express.
London, England, 1849-01-01 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 1, 184 .

that as a savage is of a piece of delleMerniehinery,
and that the knowledge that he possesses, if shared
by those in authority, would be sufficient to remove
all misery from the face of the earth. Ile has a clear
vision of an Utopia; he sees a land flowing with milk
and Loney, smiling with pesos and plenty—but he
can get no sane man above him to participate in his
ill u-ion. Maddened at the sight of that insensibility
which he believes produces the tyranny of his oppres-
ses, he determines to obtain by fora what be cannot
obtain by argument. He wishes to remove those in
authority, as so many noxious impediments standing
between him and happiness, and the result is a revo-
lution more or lees complete.
The publication named at the bead of our article
was put forward by the " Young Germany" party at
the time when every chance seemed in their favour.
It contains a tolerably correct account of the progress
of the revolutionary caw in France and Germany. The
sketches of the deinocratical literature which has
produced so powerful an effect in these two countries
are accurate and instructive. It will be found
that they fully bear out our assertion, that the philo-
sophy of poverty is the great object of attention
amongst the masses. To the fiercest denunciation of
the effects, the treatises of the professors of the new
philosophy or philosophies join a searching investiga-
tion into the causes of pauperism. The enormous
success of these works proves that the Proletariat is a
reading class, that no class of society are greater
patrons of literature than the foreign poor. The views
advocated by St. Simon, Fourier, Cabot, have not only
been promulgated widely by the sale of an im-
mense number of copies of the works of
these authors, but by newspapers established
for that purpose. The Globe, Ilemocratin Poci.
fique, and Populaire, severally laboured to com-
municate the doctrines of these writers in a form
calculated to make an impression on the readers of
the daily press. Ia addition to this, a crowd of
authors of various degrees of talent have devoted
themselves to an investigation of the causes and cure
of poverty. The French press for the list ten years
has teemed with publications of the kind. Too
many French writers have conceded the pos-
sibility of a regeneration of society. What
wonder then that the hungry Proletariat should seize
hold of the opportunity held out to him, by the exis-
tence of a rupture between the government and the
middle classes, and endeavour by rasing to the ground
all old institutions to obtain space for the establish-
ment of a new and faultless state? _ _ _

In Germany sim;lu results have taken place, al-
though greatly modified by tho national character.
While each French philosopher speculated indepen-
dently on the nature of social evils, and gave the world
the results of his investigations in u original a form
as possible, the Germane, on the contrary, laboured
to reduce all social phenomena under one general law.
Particu'ars do not suit the German mind ; it is always
endeavouring to rise to the conception of universate.
After a short time all the distinguished writers who
advocated the cause of a reconstruction of society, re-

ferred to too newest development of the Hegelian I
philosophy for the fundamental principles of their
theories. A consistency and consequentiality was
thus given to their doctrines, which is not so apparent
in those of French writers. The reference to a philo-
sophy which is considered by the majority of pro-
found thinkers in Germany as the highest form in
which the exposiiion of truth has yet appeared, at-
traded universal attention, and a crowd of eager dis-
ciples was formed amongst the German students. The
new doctrines were mou'ded into a shape which re-
ceived the name of Humanism. They were advocated
with eloquence by numerous writers, but parti-
cularly by Huge, Feuerbach attl
The irreligious features of Humanism we noticed in a
review of I'roudhon's Essay on the Observance of the
Sabbath. It denies the possibility of any knowledge
not founded on the na•ure of man. As, however,
three conclueions are not arrived at without much ab-
struse rcasonicg, it is but fair to infer that the Ger-
man socialists were actuated more by a recollection of
political wrong, end by the el, q'rent pictures of social
regeneration laid before them by the professors of Hu-
manism. Tree political portion of the new science is,
indeed, more complete than anything of the kind in
French treatises on similar subjects. Bat it would
not be worth our entering upon the subject here. The
German reader may be reterred to the work at the
hear: of this article, or to the publications of Huge and
Few erect].
Our intention has been to direct the reader's atten-
tion to the new aspect of the modern Proletariat. It
thinks, and specula'es, and read-, and writes. It has
its own literature, its own philosophy ; and has
given proofs of its force and of its weakness. It :las be-
come the duty, as wt II as the interest, of every govern-
ment, of every memberof the middle and higherclasses,
to endeavour to and. rstand the meaning of these
wants that are now burr ing in the hearts of millions?
Instead of 'omit.; at the Utopia of the poor man,
ought we not to expose of it what is fallacious, and
refire the follies of tie perverse by other arguments
than either the rneer or the sword ? Ought not our
daily endeavour to be to break down as many as
possible of the mischievous class-barriers which
keep the various portions of society as distinct
as so many nations, and, letting the poor know more of
the rich, show them that, even if wealth could be
evenly distributed, much would be wanting before
society could be regenerate As long as this is not
done we shell have the lower orders looking on the
higher as oppressors. Revolution may be staved off
by force, but revolutionary feeling wi❑ 'still smoulder
in life; and the lords of society will be able to
make merry in the temple of their idol only because
the blind Samson of the Proletariat has not groped
his way to the " pillars whereon his house standeth."

to amend the hokum sheet after the bankrupt bad puled,
arising, no doubt, out of the difficulty he felt in asking fur
his certificate on sash a statement of his affairs. Were such
a Gonna permitted, the greatest abuses would be sanctioned.
In this ease, the IMAM would mutely Bodies to pay the court
expenses; he had kept no books, and the statements of
profits and expenses were evidently estimated. The legis-
lature had never meant that such a person should have the
advantage of coming to this court on his own petition ; this
bankrupt had in 1846 given a bill of sale to a person named
Slater ; and not until that party had taken possession, did
he choose to come to the court, knowing perfectly well that
his property could not then be recovered by his other credi-
tors. The cue wu one which required to be severely marked
by the reprehension of the court. The cerLifivate u nit be
suspended two yeah from the date of the flat, and in the
event of his arrest, no order of release to be granted till be
had been in prison six months.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT....SxIvitroAM.
Before the Chlef Commissioner.
IN BE R. TWIIIB.—RLILIVAT SPROULATIONB.—This pe
titioner, a lawyn's clerk, was opposed in his application for
a final order by Mr. Nichols. Ile was supported by Mr.
Cooke. The aggregate amount of deb"s set forth in the
schedule was 19,0001., of which 13,0001. were for liabilities
incurred on account of railway speculations, with 'dick the
insolvent had been very notoriously mixed up. A proposal
of 601. a year out of a teary of 2601. was mule to the bond
fide creditors, with which they expressed themselves sutisfled,l
and a final order was accordingly granted.
Before Mr. Creisogrtoorr law.
Ix Si J. 11. Bnowsen.--This petitioner, who was opposed
on his first appearance by eev.ral creditors, came up to
judgment. Several of the parties who bad formerly bjected
to an immediate discharge had since withdrawn their oppo.
sitikm • but one named Yeatherd, a wine merchant, still
persisted in his complaint of a debt having been cou raced
with tam without any probable means of settlement; and a
remand of seven months at the suit of Mr. Teethe. d, and of
three months at the suit of the general body of creditors, was
consequently recorded by the commissioner. These remands
are concurrent,