New-York daily tribune., 1844-07-11
THE TRIBUN NE
'The Spirit of the Age


book, of course, is not fairly dealt by-this
would be something quite ont Of the way in a
profcsscdIy sashing' review by London critic
Mr. Horne, however, is properly rebuked for his
egotism and his FadIadeon style of pronouncing
upon Literature and Literary Men. But the ar
,iclc in the Westminster contains some better
things than mere literary sparring, and a few OF
them are worth quoting and circulating IN this
country to show the turn that thought ls taking
in the Old World upon several questions which
are pressing every year more and more earnest
", for decision. OF the Spirit oF tho Age the
Reviewer says:
Mr.. Horne has done rashiy IN taking up Hazlit,'s
ill-chosen title. and trylng 10 enlarge upon II. NJ
Spirit OF The Age If meant 10 express any par
ticuar kind Of spirit, should express the general
predominajing spirit Of the world as te some par
ticular branch OF progress. In this view it is an
entire failure for the prominent Characteristic OF the
prcsen, age is phy sica progress-tnat Is, progress
in alI arts tending diminish human drudgefv, and
ultimately TO extiDguish i-arts, also, tending To
enlarge the sphere OF human pleasures. In The
petty spirit OF caste, Horne. professional write,
d,ems that written books of more importance
than things; that writers OF Things greater inca
than the doers OF things. It'll true that contenpa
ton mast be the creator OF great action, but may
print the results OF It's thoughts as ndeIihy on
things and events as on paper.
In this view thu strong Saxon spirit OF George
Stephenson, the - Hengist Of Railways" spirt
OF the age who has written work whereou those
who ride may read glad iIdingS OF mans rescue
from the bondage aud thraidom Of guorance oi
his mower of unison with his fellows for the purpose
OF conqueriug and civllizng the earth, recIamine
lis swainps aud morasSes and adding 10 lis beau
rl.ttc rI1t
fire from heaven 10 earth for mans uses. George
Stephenson may be the hero Of some future myihus,
which will tell how he hanesscd fire 10 charlrts OF
iron. which became sxiiter than The winds Of hea-
ven. i.ambart Kingdom Brunei is n spirit of TN,
age that would not he content with the work o;
George Stephenson, but made Yet greater work
in advance ot the spirit of his age, refusing to sub
NIT the set patterns even OF the great originator
David Napier, the restless planner Of steamboat
after steamboat, each swiiier than the last and the
panner of the great Bristol iron steamer spirits
of the age Ciegg of th. railway air tran>aetion--
the rope OF wound-ntf wind Smith. OF Deanston
the physician oi diseqsei lard Lehig, the multi
per OF human food by chemic science, are all spir
is Of The age. Mlrsha OF Leeds, tie greatest OF
the "c.ptaas OF industry" he who spins flax Ior
half the world, and when profits become too large,
voluntarily cuts them down, and "bulids another
m To keep up his annual revenues-hc who
works 10 underworld cottoo cloth and replace il b,
cloth oi linen; he, 100, Is spirit OF the age
Men. brothers, the workers; working
That which they have done the thing they
shall do
Colonel Thompson, the apostle OF free trade and
Cohder, III practical and indomitable champion;
O'Connel the last representative Of clan-leadcr-
ship using his power 10 bond together a nation OF
di.unied Cells; and Wakefield, ih- originator OF
s,s ,sematc colonza,ion-al are spirits OF the phv
steal progress OF the age. Faraday is the repre-
sentative of the power which, IN all ages, has
sought TO gather natures secrets for mans uses,
and Rothschiid Is the representative o. the great
power accunulators oi the world, the boarded labor
oil mankind, on the ncreaSe I'LL al last II shat
grow to Il surplus, when men will rest from their
work and say it is good alany Il weary day l.
before us before we attain that desirable end, but
the time will come.
Roebuck-the watchdog of the people-the
most fearless advocate III the House OF Commons
of public as opposed TO mere party objects Ioy-u
the true-souled LOvet;, the champion OF education
for his i-llow-men, the working classes: the two
Chamberses, OF Edinburgh, whose genius has
achieved the task OF popularizing knowledge al the
cheapest rate-a are samples OF that spirit OF the
age which SAYS the soul OF shall no, die within
him Tor want Of culture.
ASd here Is what is said OF the Workers and
No.workcrs in the great beehive of Great Brit
ain
Nor should Edwin Chadwick be forgotten, the
yiZlrr OF the three kings OF Somerset House"
whose reports many subjects connected with the
welfare OF the greut mass OF The people alone form
n valuable statistical library. He has been or
the most valuable "splrils OF the age. Bener0-
lent benescient, and in virtue of these two quali-
ties benrf rfctRt he has dared do the right thing,
though The unpopular thing. lie has braved Odiuu.
and disregarded obloquy and cant. To become
popular Is an easy thing; 10 do unpopular justice
requires man. Satisfied that crime is the result
OF poverty and Observation-Disclosures povert, Is
greatly the result oi ignorSncc-hat general edu-
cation the cure Tor ignorance-there is 10 warmer
advocate OF the rights and real interests of the poor
than Edwin Chadwick. But, knowing also that il
is impossible accomplish the mental instruction
of the ply sicav wretched, he sought secure fu,
those classes Of the community Who do the work,
and pay the taxes OF the conhumtN, the largest
possible snare o their own earnings, Hbsiracuus
lillle as possible from them for The maintenance
OF the non ~orkeIs. For ii is an unquesticnahlc
fact that all those of the community who do not
work, must in some shape or other toe mann tanned by
those who do work. To say that he did not strlke
"paiaced psupcrs of the pension list, is only
ing that he accomplished no more ihan he able
Palace, or hntsI paupefS, would nave teen alike Ia
his equal Justice; but there's a government that
doth SO hedge in and protect palace paupers,
that Justice. cannot rrach them. There was one
broad principle 10 look at-the peupef system was
encroaching on capital, and IN mercantile country
not 10 advance is Ia recede. The food OF the com
muntty was not enough Tor a!l-the mouths were III
eHcess-the snip must have her crew put on shorter
allowance, and the working We're, IN all jas
tee well policy entitled full rations while
the inSslids were put ON half allowance. TO have
put the invaids on full allowance, while the or,l.
Ing crew were reduced, would have been offering n
premium the workers 10 Invalid themselves. To
have given iuli ralOns and conyenenccs 10 the
workhouse Inmates would have been monsirous in-
Justice 10 the hard workers out al the wOTkhouse.
The pseudo-benevolent haranguers, who have
talked 70 voIubly OF philanthropy and charity 10
the workhouse poor, and outdoor relief, have Ut
terly mistaken the matter. They have been gene
rously disposed, not al their expense but NJ
the e1peus. OF the working classes ot England (;
for We defy them 10 show any mode Of ooaimng
contributions 10 the poor rates, except through Ils
work OF Ibe workers, The whole food of England
has TO be- Produced by the agency tie brains aad
afias OF the WORKERS, whether IRON English or for
eign soil. This total amount has to be- divided
among the whole population in urgrr ard smaller
shares, and II must toe OBVIOUS 20 the shallowrst Gu
pscity, that ii the whole OF the workers ceased to
WORK, there would be TO food 10 divide; and must
follow, the night the day, that The greater the
Il. a.