New-York tribune., 1842-03-02
vel. n.
ASSOCIAII9N::
OR, PRINCIPLES OF A True RGANIZATIoN o
SOCIETY.
General IIe1e No. II.


Reforms could not reach and remedy those evil.
from which tho A1ass desire first TO be relieved =
such a, POVERTY Anxiety for the future uncertainty
Of Employment &c &c Politics may guarantee
US the Right 10 vote but it cannot guarane, tlie
Working Glasses the Right OF Labor, TO the Child
the Righ, of Education, and to AL justice and en-
couragerncnt If Political Reforms canno, assuag re
human Aliserv must We for ha,rca>on, as ". have
previously asked, abandon all efforts to remed- it
must give w, because The preudces of Minority
may be opposed TO all and any changes, or because
the Monopoizcrs Of Reform may declare the under
taking impracticable? No; we mus, disregard those
rrej!dices, and leaving politicians ther schemes
and projects, labor ardonty and boldly for deeper
and more etlcctua measures, which will lead to
PRACTICAL bcncfcin. results
Besides Political Reforms, there Is a portion Of
the community engaged in others of different ma
tnre,--srch rs Abolition Temperance. Sc They
also are piecc-meol partial Reforms, remedies for
Spccial Evils, pronpted often By the pure,, philan-
thropy but which do 90 to the foundation Of So
cnl Evil and which offer no solution of the problem
o! Human Happiness and the Social Elevation of
Man
II we examine the various Reforms which are
now the order of the day, we shall find that So
clcly is full of projects here is undcniablc ac-
acknowledgements on the part Of Society that great and
varied Evils exist, and thai changes are urgcntly
called for. The efforts, which are so SrenuolIslv
making 10 remedy special and partial Evils, show
clearly two things: first that the Intelligence of
the Age has not elevated itself to The idea Of Il broad
and comprehensive Reform, which will embrace ait
lhese minor and secondary ones within itself; and
second, that 1t does not perceive that such tuudi-
mental Reform is neecssary, although the existence
ol the various Evils to which those Special Reforms
are directed, shows that some dccplyscacd disease
exists in the foundation Of Society.
The conclusion at which we wish to arrive is,
that the various Reforms which are now inco-
herently advocated by different Parties, can do
little towards rcmcdying human misery, or at the
most can alleviate but partially a few isolated
cvs.-we mus, either undertake a new and deeper
Reform, must be content to look scltishly and
iudiltcrently at the frghttul amoNn of wlctched-
ness which surrounds us, leaving the poor. the ig
woes and misercS, unheedcd and uncared for. The
latterpolicy certainly shall not pursuc we shall,
therefore, labor for Social Reform, and if our un-
dcrtaking be visionary, can never be half as much
tho Indifference aud Scllislmcss ofthc Lenders
OF the world cruel and rcprehcnsibe.
We will point out briefly some of the character
is,cs of the Reform which we shall advocate. We
have lao
to be So must forward ull Interests,-tlese OF the
Rich rs well as those of the oor; it must be Con-
structive, not Destructive; 1t must not impoverish
small minority of Wealthy to enrich slightly
majority of Destitute, but it must increase Produc-
ton or real Wealth so immensely that the Pros
pcrity of ell Glasses can be greatly augmented. If
the means of the POOR be increased ten or twenty
fold the fortunes of the Rich should at least be
doubled The Reform we rropose,-hascd upon
ASSOCIATION and ATTRA cTIvE INDUSTRY, ca de-
tailed description Of which we shall commence
soon, will fulfil these conditions twill offer a
safe, permanent and prohtab beinvcstnent 10 Capital
Ii viii respect all individual and vested Rights ii
which is the first practical step be taken 10
cnancipae and elevate tile Laboring ClaSSes,-it
viii give health and abundance to All; introduce
Unity Of interests and Concert of action into So
ccty, prevent the rcvulsiolls which take place pc
rindicay in Commerce and Industry, and will
forward not only the pccunialy interests of the
people. but the cause of true Morality and the elc
vaton of the Human Race.
Allthe Reforms. which have heretofore been pro-
posed have been purtiu and incomplete in their
character; they have been carried out only by AT
lacking and DESTROYING tha, which existed. not by
substituting peacefully something better in IL place;
they have generally been effected, either BY dis
organizing Demagosues. or by furious outbreaks
oi the Mass. There Is connectcI consequently,
with the idea OF Reform sentiment o! violence.
Now we wish it TO be distinctly understood, That
we wage war against no Glass oy Interest. We
cope and believe that the condition OF all Glasses
can be- elevated far above that OF the most favored
in Society at present The Rich, for exampls, in
oUr Societies are in many respects Us miserable as
the Poor; they possess material luchcS.ltlS Is true,
and can satisfy their phS sical=wants and=tms !S
certainly a very great advantage, but they are poor
in what we NAV term moral Riches that Is, IN
| those pleasures which are derived from agreeable
Social Relations, the cultivation of the Arts and
Sciences, and the occupations OF Attractive Indus
try Our Societies are, il may use the com
pariSon. intellectual wastes or deserts. where the
Mind sickcns in the midst OF Moao,ony and spiritual
barrenness If the Rich escape one class of Evils,
thev are oppressed by another; they are harissed
bv physical debility and disease, and are dcvoured
often bv mental slo,h, cnnui. apathy, melancholy
and hvpochondria. How often does Suicide ter
inmate a career, which was series Of mental
>cternss tha, could neither be expressed nor COM
prcheu eudcd