The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-29 00:00:00

EMIGRATION.

We see that this subject is attracting attention
in Germany as well as England, and a remark in a
late number of the Allgemeine Zeitung, teaches
by one word that there is much more in this subject
than our common philosophy has sounded. It
is there stated that unless the Germans go to
South America in musses, they cannot hope to
withstand the barbarism by which they will be
surrounded. They will fall into the savage or
semi-savage state. But if they go in masses, the
opinion is they will be preserved from it. This
opinion seems to be correct. It is the massing
together of human beings, mutually satis-
fying their wants, on easy terms, by the divi-
sion of labour, which promotes civilization.
Now, to the massing of people together, the
selling or letting land on the Wakefield plan,
is not essential. Scarcity of land is incidental to
the peculiar, condition of Europe : it is much
less stringent, however, looking at the number
of population on a square mile, in Germany than
in Ireland, yet the want of room is equally felt
in both. But this incidental and unessential cir-
cumstance has been made the basis of our emi-
gration system. Unfortunately the Colonial-
office, because it yields a large land fund, to add
to the sums which it has to disburse, has readily
adopted this scheme, and the unessential circum-
stance is made the guide of our national councils.
Barbarism, and a few and scanty popula-
tion, are identical. , All the known improve-
ments in society have originated amongst a
comparatively dense population. The wisdom of
God is not the wisdom of man, and hence the
very circumstance of powerful Indian tribes
being found in the vicinity of the first settlers
from Great Britain in North America, which
they experienced to be a great evil, kept them
cemented together, and prevented them from
falling into barbarism, by scattering themselves
' sparingly over that continent. Hence we say
with the German Journalist, it is massing and
keeping human beings together which is the
essential circumstance to promote civilization.
The present plan ofobtaining that end is for some
power to seize on land, and put a high price on
it, transporting with the money so obtained to the
spot 'sold a great number of labourers. This
scheme, establishing a proprietary and a labour
class, distinguished from, and opposed to,
each other, carries with it all the evils of a
European monarchical society. Looking at the
present contrasted condition of these two classes,
of advantage we think to neither, we conclude it
cannot be for the permanent benefit of mankind
to perpetuate, by an artificial contrivance, such a
peculiar and not happy condition. The object being
the condensation of a considerable number of hu-
man beings, not the separation of mankind into
landowners and over-toiled and under-paid 'la-
bourers, it would probably be as well obtained
by a voluntary association, sensible of the princi-
ple on which it depends, as by the Government
claiming the possession of the soil, and selling it
for large sums, which are not always appropriated
to the purposes for which they are obtained.
We throw out this hint for the consideration of
those who are now with great propriety intent on
emigration, but who waste, we think, their re-
sources by buying land of Government, or of
usurping companies and quackish adventurers