Star.
London, England, 1830-10-09 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PROFESSION OF FAITH AND PRINCIPLES OF THE
SECT OF ST. SIMEON.
TO THE PRESIDENT OT THE CHAMBER or DEMYTHEi.

In the Sitting of the Chamber of September 29th, M. bisuguin. in
speaking of popular societies, pointed out the existence of s sect partly
religious, partly philosophical, professing ideas on property that were
peculiar to to itself. At these words several illemben of the Chamber
named the Societe St. Simonienne, and the speaker continuing to ex.
plain his thoughts on this Society, represented it, with a benevolent in.
tendon, as teaching a community of property. In the Sitting of the
following day, 111. Dupin, speaking of the same society, repeated the
assertion of his colleague, adding, that the St. Simonians also called for
another community, which he did not qualify, but which some voices
near him proclaimed to be that of women, without his having contra-
dicted the interpretation given to his words. Thus the St. Sinionians
arc designated to France and to Europe, as calling for a community of
property, and, according to an expression which it would be impossible
to repeat without reluctance, the community of women. New teachers,
no doubt, are exposed to see their teaching and their doctrines misre-
presented ; such is the inevitable condition of their situation the moment
they appear ; and in most cases they ought to submit to this trial with
resignation, relying on the result of their efforts to rectify errors, and
make amends for the injustice they may have to surer for a time.—
This is what the St Simouians do, and have done for a long time with
regard to the contempt of which they are the daily object.
But this time the contempt issues from too high a quarter; it re.
alives too much importance from the immense publicity given to the
Debates of the Chamber, and from the authority which is naturally at-
tached to what emanates from this Assembly, to pass it over it silence;
and when the views which are ascribed to them are such as to draw
upon them and upon their doctrines contempt or hatred, they cannot but
expect that the body which has involuntarily exposed them to this
danger will readily admit this reclamation. It is true the St. Simo-
Diens profess, on the future state of property, and on the future state of
women, ideas that are peculiar to them, and which are connected with
views likewise quite peculiar and new en religion, politics, power,
berty, and, finally, on all the grand problems which at this time are
discussed in Europe in so violent and irregular a manner. But these
ideas are far from bearing any resemblance to those which are ascribed
to them. The system of a community of property universally means
the equal division among all the members of society, either of the stock
of the produce, or of the profits resulting from the work of all. The
St. Simonians teject the equal division of property, which in their
opinion would constitute a violence, a more revolting injustice
than the unequal division =
in former times was effected by force
of arms, and by conquest. For they believe in the natural inequality
of men, and look upon this inequality as the basis of society—as the
indispensable condition of social order. They reject the system of a com-
munity of property, for this community of property would be a ma-
nifest violation of the first of all moral laws, which they are sent
to teach, and which requires that in future every one shall be lamed
according to his capacity, and rewarded according to his works.

But in virtue of this law they demand the abolition of all the phi.
legs of birth, without except ; and consequently the abolition of
inheritance; the greateot of all those privileges, that which comprises
them all now, anethe effect of which is, to leave to chance the distri-
bution of the social advantages among the small number of those who
can lay claim to them, and to condemn the more numerous class to de.
pravity, ignorance, and misery. They desire that all instruments of
work, the lands and capitals which now form the divided stock of pri-
vate p , be united into one common stock, and that this stock be
managed by a society, hierarchally, so that the task of every ooe way
be the expression of his capacity, and his riches the measure of his
works. The St. Simonians only attack the constitution of property in-
asmuch as it consecrates, for some, the impious privilege of idleness—
that is to say, the privilege of living by the work of others, and inn-
much as it leaves to the chance of birth the social classification of indi-
viduals. Christianity has drawn women out of slavery, but it still con.
denims them to a subaltern state, and in all Christian Europe we ace
them still under a religious, political, arid civil interdict.
The St. Simonians come to announce their definitive affranchisement,
their complete emancipation, but without pretending to abolish the holy
law of marriage, proclaimed by Christianity. On the contrary, they
come to accomplish this law, to give it a new sanction, to add strength
to the force and inviolability of the union which it consecrates. They
demand, as Christians, that one man be united to one woman ; but they
teach that the wife shall become equal to the husband; and that, ac.
cording to the peculiar grace which OOD has conferred upon be sex.
she shall be united to him in the exercise of threefold function of the
Church, the state and family, 60 that the social individual who hitherto
has been man only, shall in future be both man and woman. ,

The religion of St. Simon only comlr to put an end to that shameful
traffic, to that legal prostitution which. under the tame of marriage, so
frequently consecrates the monstrous union of devotedness with egotism,
of intelligence with ignorance, of youth with old age. These are the
the general notions of the St. Simonians on the changes they cal for
in the constitution of prrty, and in tbe social condition of women.—
It:is poesible that these tdas at first may not gain than more suffrages
than those that have been ascribed to them in the Chamber, and which
they condemn, but their intention now is not to attract sorrier, their
only object is to make themselves known and judged for what they are,
accepting moreover without reserve the responsibility of their doctrine;
and acts, neither calling for nor fearing prosecution, provided that, if it
is to be used against them, it may be for their opinions, and not fur
those which they cond.,nnn. M. Blauguin has also represented the St.
Simonises as being allied with the democratical Societies 'filch now
exist in Paris ; this fact is likewise incorrect. Assuredly the St. SI-
-113006,131 will not join their voices to all those that are at this moment
raised to protest against the existence of these societies ; for, however
irregular and incomplete their salon may be, they look upon them as
the expression of a feeling and of a power, which have yet an important
mission to fulfil—that of defending in France the destruction occasioned
by the events of July, and to determine the movement which is to ex-
tend this destruction to all Europe. This task is great and lawful, but
it is not that of the St. Simonians. Their task is to edify, to build upon
the ruins which are being heaped up around us, to found in the midst
of society, which is dissolving on all sides, a new society, which may
give a religious and piteific direction to every progressive exigency, and
which may be ready to receive into its bosom all mankind for the times
which are approaching, when, tired of hatred, war, and anarchy, the na-
tions shall demand of Glop a new law of love, and with it the reign of
peace, and the Empire of order.
BAZARD ENFANTIN,
Chief of the St. Simonton Religion.

HINT TO CATALOGUI-MAKIRS.—Mr. Nichols, in the
fourth volume of his Likrary Anamiefor, p. 193, mentialts that Dr.
Taylor, who about the year 173 wale Mira,lan at Cambridge, uwd to
relate of himself, that one day thrWwing books in heaps for the putpoe
(debasing and arranging, them; ho pot ono among works on Mamma.
don,. because his eye caught the word AtrigAS in the title page ; and alto.
thee which bad the word eon conspicuous, he threw among books on
shedder* ot'cookery. lint when he began a regular classification, it sp.
poigiNtilme Ma Berner was " Longinus on the Sulihrna," and the other
biliseisetsel Discourse on the salt .1 the Wald; thatgood Chris.
;duns ought hp- be seasoned withe" Thus, in a catalogue published
Neat titeitty.lire yetis ago, die a Plotters of Ancient'Literattire are
fsen4 books on gardening and botany, and " Burton's Anatomy
of ," is placed among works on medicine and surgery.

The annual trial of chronometers deposited at the Royal Observatory,
Greenwich, terminated on Tuesday, 31st ult. when the prize of 1701.
was awarded to John Carter, of 207, Tooleyoereet, Southwark, for the
very steady and uniform rate of his chronometer, No. 137, is mga
error for 12 months being only one second, nine hundredths of a second,
from actual daily observation.
The beautiful performance of Mr. Carter's chronometer, No. 131, on
the 12 months' trial, ended 31st July, 1820, obtained him WI that
ociasion the premium prise of 170L--!a circumstance highly liai
tering to him, and affording the most incontestible proof of Or
excellence of his chronometers. Its error was 79 bundredthN ot'