Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-06-04


the wants of all, by giving to those who
nave not, and by adding to those who
have.
The Social School demonstrate also that
the masses have little interest in the irri:a-
ting contests Of politics.; that the form Of
the government touches them only in a few
points, since they are equally miserable
except when the accident Of abundant,
land, as in this country, constitutes an ex-
ception) under all governments, and that
their progress depends upon social reform
the reform Of the township, which on the
diminutive scale on which it is essayed,
can do no harm, if it could do no good.
How could so peaceful notions as these
prove dangerous TO pubic order? What
sentiment is there to impel to disorder,
men, who know, scientifically, that every
organic change, liz subversive state,
short Of a true and harmonious re-organi-
eaton, is nothing more than a revolution
AIRY perturbation? No; while we propose
the reform of the whole world, we would
not disturb the smallest corner Of its broad
domain. Peace is our motto; but it is a
Peace under the silent influences Of which
new Earth would rise.
:. That the doctrine is immoral
The Social School proposes TO organize
Labor; there can certainly be ne immoral
ity IN that!
| But they are &C cused Of immortality be-
cause Fourier has expressed the thought,
that the manners Of future societies, parti-
cular y in regard 10 the relation of the SEX
es, will be as different from those Of our
present societies, as ours are from those
of the l'atriarchs and Savages. We have
already made reply to this: if the conjec-
lures of Fourier dsplease any, it is of little
importance TO US that they be rejected; they
do not bear upon the project which we
seek to realize. Our task is the organiza-
ton Of labor, and we leave to other gene
ra,ions the discretion Of adopting such
changes in their feelings and customs as
superior intelligence, purity, and truth,
may approve.
Again: we are accused Of immortality, in
that we urge men to indulge and no, re-
press their Passions. Let it be understood,
however, in what sense we use the word
Passion, and to what does this objection
amoun,s Why, that We inculcate that ii
is the duty Of Man so to adjust his social
relations, that his native impulses, which,
freely INDUCED in the present state, only
lead to evil may be INDUCED in such a way
as only TO lead to Good!
Mech error has been started in regarc
TO Fourier's standard OF morality. by tine
use Of the word Passion, wifi h has gene
rally bad sense in the present acceptation
but which was perhaps the best that he
could find. He means by it, as we have
before said, the springs of action in the
human soul, the fundamental impulses, the
affections, the motives Of the Will. The
passions, he says, have right and wrong
development The right development pro-
duces harmony, good, justice, unity; the
wrong development produces selhshness,
evil, injustice, and dup'icity.
Sin, vice, and what are called bad pas
sions, do not arise from any positive prln-
cple Of evil infused from without into the
mind Of man. or having its original seat
there; bat are the false, disoidered action
of principles that are in themselves good.
On the contrary. virtue and goodness are
the true, harmonious, untary action Of all
these faculties. Virtue is the integrity OF
a mans whole nature (rirtus, mdnliness,
and implies the due snbordnation, the per-
feet cooperation, the Unity OF the Whole
Man.
Fourier, in this view Of human nature.
is sustained by some Of the most clear and
profound of metaphysical thinkers. Bish-
OPP Butler, whom we regard as one of the
acutest and large-minded Of the able race
Of English divines, takes essentially the
same view in his admirable Sermons. He
defines Virtue as the following of NATURE .
and vice as '.deviating from i;'' and pro-
ceeds 10 show that this is not ga loose way
Of talk" "Whoever," he says, 'thinks it
worth while to consider this matter tho
roughly, should begin by stating to himself
exactly the idea of system, economy, or
constitution Of any particular thing or ma
ture; and he will find that it is One or a
Whole" (Unity,) .'made up of several
parts, but yet that the several parts, even
considered as whole, do not complete the
idea, unless you include the relations and
the respects which those parts have to each
other. Every work, Of both nature and
art, is system" etc. lie then illustrates
this by the constitution o: watch, and
adds: THUS it it is in regard to the inward
frame Of man. Appetites, passions. affec-
tons, etc, considered merely as the seve-
raj parts of our nature, do net give us an
idea at all of the system or constitutions Of
this Nature, because the Constitution is
formed by somewhat not yet taken into
consideration, namely, be the relation
which these several parts have to each o.h-
er, etc. fUnityism.)
Again, il describing the nature of vice,
he says: EVERY work Of art is apt 10 be
out of order, which is true also OF the hu
man system or constitution" And after
stating, from deliberate survey of our na-
ture, that 1--WE were made for society, and
to promote the happiness OF it,: proceeds
as follows 10 state an objection: But it may
be asked, has not Man dispositions and
principles within which lead him to do evil
to others as we'll as good! Whence come
the many mser;es else, which men are The
authors and instruments OF 10 each other?"
In answer, he says, .'there is nc such thing
as ill-wlll in one man towards another. em.