New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1842-04-19


70 We shall give account Of the Festival il
honor Of FOURIER Tomorrow.
Social Evil., aud Nccc~-ity of New Plans
of Reform.
We stated in our preceding article that the las
i,al ccntutv Of Iolical controversies party strife
aad administrative changes, has done nothing for
the social hnEpiness and elevation Of tho People
On the contrary the condition d; the Mass OF
Working Classes has grown gradually worse and
the futun. offers gloomy prospect Of pccunar.
Dependence AMI Poverty.
The fluctuations and rcyusions in Commerce
Finance and IN Banking, have al.o become deeper
AM. more sudden, ingulfng the Ricl.=in ruin, and
reducing those who depend upon them utter ,snt,
and often starvation. Tncy ovcrwhelrrl with the
most bitter aisappoin,ments and despair all
classes, aud produce an amount OF neral Suffer-
ng cqaaI TO tina, caused By the civil wars AID re-
yolutions Of former periods.
Our whole sysem of Business, carried on by
free Competition, il u round of iiara.sing Cares.
killing AnHiciies, Disappointment, Hopes blasted,
and unforeseen ltcvcrscs and Ruin. The business.
world i, an arena Of Conflicts, Ovcrroaching and
Fraud school for the most callous Scl.ishncss
FOR Cllcatcry and Corruption Its spirit has rem
dsrcd retty cunning, craft, aAd business tao; the
most important qualifications for mon; made in
teerity and fair and upright dealing almost impos-
.iblc; sctup Wealth Us thconly standard Of excel
lcnco; left in inaction the higher Powers of the
mind; reduced the npbler pursuits. Ike the Arts
anil Sciences, below. tho mere ability Of money
scrvilc dependency and Ia moral degradation. which
arc pirtu to look upon.
In this conctofinrerc this collision Of Fraud
and Injustice this incohercnt turmoil and wranglc,
this gtecdy and unprinciped Strife, which is deco
ra,ct! with the name of Free Competition, and
which superficial minds believe the life of Society,
one half of the time. talent and labor Of men, is
wasted mis;nped. In the confused efforts
which made by each and all to attain sepa-
ratcly the grand dcsidera,um,-For,une they only
lramplc cac! other down, and the vast majority are
oyertaken in the end 10y Poverty and Dsappoint-
rncn No Social Providence exists in Society; no
encouragement and protective aid are lent by it t
its members each must fight his way alone, and
| the World cares aud needs not the means which he
uses, so long as he does not resort open and di
robbery. he fails and Poverty is his lot, he
is left 10 suffer unpitied and alone
If we take II general view OF the Civilized Ma
ions Of the Earth, we shall find present times Of
! Misery and Distress such IA the World has never
seen before. We will lay before readers 4
few statistical facts which make tho mind shud-
der with horror when it reflects that many mil
I. u,
in hopeless Indebtedness and wo. Before Stating
these facts we will remark, that the system OF So
crtv in this coun,ryis the same is in Europe where
we find part of the examples of Misery which we
shall give. The difference between and European
Nations is the difference of Government: the So
cal System IS the sane.
Blu, the form of Cover. Hncnt is TO the Social Sys-
zen, what the dress is the body; we have IN this
Country The same Organization of Soccty,-that Is,
body. as France and England; but we have stripped
oil the robe. and rnrpings Of Royalty, and placed
upon it the plain dress Of Rcpabcanism. II the
System Of Society be false, the form OF Gorera-
,acut cannot correct Mecri}s ocAich II enScndcrs:
to expcc, it were rs vain as to hope a dis
cascd body by changing the dress. The form OF
Government, and OF the Administration exercises an
influence only upon the surface of things; they do
not 90 to the foundation of Society: they cannot do
awaywitl, Poverty Ignorance and Crime, -with the
Discords, AGtipathc>, Halrcds, Fraud. Overreach-
IN. and the intense Scliishncss engcndcrcd by our
System Of Trade and Free Competition The great
error which people commit, is TO believe Political
Reforms capable of realizing Social good. The
history of the Past proves tho allacy OF this belief
and common sense dictates that we should abandon
Il WORKOUT and 'ruitlcSS pslicy which leads TO no
results. and seek for new plans and new measures
of Reform.
Social Evils are less intense in this Country than
in Europe, it is ,ruc-and why? Because we have
II va, extent of soil and thin populations and be-
cause there arc outlets and new fields of action Of
ercd to the increasing populations and to those who
cannot find employment. who have boon ruined
in their fortunes.
But we are yersing gradually toward the fright
III! Misery which exists in older civilized countries;
nav we are already in part in it. and We are moving
roundward in the fatal circles of the horrible vortex.
Some Of the Aliscrcs of which we shall speak are
already upon US and those which arc not, should
serve as bcacouS TO warn US OF our dahSci.
There are in the city of London about Two hun
,lrcd and thirty thousand bsgsars, thieves. pick
pockets and Migrants. VIVA. multitude OF beings
are here plunged into the lowest depths OF VICE,
Crime and Degradation When people condemn
ASSOCIATION and uphold the present System OF So
cie,v why DO they no. take into account the awful
amount Of Misery and Degradation which tins sys-
ten, produces Il In Paris there Is is comparison,
nearly an equal amour, of Misery and Depravi'y-