Star.
London, England, 1830-01-22 00:00:00

THE CONDITION OF THE LOWER ORDERS.

Blackwood': Maganine, Jan 1830.

lie must be either a very superficial, or a very inattentive
observer of the present coodltion of affairs. who =protege* there
is leading more in it than has often occurred before—oothlng but
the oodles/I occurrences of a stagnation in trade, and a harvest of
less than average abundmace. Our condition is the result of a WSW
form which the industry Of the country has assumed, greatly ag-
gravated, as we must condom, to maintain, by a moostroudy erro-
neous policy with regard to trade and currency. This new form
of industry, which made. such rapid progress during the war, was,
in consequence of the peculiar circumstances attendant on the war,
not felt by the common people, except in the alteration of their
employments hut 'Mace the peace, while its progress his been
even more rapid than before, it has indeed been felt by them in the
dreadful and appalling certainty, that as the world goes, it has no
longer any need of them. The most important of the old relations
of society have Ise•st changed, and that by a process, which although
rapid, has beeu sufficiently gradual to bring the event upon us
without our having taken such notice of it as would have led to
our making due provision for the change. When society grew
into its present form, of the few possessing much, and the
many possessing nothing, the multitude dwelt safely, la
the security, that shame who had possessions could not
turn them to sceount without their aid—that wealth was so-
thing except is so far as it gave the power of accomplishing work
—and that work could not be done without their aseistance. Na-
mural right., or to speak more strictly, their ise, were readily
ahandotiesl under such so appearance of things ; and for the porpoises
of the getteritl well-being of society, it seemed of little moment
that a trw were the store-keepers of the kingdom's wealth, while
such a guarantee related for its distribution maws all the Mena-
ben of the community who would work. It was true that labout •
was the portion of one part, while id/enesa, or at all events. eit-
rtnption from bodily exertion, was that of the other; but it wee
ever a matter of debate whether labour was, upon the whole. a
more painful coattail= than that of idleness, and it was cheerfully
submitted to, because it was the sure and always current value for
subsistence. It is nu longer thus ; and it might melt at sternest
beat so contemplate the hopeless erreickeduers of themsendas
almost millions, sit their leUew creatures, willing, eager, to glee
their labour fur bread, and well able,.ton. until "slurp misery had
worts them to the hone," who yet CSUISOS touch a particle of the
ibundasce which seems around them. In vain
" They bag their brothers of die earth
To give them leave to toll.“
!here is a cheaper mode of getting the •werk dens than by. mis-
playing thence; end there is a certain delirium miens at the present
Link, about this thing " cheapness..' Width bedsit been oaken I,li
a plain. principle, is, without hesitations used as an Isom fig
individual selfishness. In vain thruMataufsetstriog three threw Sr
the surplus of their sooltitedee in lbw cetwavy lbsysethavit ph •
land of their sewn—die ri t,, falnehrive kie y wellies
uis ; and though they boon, or at
.41 event. Milk: titan",
kit by a dilatant "stens of wonwins, ma* pow reefretrl
system coltinatiou *night la :garthek 16 10. SIM°
r .