The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-10-17
ROBERT OWEN.

The Locofoco free trade party have ~receiv-
ed further acquisition by the arrival in this
country of Robert Owen, the Social System
i.t, who figured SO largely some twenty
years ago in our ~neighboring town of New
Harmony. The old gentleman now, as he
did on his former visit TO this country finds
great fault with our state of society, and in
a circular addressed to the citizens of New
York City, complains that things are not
right here and must be changed ere we can
hope to attain an easy state of wealth; health,
c%ontentment or happiness. He thinks our
present state of society is ~"cunningly devils
ed to force a most inferior and unfortunate
character upon all, to fill our minds with
never ending Inconsistencies, and with the
least practicable useful knowledge, and to
compel one and all to acquire The most inju,
rious practical habits" In other words, we
are a corrupted, debased, abandoned set of
~wretches, and daily growing worse, too ignor-
ant 10 see the errors into which We have fall
len, and out of pure philanthropy, we sup
pose, he comes among us a second time to
correct our abuses and enlighten our minds;
and remembering the matchless success
which attended his first mission, who can
doubt the result? The Philadelphia U. S..
Gazette speaking ofthis circular, says-"Had
-
Mr.. o. laid down the basis of the new state
of society, we should have better comprc-
hended his censure of the existing instftu-
tons. We remember some years ago some
one wrote a letter to certain persons in New
Orleans, in which he lauded a particular Gus
tom prevalent in that city, which is thought
in most civilized communities, to be oppos-
ed TO virtue. II such a course is 10 be an
ingredient in society, then we should doubt
the propriety of the proposed alterations
Society is founded on virtue, or ought TO be,
and must be sustained by virtue. He who'
to escape the sin OF violating a moral law
would repeal that law ratherthan correct his
conduct, can scarcely be the man TO purify
society ,or build up perfect institution among
men,"
Upon the subject Of free trade, Mr.. o. is
l~ocofoco up to the handle as the following
paragraph from his circular will show:
"But, my friends, with the means at the
control of your country it is no more than a
= zc.La go
tention and compeiition-a low and degrad-
ing prosperity, such only as can arise fTomir-
rational mental conflicts, united with the
practice ofuniyersal attempts to buy the SER
vices and wares of others cheap and TO sell
our own dear. The sooner you can abandon,
without violence or confusion, a society SO
based and constructed, the sooner will you
become wise truly prosperous,a and permanent
ly happy"
That is, the sooner we adopt the free trade
principles advocated by Mr.. Polk and his
party, the sooner we will break down the
manufacturing establishments Of the country
and "the practice of buying our goods cheap
and selling our produce high' will be done
away with. The "sad prosperity which en-
ables our farmers to dispose of their produce
/ alta fair rate and to purchase then domestic
, goods a. from so TO 100 per cent. less than
they did previous to the operation of the tar.
, if, when we had no smanufactories of oul
own and were dependent upon Great Brit
ain for all things that we used, mustb e kick
] ed 10 the moon, and our former ''truly pros
porous" state of colonial yasselage and de
psndence upon England again resorted &c
ere we can become "permanently haPPym
5 So thinks Mr.. Robert Owen and the Free
e Trade people of England. What do -oul
Farmers think?