The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-02-25 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STATESMAN.

Sto—Mr. Owen asserts, that " the character of man is
funnel /:.r him, and not by himself," and that the adop-
tion of this principle has enabled him to effect the many
heueficial resales of his establishment at New Lanark
for the formation of human character; that this same
principle will lead to the farther rapid increase of good.
and that its general adoption in society will put a stop
to crime and misery. Will it, therefore, be uninterest-
ing or useless to request from your most enlightened
readers answers to the following queries. vit.:-
1. What is the meaning of the principle, that " the
character of man is formed for him, and not by him-
self:

2. Whether man's character be fonaed for biui, or by
himself ?

3, What are the consequences to society of the know-
ledge of man's character being formed, either for him,
or by himself ?
I remain, Sir,
Your very obedient tsiWaeit,
A Loess q Tarrs.
. gp:
RELIEF OF THE MANUFsICTIIIIIIRS.

We are happy to give insertion to the following ex-
cellent letter from a Sheffield Correspondent:—
Mr. EDITOR—The unexampled distress which this
town is enduring, appears to have roused every thinking
nailed to the consideration of means for alleviating the
calamity. Although I may differ from many of my
townsmen in opinion, I believe the mischief arises inure
from the bad system of trade into which we have fallen,
than front the scarcity of trade itself ; and that, could a
proper average price for labour he established, great part
of the present depression would soon vanish, and the ap-
/*Wag list of casual poor be considerably reduced. I
would state, that the manufacturing interest is the direct
interest of every owner of property in Sheffield, as far as
that property is dependent upon its market :—it is also
the direct interest of every dealer whose prosperity is
dependent upon supplying its numerous wants :—from
the prosperity of its manufacturers, the comforts (Wall
around it spring. Now, as the pours' rates are the
pulse for obtaining a knowledge of that prosperity, we
way fairly conclude those comforts are at present in •
rapid decline.
In order to effect a recovery, we lutist revert to the
causes of the disease, namely, the speculations of the
merchants overcharging the markets at the close of the
war; and the reduction of the military, naval, and civil
establishments is our colonies; the tint naturally cans-
iag the demand for a time to cease; the second stopping
the usual means of remitting on the Treasury, paralisol
for a flue the capital of the merchant. These two be-
ing the principal causes, though ruittons for a while,
are temporary; and time, the restorer as well as the, dp.
stroyer of all things, is certainly, though slowiy, remote,
ing them. The stocks in foreign markets are becowingl
°unsorted, and the demand, though not eatessive, h
reviving. The colonist, also, is recovering from On
shock, and it appears to me, that it in a great means*
depends upon ourselves, either to retrieve oar affairs, or
be crashed to ruin by the mineable system on which
are at present acting. Even Ithe President's
complains of our low-priced folly. In my opinion, it
very short-sighted to suppose that we shall increase oat
trade or comforts, Ey forcing labour so low, that it w
not afford the tr.eana of subsistence, and I will mittens)
to ;thew this, in both a national and a local poitit et
view.
First, 1 would ask, are we to pnrehase commerce by
the loss of every comfort to the lower classes, by sacri-
ficing the strength of Britain, a held, industrious, and
independent peasautry ? For by reducing labour to re-
quire parochial aid, 'does it not destroy the natural in-
dependant of ..as minds? Hu It not a tendency to
make the laded tennis and dissatisfied ? Despail ing of
employing its etsergies with effect, in endeavours for he
individual comfort, and the consequent general prospe-
rity, does it not brood over its ills, and fancy, through
a distempered visits., every band is against it ? And la
it sot by Me prepared for violence and rebellion ? Our
great nadosal espenditure has placed Englishmen in
sack a situdos, that the level of labour with other
countries can be so longer acted upon; it is by machinery,
by ingeotity, and by superior workmanship, that we
oust retain our ascendency. Chesp_and inferior bladed
cutlery are made its various parts nfgorope, Asia, and one
Africa. The nuonfactoring of cutlery does not stub
require OP aid of sathimery ; five Parts out of sit SAN"
the prodeet of mow manual labour, will mu to abort
that by low pries we oameet expect is Oka% any porton.
neat alivaliags ester fudge asalpsfactitree, bat be;
Incomparably ** stmliTiors weeinisauship. It is
asalutoinisig title &aided snperiority, that we ran ever
hags to uo the ummtfactures of !Sheffield dowrisb orbit