The Sun.
London, England, 1822-01-24 00:00:00

T it URSDAY, JANUARY 24, 1822

tionally either misrepresent the collective sense
of Mr. MarthuS's Essay, or, lay an unfair stress
upon any single passage which might be con-
strued to thedisadvantage of his humanity. Ile
must not, however, be angry with' me if I now
and then play with some' of his expressions.
Upon the Whole, it appears to me that Mr.
Malthus is no more morally censurable for the
policy which he has recommended than are the
rulers of mankind, and the superintendauts of
education, when they inflict a certain portion of
immediate pain in order to prevent the occur-
rence of a greater evil in future life. I- have no
quarrel with his motive: but I hope to shew that
we shtill best attain the very end he has in view
by pursuing a course widely different from that
which he has recomMended-=nay, the very re-
verse of it. I shall in this letter prove, from
Mr,: Malthus's own. W:',y•::e,'-that whateVer may
be the power of man%ind fa multiply their num.-
bers, that power is coutroulable by other causes
than vice and misery.
In the edition of .Mr. Malthus's Essay, quoted
by Mr. Godwin., he says, " I do not see how it
is possible Jo escape - the rcoticlusion, that moral
restraint iS 'the-strict line of duty.—At the same
time I believe that few:of my readers Can be less
sanguine than I an, i 4 their expectations of any
sudlen and great ch nge in the general conduct
Ville)? on this subject" and the chief reason why,
in the last chapter, 1, flowed myself to suppOse
the universal_prel:'i4, e of this virtue was, that
I might endeavour 'tizi remove any imputation on
the goodness of'. eity," by supposing (adds
1
Mr. Godwin) soinAhl g that would never. take
place.— Now when w • note that Mr. Malthus
was not speaking of a: gradual, but of .a sudden
and great change, the comment of Mr. Godwin
does not appear to be very appropriate.
Mr. Godwin and Mr. Malthus 'both agree in
perceiving much evil in the world, and in wishing
to remove it. The one thinks that the remedy
is to be found in revising those political institu-
tions which militate against a more equal distri-
bution of the ' goods of life : while the other
fancies that he sees in a single fact, namely, in
the tendency of population to outgrow the means
of subsistence, the deep seated cause of all our
miseries, in comparison with which the causes
originating in political institutions were as feathers
and straws that float upon the surface of the stream.
I very much doubt whether Mr, Godwin him-
self was more sanguine in hoping that the causes
of evil arising from the selfishness of mankind,
and from those institutions which secure to cer-

tain individuals the advantages which they now
enjoy over others, would be suddenly and greatly
changed by the principles of benevolence which
it was the object of his system to establish in so-
ciety, than Mr. Malthus wasp that a paolon, ad-
mitted on all hands to be strong, would be simul-

taneously brought under the government of rea
son. ‘r.llhe weight of a hair would turn the
scales between their avoirdupois." Differing as
I do, from both of these able men, as to the
course which ought to be pursued, in order to the
attainment of the great end which we have in
view, I nevertheless regard them with perfect
good will, and would fain indulge the hope that
we may yet come to a clear understanding upon
a point of such deep interest and paramount im-
portance. For any one of us however to affirm
that we are in possession of the whole truth,
would be as good as to. say that we are fanatics.
I'd as lief a man called me horse and spit in
my face, as say he had the truth : for what phi-
losopher ever professed to aim at falsehood ?
Truth, eternal truth, was the avowed object of
the realists, and idealist,. of the sublime and an-
gelical, and irrefragablu Doctors; of the Itosi-
crucians, and alchemists, and astrologers. You
cannot put your nose into an academy, or a tem-
ple, into a college, or a tap-room, into a cathe-
dral, or a conventicle, without being suffocated
or drawn out by truth ; and, after all, what is it,
and where is it ? we all have it, aMd yet we can-
not persuade our neighbours that it is in our pos-
session. But, although it is a petiiio priueipii, to
say that we have the truth, it. is reasonable enough
to inquire whether we have any palpable worldly
interest in maintaining a particular side of a ques-
tion. And 'yet again, this disposition assumes
such a vast variety of shapes, that it is difficult
to detect and expose it : for my own part, being
as it were a nameless individual, I am at least
exempt from the pride of consistency. I have no
established reputation to maintain ; I might if I
pleased, under the signature of Liber, expose,
and reprobate, and execrate all the errors and
follies of Index.
But this old, threadbare article called truth—
this cant of many colours, this *.tneleon, this
phantasmagoria, has bewildered, and led me
astray. Where was 1 as Claud Ilalero would
say. Oh ! moral restraint—that was"-the word
at which we left off.—Well, Sir, and what says
Mr. Malthus about Moral Restraint ?—ls it a
match for the Lion ?—( Your Lion is a terrible
wild low l.)—Yes, an please yob, I hope it is ;
but let us hear the maste'r, the lord of this age,
whom Brongham, and Scarlett, and all the fight-
ing men of the House (Wilberforce excepted ;
but he, as the deuce will have it, has a familiar
which is much more spiteful, in the shape of the
depravity of human nature) fall down unto and
worship.—Mr. Malthus come forth, and speak
for yourself!—Well, Sir, here I am at your bid-
ding, and what would you with me ? Why, only
to do us the favour to recite, in an audible tone,
a passage from your own Book.—Well, Sir, as
Wordsworth says, I love to read my own writ-
ings; and, if this is all, I obey you with pleasure
and alacrity.—Say you so, Mr. Malthus.? I am
glad of it ; please to turn to vol. 3, page 320 to
323 the fifth and last Edition. Let us have

the benefit of your best and most matured
thoughts
" From a review of the state of society in former periods,
compared with, the present, 1 should certainly say, that the
evils resulting from the principle of population have rather di-
minished than increased, even under the disadvantage of an al-
most total ignorance of their real cause. And if we c,n indulge
the hope, that this ignorance will be gradually dissipated, it
does not se.em unreasonable to expect that they will be still
farther diminished.—The increase of absolute population,which
will, of course, take place, will evidently tend but little to weaken
this expectation, as every thing depends upon the'relative pro-
portion between population and food, and not on the absolute
number of the people. In the former part of this work it an-
peered that the countries which possessed the fewest peoprei
often suffered most from the effects of population ; and it,. can
scarcely be doubted, that, taking Europe throughout, fewer fa-
mines, and fewer diseases arising frOM want, have prevailed in
the last century than in those which preceded it."
" On the whole, therefore, though our future prospects re.
speeting the Mitigation of the evils arising from the prin-
ciple of 'population May not be so bright as we could
Kish, yet they ate far from being entirely disheartening;, and
by no means preclude that gradual and progresivc irnprOve-
merit in' bunion society which, beforelhe late wild.speculations
on this subject (a slap at Godwin) was the object of rational
expectation."
A strict inquiry into the'principle of population obliges us
to conclude that•we shall never be able 'to throw. away the
ladder by which we have risen to this eminence;• but it by no
means proves that we may not risehigher by the same, means.
The structure of society, in its great features, will •Probably
al-
ways remain unchanged. We have every reason, to-• believe
that it will consist of a class of proprietors and a class of la-
bourers ; but the condition of each, and the proportion Which
they bear to each other' • may be so altered, as greatly"to his-
pr&e the harmony and beauty of the whole. It would, indeed,
be a melancholy reflection, .that while the views of physical;
science are daily enlarging, so as scarcely to be bounded by the
most distant horizon, the science of moral and political philo-
sophy should be confined within such narrow limits, or at best be
so feeble in its influence, 'as to be unable to counteract ~.he oh-
-stades to human happiness arising from a single cause. But,
however formidable these obstacles may have appeared,' in
some parti of this work, it is hoped that the general result of
the inquiry is such as not to make us give up the improvernent
of human society in despair. The partial good, which seems to
be' attainable, is worthy of all our exertions, is sufficient to
direct our efforts, and animate our prospects. And although
we cannot .expect that the virtue and happiness of mankind will
keep pace with the brilliant career of physical discovery, yet,
if we are not wanting to ourselves, we may confidently indulge
a hope, that to. no unimportant extent, they will be influenced
by its progress and will partake of its success."
1 t is well said, in faith, Sir.. andit is well said'
indeed, too. .
iv ow then, it appears clearly from the highest
authority, that the procreative is a controulable-
power ;—that it is not a law of nature which,
'like the ebbing and flowing of • the tide, or the
, setting in of the-Monsoons, would mock the puny
efforts of man to liMit.its operation.
But in what degree is it controulable ? Is it
more. restive and sttenuous thatn various other hu-
man- propensities ; than sovetousness, ambition,
anger, envy, and such like sources of vice and
Misery -?.. Mr. Malthus has an answer ready

for us
• 'That the natural check .to early marriages, arising from
&view of the difficulty attending the support of a large family,
o.perates very: Widely throughout all classeS of Society in every
cState-,-'and `may Ise 'expetted to be still more effective,
as the lower classes of people continue to improve in knowledge
and prridence; cannot admit of the slightest doubt."—Vol.
p. 284. •
" in the present state of things we appear to have under our,
guidance a great power, capable of peopling a. desert refs-ion in
a small number of years ; and yet, under °tilt+ circumstances,
capable of.being confined by human energy and virtue, to any
limits however narrow, at the expence of a small comparative
quantity of evil."—Vol. 3. p. 81.
" It is evidently, therefore, regulation and direction which
are required with regard to the principle of population, not
diminution or alteration. And if moral restraint be the-only
virtuous Mode of avoiding the incidental evils arising /cm this
• principle, our obligation to practise it will evidently rest'E:c-
ACTLY upon the same foundation as our obligation to practise
any of other virtueS"—Vid. 3. p. 83.
I could edify you with more passages in the
same strain ; ".mais (fest assez pour line foil;

lons nous a dinncr."
1 remain, dear .Sir, your's truly,
January 10, 1822. INDEX.
•

P. S. Considering how promptly you have
done me the honour to insert my former commu-
nications, I feel it proper to apologize for the
interval which has elapsed between the dates of
my last and of this Essay. I was called oil' to
take part in another discussion, in a certain pe-
riodical work, which, however, bears upon the
subject of the foregoing letter ; and with your
permission, the substance, at le:•st, of what I have
written, shall be eventually submitted to the
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