New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-11-15
ichh VIC Lou0Oh hoioil
Conservative Reform.

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The soundest principles of innovation are con-
servaivc, and Fourier is the most conservative Of
all reforners he is, indeed almost the only real
nnovator who is thoroughly conservative in prin-
| ciple and policy; improving upon all things and
DESTROYING none He does not do away with pre-
sent institutions, to begin de novo with unknown
and arbitrary laws and customs; he progresses
from the present TO the future, gradually and by
slow degrees, as individuals grow from infancy to
manhood without losing their identity of person
atty and character. He does not eqnalize the
pleasures of enjoyment by distributing in equal
portions to the Mass the wealth which is possessed
by few he teaches the laws Of Providential or
der and the secret of enrching all without despoil
ing any. He teaches US the secret Of Attractive
health of mind and body are superior to those of
Wealth alone, and he demonstrates that the richest
individuals, in true of social Unity, the
most valuable and devoted servants of Humanity,
because they cannot spend their wealth upon them
selves alone, and can en- ny the luxury OF Riches
only in SO much as they improve the pleasures and
refnements Of the Mass and that the more rich
man has 10 spend, in such a state of things, the
of Society, and labor for its welfare in his COM
binaions of expense and personal enjoyment. The
poorest will be deemed the least deserving and the
richest most. in true associative Unity because the
Poor will be partakers OF refinement and deligh of
sense aud soul, as much almost those who are
the richest and without the thought and trouble
of invention and responsibility
The richer q man is, in such a slate OF things
the greater are the duties he imposes on himself
in spending his inceme, for he is neither able
nor inclined to spend j, himself alone when in
divdual and collective interests identical; and
if he inclined 20 spend his money tooi5hly in
stead Of usetnlly, he would be deemed simpleten
bv all his friends and neghbors and discarded from
the pleasures of society and friendship animal
Of an inferior intellect whom nobody would waste
their time upon in social intercourse OF an inferior
order He would, however, be unfet;ered in his
folly if he could induce his fellow beings to en-
courage his propensities by acting with him &C
cording to his wishes but where every person,
rich or poor, Young or old, is independent, it
would not be easy TO find many people of sound
sense encouraging the folly of an individual who
happened 10 be richer in external wealth than in
tellect and common sense. Such person would
be ef: without the power Of doing evil or oltraging
common sense, from want of persons willing to en-
courage folly by cooperation
Riches then, in such stase of things, are harm
less in the hands of fools and only capable Of being
spent for general utility by persons of discretion so
that every person may accumulate TO any possible
extent without the ighest danger to Society. In
Wealth amassed externally, property, as 1t IS
termed, it matters not how rich or poor a man or
woman be: the only riches of importance to ali
persons arc the active powers OF soul and body;
II IL 4 of
temporal and spiritual happiness the possession
of external Wealth comforting liberty of action in
proportion only to the duty and responsibility of
direct management: responsibility 10 social sane
ton only, ard good sense, but to arbitrary laws
and institutions
To understand this subject fully, Fourer's works
must be consulted as we cannot give the demon
stration in page or Two, bat the intelligent may
understand the principle By correspondence IN ma
ture Take the Sun, for instance, in the Solar Sys-
TEN; it is undoubtedly the richest of the as
socatei in that system and yet all the poorer stars
the planets and their satellites gain more from H.
considerably. than it gains from them as individu-
ais, though they collectively, enrich it with their
contributions of aromal Gmponderabe) fluid, nd-
vduallv and respectively before it radiares upon
them all again in joyous harmony of light and
heat, melodiously combined in Unity the plentiful
supply of elementary aroma they had furnished in
diversified fragmentary contributions.
The richer the active producers OF Wealth make
the passive pessessors of Wealth. the more luxurian
are the refnements which latter reflect upon
the former in consequence of their magnihcence, and
a are benefited by this mutual interchange OF active
contribution and reflected splendor. As each planet
furnishes single ray of color to the Sun. and all
receive the splendid unitary Light reflected back
in lieu of their onecolored rays contributed re-
soectively, SO the industrial members of Asso-
citation furnish to the Rich, who are the most
active Laborers, portion of their individual