The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-19 00:00:00

CELEBRATION OF TI[E BIRTH-
DAY OF ROBER' OW EN: A'J ' HARMONY
ALL, ON THE ESTATE OF TILE RATIONAL
SOUJETY, Al' QUEENWOOD, HANTb.

On the 14th , day of May, being the anniversary
of the birth-day of Robert Owen, on which he com-
pleted his 71st year, a dinner aind ball Were
given at Queenwood, near Stockbridge, Hants.
The frstival was attended •by niemberwee-and
friends of the Socialists' Society fnom all ilarts
of the United Kingdom, in addition to the Dele-
gates from the branches of the society, as-
sembled in Congress, whole sittiinri commenced on
Monday, the 9th day of May. This Congress- is the
first that has been held on the Society's estate, and
the seventh annual Congress of the Society. I t was
opened by Mr. Owen, the President of the 'Society; iti
the splendid and extensive . 311'w building lately
erected, on which occasion he delivered the folloiving
address to the Delegates :
"
Friends and Associates,—A new era commenoes
this day in the history of the world. The old syst am,
based on error, which has continually produced false-
hood, fraud, and force, and by which alone the itatirs
of mankind have been to this period governed, is now
to be superseded by the commencement of a new
system based -,en truth,- which will produce, as it
gradually advances, peace, charity, and love; and by
which alone the character of man will be firmed froM
his birth, and ultimately the population of the world
will be governed. It is this change from a. universal
system of falsehood to a universal system .of truth,
which can alone produce the long-expected and ar-
dently-desired period of happiness to the -human
race, which has been predicted under the name
of the Millenium, but, now better named the Rational
System of Society. Here, in this place, at this period,
is the seed of truth to be sown, from which in clue
season will arise this Rational System, which will
establish, in practice, the peace, charity, and love, that
will for ever insure union, an advance of knowledge,-
and a continued increase of happiness to the human
race. Here, upon this estate, are all the appliances
1
necessary, when duly combined and properly directed
in action, to commence the Millennium, or form
the nucleus of a Rational System of Society ;
a system which slut!l rapidly, by its manifest
superiority over the existing irrational rystem,
spread theough all the nations of the world. 'We
have met to unite these appliances, to form. this
nucleus, to prepare for this Millennium ; that the
Rational System may immediately commence, and
with the least loss of time spread fkotn
this l'avalired district, through all lands, and
among all people, until.. 'ignorance, tiisithion,
poverty, crane, and misery, shall be unknown, and the
inhabitants of the earth shall become, and remain,
RATIONAL BEINGS:. ' exhibiting knowledge. union,
charity, peace, and love in all their conduct.- . You are
come to see these appliances, .to learn their value, to
estimate- their - power, and to aid in: preparing this
nucleus of -a new world, and commencement of the
Millennium. You have the greatest task to perform
that men have ever yet accomplished. You nave to
undergo a regeneration of mind, manners, end con-
duct, in order that you may be born again into a new
,world of truth, in which all things must be made
em:sistent, and all be taught to think, to feel, and to
act, tationalier. Those who are not prepared for this
change, can ii," of no service in the great cause which
the Society'has undertaken ; and the aid of those who
cannot now assist to advance this cause, can be ano
use at this stage of the Society's proceedings.- To
understand what you are ailout to undertake, you have
to abandon all old notions, 'manners, language, and
conduct—to acquire it new spirit, new mind, new
feelings, and a new-mode ofapplying all your powers:
In fact, it becomes necessary that the dark glass,
through which aloire you .have hitherto seen .0
things, should be now withdrawn, that you may be
permitted, for the first time, to see the extent of the
errors in which all have hitherto been invoked, 'and
the only possible means by which- you and the inha-
bitants of the earth cart be enabled to escape Prom
them. The chief businese of this Congress - will bc,
then, to ascertain these errors, the causes of them, tiel
their permanent remedies; mid -to proceed vigorously
to work to apply those remedies to practice. TheNe
errors, fortunately for the woik', have 'now been dis-
covered ; they are —ignorance\ of human nature ;
the right mode of forming the \ human -character ;
and of creating a rational state of,society.- - The per-
manent remedies are—to pronailga,te a knowledge of
human nature : to give a superior character to all the
people.; and to create for them mm. Rational Sys-
tem- of- Society. It will 'be the business .of
this 'Congress to devise the meau to enable
the-Society to acquire a knowledge of htiunan nature
—how to give a superior character, to tile people—
and how to create a Rational System e. Society, in
order that the nucleus of it may be inumitliately con-
menced in >this place. To cominence this
new state of existence there must be the means'
to produce food permanently by the D'mrties who
are to form the nucleus. There must be land,
with the kind of soil, water, and climate, proper
fur the purpose. These arc secure on the" farms now
in, or to come into, our. possessiqn. Tiler must he
dwellings to. acconnnodate these( partielt ; siteii (.I'wel-
lings are far advanced or in preparation. The laird must
be laid out to unite the means of high enltivatkai and
beauty. of scenery. ;This, has elready 14. en !dyne to
some extent, or is in preparatio». The part i‘s Iyho com-
mence the nucleus must have peeullark qualities fated
1.0 trite important task which they! will. pit q to., r 9r-
&fin. They Must have le 'ice Ands, mid' minners
capable of being speedily firmed into members of a,
Normal School, that they may he easily taught them-
selves, and trained 50011 to teaelcotiters. They must
halve activity of -mind end body ;.-And-judgment --and
experience to 'understand thC 'thinip,iitA'anilibelianics
fortned'for the various classes' in''old:isueietn, and to
know how, without minecessarily hurting these feel-
ings, or ignorantly- opposimo these' errors and 'preju-
dices, to assist, gradually. to change these evils of the
old system into,rational thoughts, feelings, and . CQn -
duet: -In facet;- they must he individuals selected with
care from each class; who shall- be the best prepared to
to assist in forming the nuelouseor.Sonnal School of the
Rational System of Society And the success of your

operations-here will entirely depend upon-the judjil
dicious choice and selection of these individuals who

will have a task to perform- never yet executed by
men and women. They 'must abandon, at once, alt
the vulgar notions of aristocracy and denliATaCy. Men
or women imbued with either of these old notions or

an old irrational world are not yet prepared for arational
state of society. Witness the amount of nonsense
which these parties talk in both Houses of Par-
liament, and the state to which both parties have
aided to reduce the minds, morals, and condition, of
the population of these Islands. They must also be

prepared to abandon all the errors- of superstition,
arising. from the supposition that man is bad by na-
ture—forms himself physically, mentally, and morally,
to be what he is—that he can believe or. disbelim,
loVe Or hate, like or dislike, at his pleasure—or the&
any one can have merit or demerit, or deserve re
ward or punishment from man, for any, of these
instincts of human nature or inherent. qualities of
humanity. They must be enabled steadily and calmly
to observe the presea ignorance and prejudice of old
society, to pity those who are now afflicted with
them, and to do as little harm to them, and as much

good, as our onward progress to the speedy attain-
ment of the superiority and happiness of the new
state of society will admit. As man has been, is now,
and ever must be, the creature of his surrounding

circumstances ; and as the character of the children wltir
are to be trained in this nueletis, is as much as under

imperfect .eiremnstonees is ;practicable—to entitle
them to the name of rational beings, they must
be, to the greatest extent possible, surrounded by in-
dividuals; in ydh who can, by their lan,-
gunge, manner, and conduct exhibit examples' before
them of that which it is desirable they should acquire.
It is true there will be some - difficulty in obtaining
men and women with theSe qualifications from any of
the existing, classes, now or for some time to come ;
but great care must be taken to Obtain the' nearest

apprOximation to the qualifications re(ptired for the
benefit of the children, and the speed v success of our
ulterior measures ; yet, as children must be brought
up with the least Clelay in the principle, look, and lan-
guage of truth, those who ibrm this singular nucleus for
the new world, about to commence by our proceedings,
must be prepared to speak, on all occasions, the language
of truth or of nature, instead of the present language
of falsehood, opposed to nature, and in accordance
with man's imaginary notions of free-will, by which
all endeavour to deceive all. Without the adoption.
of this rational practice, society can never be made to
become virtuous, superior, rational, or happy. The
parties, therefore, who are to form this nucleus, if it
is to be successful, must possess minds of sufficient
goodness, and power, and tact, to hear all their de-
Leets spoken of as ;hough they were the defects of
other parties, and to speak to their associates of their
defects, in language of mildness, kindness, and sin-
cerity, and never of blame; but always with the view
to assist the parties to overcome those qualities which
tend to make them less beloved, and therefore less
useful in assisting speedily to change this old immoral
world into a terrestrial paradise, for the benefit of all
its inhabitants of every clime and colour. Until this
practice shall commence in all sincerity, and shall
obtain as the unvarying habit of the members of the
nucleus, and in order to exhibit in practice the innu-
nk,,able, nay, endless benefits to be derived from it,
the advantages of tile RATIONAL SYSTEM OF SOCIETY
must remain unknown and misunderstood, and virtue,
as hitherto, will be a senseless and useless term, to•
cover the ignorance and folly of those who have been
trained solely in error, under the name of wisdom and

goodness. For the nucleus to create a Rational Sys-
tem of Society, falsehood, in look, word, or action,
must.be altogether abandoned. No real progress in
the system can be made without this essential change
in th'e fundamental principle and practice of society, and
those who are not prepared to commence this practice
on the knowledge of the principle on which