The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-11-08

IONS, when shey SseFve to make MS difcontcnt
ed with the preient order of things: none BIZ
mutt approve of them, when they teach us tn,
means oil removing our prefent misfortnnes.
Thefe fpecula tivc fyfems are of three kinds
I'hoie that taking men as we generally indthem
with all their ftlfifh and maievolent pafIions a
bout them, have aimed not 70 much to ex,irpat,
the vices OF man, as 70 invent new expedient.
for confronting their effects: And fuch as
looking forward to more perfect Rate of mo.
raj excellence, have gone on to pourtray that
itate ut fociety, which is mott aufpicious to the
ponei'ion and duration of happnefs. Mr..
Hume's "ldea of perfect commonwealth
may be cited as an example of the firff. and
More's Utopia" of the laff. In the 80 politi.
cal jutiice" of MIR. Goodwin, he feems to have
embraced both theie oppoiite fyltems. Whift
with bold pencil. he iketches out view of
the preient evils of fociety and reprefents the
future deitiny of men in the mott captivating
colours, he lays open fome of the fuccefIive
changes through which they are to pa(s,
and Tome of the means, which mutt be ufed for
theirattanment.
fihe eilays of Hume, and the work of God.
wsn are almoh in every book fore but the u.
topia OF Sir Thomas More, is rare as well as
curious productiou.y You will therefore per-
NIT me to iubmit the following imperfect alb
tract Oft to the attention of your readers.
VI the author himfelfit is icarcely neceiIary for
me to fpeak. His hiftory is written in the poli.
teal records Of England. He was one of The
greatett and the bet men that ever I" lived in
the tide of ames." He had talents fuffcient TO
make nm Lord Chancellor of England, and
virtue enough to provoke the jealouiy and cru
tefy OF tyrant. He houriihed, ard was be-
headed under Henry VIII.
ABSTRACT OF hf0IpE'S UToPIA, FIFTH
II CRITICISM ON TT
IN the Utopia, More feens to have deline,-
ted that form of focicty which he thinks moA
conducive to the happinefs of man. The form
which he has recommended is characterized by
great implicitly. The government, laws, reli-
gion' commerce, mechanical trades, and agri-
culture, are conducted upon principles which
every Utopian NUT comprehend
The great principle which the author fcems
anxious to recommend, is the community of
goods; to facilitate the production and difri-
button of which the ifand is divided into
81 townihips. Every year, 90 families are fent
from each town into the country, where they
remain two years The frlt year they are en-
P'oyed in learning the practical operations of
huibandry The tecond, in teaching them to
others that are to fucceed them. The confe-
4uence or this proviiion is, that every man who
the foil is better qualified for the ade-
quate dlicharge of his duty. When the fruits
and grains of the earth have been once gathered
by the hufbandman, as much ofthem is relerv-
ed 10y the magiitrates) for the cuItivators ofthe
earth, rs will fuffiCe for their coniumption The
ret IS lent to the town where it is depo-
lted IN proper magazines. The manufactures
too, which are produced by the townsmen. are
depoiited in other magazines near them. There
IS one or each of thefe magazines, in each of the
tour quarters, into which all their towns are
divided. From theie magazines, every ndivi-
dual maYtake what he wants. AS it is QUITO
mary for 50 families TO meet in one hall, where
they eat together, and as their manufactures are
few and iimpe, (every man wearing the fame
appare) 1t is to be prefumed that no individual
will take 10 much from them as will iniure the
accommodation of the ret. 1t may perhaps be
demanded, what !ecurty have the Utopians
that each individual will diicharge his due pro-
portion of labCur, when he difcovers that his
lubiiitence is independent of his exertion ?''
1 his Circumstance is provided for by the fuper
ntendence of their magistrates, who have the
power to force them to labour and to punih
them, if they are refractory. The magistrates,
who perform this Office, are called Syphogrants
Every so families annually appoint one Sypho.
grant. For every ten Syphogrants, there is
annually appointed one Tranihor. 1t is the Of
hSG vi 'uis tdlliDOT tOlupcrl0tend the 10 tyDhO-
grants, and to aliit every third day, the deli
berations of the fenatc on the affairs of the
whole nation, or of individuals The Senate is
competed of 3 members from each town, who
are elected annually. The Prince is elected by
the typhogrants it is his office to prelide in the
ienate, and TO fee that the laws are executed.
The community of goods which prevails A.
mong them, is Till farther fipported by the
and implicitly ofthcir manufactures.
Where all men wear the fame coarle clothing,
and poi'eis the fame coarfe furniture and Iode
ing, no man can be prompted by pride, to mo-
nopolife the good things of the world, and thus
interfere with the interefts of his neighbour.
The labour, which each individual devotes to
thefe manufactures, does not exceed hours
day. One other confequence of this fimplicity
OF living which they have efablifhed, is, that
their community of goods cannot be injured by
the effects of foreign commerce: Having e.
very thing within their own country, which
they coniider necehary totheir happinefs, thew
have no nducement TO export the furp'us part
OF their commodities, to be exchanged for the
luxerIeso OF other countries. Thefe Luxuries
cannot conlequently create delire to obtain
and enjoy them, and cannot therefore throw
any interruption in the way of that community
of goods which prevails among them. In place
OF thefe luxuries, their. furplus produce is ex
gold aud FLYER. Part of this gold
and FLYER is lent to the neghbouring nations.
Part is carried to Utopia. As they have no ufe
tor coin, and as the beauty and hrilliapc, rs