New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-07-08
For The Tribune.
Constitutional Reform.

Constitutional Reform.
a IL. Presiienf and Members Of the Fe York Sae CEN
usatoa enointed TO rerise < Coasfttson 81 hst oo'<
GENTLEMEN: You have been elected 6y your 'e.loV-
citizens perform In the present advances .'ae 70
cety perhaps the uoss important dunee 'os' e'u' 70
intrusted 20 any association OF men
You CURED 10 revise amend aoo neeo oe ~
construct Constitution in principle and pracce ios Inc
State OF New-York-s Stale which fnsy wen Dc 'srnea
the Empire Suite because IN Populs'ioo agriculture
gensral educaon commerce, Manufactured and the
nse6oI science. II ,,snds preen,inent amid many
rapidly urogressns sister States whose Constitutions
.lso bs,ed On equal rights and us equality 70. all
This task has tevo7ed upon you after more than half
century OF experience IN the results Of those Copsttu-
lions In practice, experience invaluable as guide for
your proceeding
IDENTIFY Intended By the founders Of the Constitution Of
the United States Is The elevation of the whole populs
ton In perpetuy equal rights and the most beneficial
practical equality.
In the then Of public opinion, and without prac-
deal experience aid them they made greater pro.
sress toward the attainment Of their object than could
have been anticipated. The Constitution devised
and adopted By the States.
But equal rights and Just equality hsye not been ye,
Obtained and II Is for you what farther pro.
gress the greatly advanced state Of public opinion In the
civilized world will permit you make toward the
luton of this problem.
Experience has proved that With The fundamental
errors on which our early ancestors based society
equal rights and just equality could not be attained
10 practice.
The great question for tho calm delibera,on OF the
Convention 70 ascertain is whsther the advanced
mind Of the State Of EewYork IL prepared 20 abandon
The fundamental ofheir inexperienced ancestors
with the furious practices which necessa:y emsnte
from those and whether they have moral courage
hnc honesy 10 openly and boldly recommend me s1p
ton OF fundamental principles which will OF necessi'y
lead straight ward ~ the ghest permanent prosperity
and most benehcisl practices
To abandon those errors and adopt these truths Ia
the turning point 20 gain the next advance in cVhIs
ton for without this change permanent good can 90
expected and without you eject this aosnd
OF false and adoption OF Fundamental Prlnclpes az
you can otherwise obtain will be Of small oeneh 70 lne
public and dlssppoint your expectation
The time 10 hand, II Il DO not already come
when the authorities Of tho world Will Do, oy tue IRE
setbe voice OF public opinion called upon 10 abandon
those false fundamental principles On winch none socle
~ has been based and irrational character OF men
hos been formed and replace these false nouons DE-
rived soey from the inexperienced nssnatons Of half
sayages for eternal truths-for laws OF God-unknown
10 chunge and which, In practice can produce good
only the human For It viii be now ascer,sined
that In ali past apes have been solely governed by
the same fse Fundamental no,ioDs varied only by the
Irrational pr1dces arising 10 the peculiar 4tIudos and
loppitudes Of each division OF And 10 such eX
tent have these been carried that the latitude and
longitude of the birth and training Of any individuals be-
ing given the general language religion habits nhDners
and preudices that thereby also given
The universal fundamental errors are that each one
forms bis individual qualities OPTIONS and feeling.
and .bs; they should be made responsible for
what they may be their equally ignorant fellowen
Upon these universal errors are eDgrated the peculiar
Of the respective lstudes and OnRudes In which
each one has been placed and instructed and tbus
each ore been. unknown to bmaelf forced TO become
irrational In thought and action opposed to bis
happiness, and the happiness Of his fellows.
The change required TO make men into rational be-
ipgs 10 prevent this veil of ignorance which s pre-
pared for each ncv generation py the existing maturcd
generation, being formed present for Them from
their birth TO their full maturity OF mind and body and
Instead thereof character be created for
them from Infancy based the knowledge tina,
can create his quai,ies OF body MUD or BIS
opinions his re!pgs and that for men 10 make
themselves responsible to another for that which
they could create Is tho limit OF folly
aud ncon.istency and destroy the principles OF
rnonslity and hnppnese To create unisersa iasehood
and deception and TO nder charity and kindness from
man TO man. aud nation 10 nation. impractIcabe.
IN addition TO this fundamental change in the cbarsc
ter OF the nfa from btth 10 give bn the language OF
and the conduct sas horward honesty IN look
word. and action, he must be we'll employed. well
must be surrounded By entirely new combination OF
external obects previously calculated to have their IRE
sistlbe Influence In making each one intelligent good
kind and charitable. In Other words. 10 become
FULL FORMED SUP ERROR Rational BEING.
That these principles are true, and the practice most
desirable, all who have been enabled 10 overcome the
prrudices OF their lautuder and opgtudes will now
admit but the difficulty which presents itself to them is
to know how TO effect the change from the false pruc
pies md juo3s practices so long established through
out society to the true principles and ther beneficial
practices
This difficulty arises n their minds from want OF a
knowledge of the practical affairs of life upon scale
sufficiently extended enable comprehend how
such change be effected without the violence OF
revolutions, much less without injury TO any one and
great benefit ALL The by which 10 accomplish
this change In practice ben.hcaly for all shall be ex
planned In future communications, ROBERT OWEN.
WAsH1NoTsS, June g. 1916.