New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-03-02
p If, T R I B u N E
Review 5
.r,s Importance OF a Christian Basis for
iTne ssance Of Political EcOnOmy.'

sls0 CITY, which barely announced on its pub
w. I'm considering that, though treating Of Po-
nS.., Economy, it in fact dealt so much with
theological T differences that we could hardly dis
Inv = without giving offence in atleast one quar-
'A'e .,obablv in several. Maturer reflection,
70 -, has determined us to take it up, and
w.. ~ ofit as we think, Notwithstanding our aver
- 10 discussing Church differences in these
,nrons since it is not our faultif Theoogic dis
.'.,,nces mngle themselves with the discussion
fa;,, questions which come properly within our
own province
n Bishop Hughes's fundamental proposition
- heartily concur, as must very many who will
r...,t from his subsequent lncucations. That
hs Science of Political Economy-as PROFOUND
u bv Adam Smith, Bentham, the Edinburgh
pov;ewers. and their less noted disciples-who
,,,dest]v assume to be the Political Economists,
and stignatize all dissenting views as absurd,
narrow dictated by selfish interests, &c.-is "a
dcalv unsound and heartless, in the eye Of Chris
t;on Philanthrophy, is abundantly obvious to clear
Observers without tracing it to the horrible yet
,ert;mate conclusions of Nautilus. This system
makes selfshness and general good identical, not
IN The right way by teaching that individual &C
INN should in all cases be based on and coniormed
10 considerations of public good, but by actually
;rculcating that each must look out for No. l,
and that by taking the best care of his individual
feecunary) interest, he will most effeetualy pro-
mote the common veal. See this doctrine plainly
set forth in Adam Smiths Wealth of Nations,
book 9TH, as follows:
"E,sry individual is continually exe,ting himself find
on, The advantageous employment for whatever capital
he can command. ii is his adv tntage indeed, and not
, Of Society he has vieJut the study Of has cd
rcnase naturally rather leads him Pre-
ia 'ha employment 'ohieh is most adva' ogeOus to So
OF course, if this is sound doctrine, the whole
Free Trade system is established, and the man
who wishes to know whether particular course
hor is not prcjudicial TO the public veal has only
10 see whether it promotes or conflicts with his
own personal interest Admitting this principle,
iii hard to say how the keeper of lucrative
gambling house or brothel should not consider
himself more useful and honorable man than an
Ipald clergyman or school master, nor how we
shall resist Hazlitt's deliberate conclusion, after
vea.s Of opostlcshlp In The Free Trade ranks,
that dcbauchery and all immoralltieS which IN
vslve none but willing actors are not properly
within thegcorrectve reach Of the community.
But the Let US alone Take care of No. l.
Buy where you can cheapest system is con-
tary to enlightened Reason, to Humanity, to Re
Igon The fair price of Labor, and of the Pro-
ducts OF Labor is not always the l0pest price at
which they may be obtained; for, once admit
he principle that the employer may righttuly
hire Labor, not at the price which he can fairly
afford to pay, but at the lowest price for which he
can possibly obtain it, and you establish the right
in the actual condition Of things of small por-
lion Of mankind to starvc a large portion to death
or at least into the Poor-House
We agree, then, most heartily with Bishop
Hughes that we need Science of Political
Economy which shall be based on Christian Mo-
aGty and the Christian precept of the essential
Brotherhood of the Human Race, and that the
present condition Of the great mass of the People
ofthe British Isles is fair exemplihcaton of the
minciple of Every man for himself, run ont to
islgitinlate conclusions. 1t is most absurd to
say that the repeal Of the Corn Laws or any pos
sble modification OF the British system OF Taxa
hon, could radically and permanently improve
the condition of the Laboring Classes. The evil
stoo deep.seated to be cured by any such super
fetal treatment. 1t might for short time be al
eyiated, but the same evil principles exist at the
root and the same results would in a short time
@rproduced in all their disastrous potency
Not until the principle that the tlller of the soil,
the workman in the factory, is entitled to his TAR
Proportion of the fruits of his toll, will the evils
nov experienced be fully obyiated. So long as
the maxim bears sway that the landlord letting
his farms, the capitalist investing his money, the
nasterworkman employing laborers, may lauda-
by drive the hardest bargain which Poverty ana
Necessity will compel the weaker party to sub
mt to, Just SO long will the mass of mankind DC
destitute, degraded and miserable. true Chris-
ban basis for the relations of man with man IN
whatever capacity is indispensably requisite 10
ae happiness if not the very existence of the less
fortunate millions who possess no hold on the
sou Or the accumulations of past industry
The Bishop proceeds, however, to find prl-
nary cause of the Social misery which darkens
ae British Isles in the Reformation. in his
new, that great change was operative IN produc-
ing the immense inequalities Of Fortune and ao-
se' dependence or restitution of millions when
u'S exist, IN the following manner:
l. by confiscating to secular uses, and often 70
Individual ACKNOWLEDGMENT, the vast estates form