Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-04-30

SIM tut inc same reason II IS Character
ized, positively, by an enormous expendi-
ture OF time and money, which is utterly
remediless, under present arrangements,
although it forces seven-eigh,s of the peo-
pie oil civilized nations to wear out the
greater portion of their lives in accumula-
ting the mere materials Of living. The
large majority of men are placed under
the suicidal necessity of destroying their
energies IN order to keep themselves in
comfortable existence.
But, not TO dwell upon these points, LEI,
US ask 1t it is any wonder, that poverty is
so general in all civilized nations; that the
lew only are in possession of the goods of
life, while the many are trampled in the
dust; that the demands for bene VIOLENT ex-
ertions are every year incl easing; that the
vices OF violence are spreading in the low
er classes while the vices of RIGHTEOUSNESS
more and more infect the higher classes;
that the faces of all men are ieverish with
snxieties; that disccrd, jealousy and hatred
prevail among different ranks; that neither
politicians nor preachers discover an out
let to the overwhelming flood OF social dis
tresses; that some sink into stupid indiffer-
ence and others run into tire madness OF
extravagant deans; that all political and
religious contests, being contests Of oppo-
stag Interests, become so embi,tered with
vindlctive passions; or that SO many look
10 Revolution and BloodsAed as the onIy
means of rectfying the abuses of the past!
Need we wonder? No! Society is con-
stituted on wrong principle, and so long
as It is, must suffer the fearful consequent
ces which God has attached to error.
Were an individual te prove himself as
utterly destitute eft a regulating principle
as society ls-we re he TO leave his affairs
to such loose ends, each to take care of it.
self and no one to look after the whole
indulge in all manner Of waste, and despise
the most PaIpabIe economies, spend his
whole time in pampering the belly or the
head, while the limbs and other organs
were oegtectes-were he TO live in the
ioulest arn1ospheres and ia the ilthest
novels. utterly regardless of all the laws
OF health or morality, he would inevitably
tall into disease and missy. Now society
as whole, which is only larger Human
Being, does all this and more than this,
and must expect the memorable Effects
Ii has no head, no concert of action; IFS
memeers running where they please are
exposed to every variety of accident and
eVil; they war with each other; thew are
subjected to diseases; they lie in idleness
and hIth; they are covered with sores; and
the bod v n,ust suffer.
IL. THE NATURE OF THE REMEDY.
The question, then, arises, how Society
can place itself in its true state? We re-
ply, that II the representations we have
just given be correct-if there be this in
herent defect in the very structure of soci-
ETY., the evil is not to be removed by any
kind of action upon the ndiridual The
great am fatal error of the philanthropists
OF the day is, that they look amos, exclu-
slvely 10 the reform of individual men,
Only reform the individual, they sav-only
lntuse good Christian principles into the
hearts Of all men, aud you will have re-
formed Society Granted and then comes
the rub! How are you to teach the indi-
vIduai! How are you 10 bring the appli-
ances and means Of Christian instruction
10 operate upon the vast mass, who labor
rom morning TO night, and who have nei-
Their time nor opportunity to listen TO your
predictions and preachments? How can
you expect while they are steapcd in mise
ry 10 he mouth, that they will keep their
ears open TO your counsels2 How are YOU
to remove them from constant temptation1
How can you prevent the inevitable laws
OF social movement from keeping them
down in the mire and fi.thiness of degra-
ded and brutifying povertyl Can any
amount of individual reform prevent the
waste, the competition, the antagonism,
the seltishness, the falsehood, and evil pas-
sons. which are the direct and unavoidable
result of the workings of our badly organ
'zed or unorganized societiesl 1t is not
enough, TO exhort them from your pulpitS
be good, be temperate, be wise: YOU
must place them in circumstances to be all
these. The very form Of society, we saw.
generates larger part of the vices under
which IT labors, and the only reform that
is adequate 10 meet the evil is one that
shall reach lis source. Your appeals 10
the Individual are in themselves good: thew
proceed from noble sympathies and are the
manifestations Of holy desire; we DO not
ask you 10 relax in any benevolent exer-
ton; but at the same time, we assert III at
they are partial and must of necessitv be
inadequate. They do not penetrate to the
heart of the matter; they play round The
surtace OF the difficulty; they operate over
small spheres only; they cannot thoroughly
regenerate Humanity.
On the same grounds, we affirm that the
measures Of political parties can have only
an Inconslderable and temporary effect for
good. Statesmen and jurists, taking 1t for
granted that the actual form of society is
only specifically defective. employ them
selves only in superficial meliorations.-
All that they propose, in tho way of reform,
relates exclusively to the correction of ad-
illustrative abuses or the alienation of To-
cal evils. Even those among them land
how few are theyl) who are actuated by
the higher motives of philanthropy see no
practicable modes for the accomplishment
OF their desires, or friiter away their time
ana lRteilects on petty projects and abortive
sohemesl What party, or what leader. is
prepared to meet the real andaIarming diff
ticuitIes which we have shown TO exist in
the boSpf, Of all ,,aodar, ,,,;.3 VT.