The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-04-27
Association and n Social Reform.
JAMES GORDON BENEFIT, ESQ

Association and n Social Reform.
GORDON BENEFIT, ESQ
SIR,
Yon have mixed us the system Of Association
and the social principles discovered by Charles
with such a mass Of conflicting and hetero-
geneous doctrines and theories, that those of your
readers who have not examined attentively the
for themselves, must take Association to be
a miserable tumble which any man of common
sense would rspudiate. Will you permit me,
through your columns, to explain the ain aid OBJ
ject of Association, and the principles upon which
it is based. You will enable, by this means, your
widely extended circle Of readers to form some
idea Of the natsre of this new doctrine, and the
means we propose for e~ffee;ing the reform which
we contemplated:
The object Of Association is to do away with HUI
man misery, and to improve morally. intellectu-
ally and physically, the condition Of man. If we
cast a glance at the condition of the human race,
we shall find the vast majority plunged throughout
the earth in poverty'and ignorance, toiling amidst
harrassing cares and a~nxieties to supply merely
their physical wants, and their lives one round Of
d~fudgery and suffering. Must this be
ever so ! Is there a fatality connected with human
nature, and the circumstances which surround
man, that renders it his unavoidable and eternal
lota The world answers stupidity yes; we answer
no; and our object is to prove theoretical by our
writings, and practically by trial Of Association,
the ial'eness of this fatal and superficial belief.
Let us glance at the condition Of some of the
most advanced nations Of the globe, and see whe-
Their the miseIies which exist among them call
not loudly for new and deep measures, for some
great and practical reform.
In France, out Of population Of thirty two mil.
lions, twenty-five millions have but about six cents
a day each on an average to defray all the ex-
penses Of food, lodging, clothing, education, plea
sures, SC. l leave the reader to Judge for himself
what the intel lie ctual development and the physical
condition of such creatures must be.
In ireland, out Of a population of eight millions,
every third person experiences during thirty
weeks in the year a deficiency Of even third rate
potatoes.
: The Morning Chronicle of London estimates the
ing Worcestershire, Somersetshire, Worcester.
shire, and Willis, at about g.. g.. sterling per
week and that this, allowing Sd. per week for
rent, Is. Sd. for fuel, 81. for soap, candles, &c,
four children, is just l0d. a week for each; or,
allowing them food three times a day, it will give
lessthan one half penny ameal
We know how wretched and degraded are the
people OF SPAIN, Italy anu IOiduQ. luey are In
Germany and Russia somewhat better of as regards
mere physical existence, than in France and En-
gland, where the system Of free and reductive
competition, and the fluctuations and excuses in
trade and industry, entail such killing anxiety
and excessive labor upon them.
4 In Sicily, which is so highly favored by soil,
climate and position, the condition Of the people is
particularly distressing. 1t Is mainly a wheat
growing country, aud when the crops are bad, or
the prices of grain low, so that the lsndholders re-
quire less labor, the misery Of the country then
becomes intense without the means Of subsistence
for the winter, it is not Il rare thing To- find pea
SAINTS starved to death in the fields with grass in
their mouths, from which they had vainiy epdea-
vored 10 draw nourishment!
In this country the people are IN a better situa-
ton, because there are a vast extent OF soil, and q
thin population, combined with all the advantages
Of a fully developed system Of industry, and q
highly extendsd system OF ry. But if We
examine the cosdition Of our population, a sad spec.
taelc after all will be offered TO us. In the first
place, one.sixth of the population are slaves, toll.
ing from (, ar Of the lash, and but little above beasts
of burden. CT the remaiaing fifteen millions, not
less than three or four millions are in circum-
stances Of comparative or extreme destitutIon-
This is not an ovsr-esiimate, although the number
Of actual paupers and habitual beggars may not Ak.
ceed half a million. But when We add to these the
vast army Of confirmed drnnkards, " no with CLASSY
eyes, burning brows, and sinking knees, are reel
ing on their downward roaJ, with their dependent
wives and children, subsistlDg from hand {, N 'uth,
heaven only knows how-a daily repetition Of the
miracle of the loaves and fishes, save that the basket
Of fragments are omitted when we add also the
wives and children OF habitual ldlers, loungers and
reprohates the families of the crippled, diseased,
and Of persons out Of employment; and poor widows
and orphans the aggregate OF human suffering
from absolute want. is frightful!
The ccndition Of the great family Of man il as we
see, wretched enough. But leaving aside these
de ails, let us take a general view ofthe cendi'
ton Of the earth and the human race upon il. In
the south, We see regions exhausted under the cul.
~tivation Of a noxious plant, which is grown to fur.
Rish idleness and mental vacuity, with the means
OF a momentary occupation and excitement. In
the north, districts planted with grain-not TO sus.
tain life-.ut to yield a poisonous liquid, which
shall afford 10 degraded masses a brutal exhilira.
ton, which, brings with it madness, folly, disease
and dea,h. In our country we see black slaves,
laboring from fear OF the lath, to produce the raw
material, which keeps at work the white slaves Of
another country, who labor from fear Of want and
starvation. Here the vessels Of one civilised ma
ton are engaged in stealing the children Of Africa
from their native land; there the vessels Of another
are cheating the simple o~natives of unclvilized re-
gions out oftheir productions, and initiating them
into the vices Of civilization. In some countries,
destitute populations are deprived even OF salt with
their scanty vegetable food, 10 supply a small mi
nority with the means Of wasteful extravaganza,
while in others, the mass are living and toiling
merely to create products for capitaland commerce
to speculate upon.
What are the political leaders'of the world, the
Press, the great and influential doing to remedy
this horrid State o fthingsl
Nothing, absolutely nothing. Personal ambi.
ton, sslf reimbursement, party i~ntrigues, vain
6 controversies, and sectional intere SIS alone occu-
by and absorb their attention.
In Ireland, O'Connell and his party want q ma
tional parliament, which they believe will be a
for the miseries which Cypress their
country. In Eogland they have a ma
tional parliament, and what does it do for its star
wing operatives!
In England one powerful party wishes to reform
the corn laws, which is the most important ameli-
GRAFTON that il knows how TO propose in the Unit
I'd States we have no corn laws, but other political
himeras, Qually vain, occupy our states men.
In France, the Democratic party is striving to
universal suffrage, which it believes will
be a remedy for social evils. Here we have uni
versal suffrage, and IT is found but a trifing re-
medy.
In this country the democratic party is laboring
10 bring back a specie currency in France they
have a snccie currency. and what does il do for