The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-30
BY ROBERT OWEN.

lions.
BY ROBERT OWEN
Within a century, the inventions, discoveries, and
Improvements In The arts and sciences have been
sufficient, il their real value had been known and
right direction given 10 them, TO have improved
the permanent condition of the population OF all
civilized nations 10 extent far beyond that which
at present II would be prudent 10 state.
Suffice Il now 10 say, that the advances made In
the arts and sciences, Within the life time Of many
now living, are abundanuy sufficient TO enable all
nations to become wealthy, Independent, superior in
character, and 70 be surrounded by coDyeniences
and comforts that would insure the well-being we'll
doing and rational enjoyment Of ALL and TO effect
this change, without deduciing from the present
wealth and enjoyment OF any.
Within the period mentioned, the means by which
TO increase the productive power OF all people have
been multiplied more than fifty fold, and the means
are now secured for the use Of society by which
these powers may DO extended to one hundred or
thousand -fold-in fact, TO an illimtable amount.
Thare s, then, no other for the continuance
Of poverty, or any fear Of Il 10 aiet nations in
diyiduas, than the want Of scientific theoretc, and
practical knowledge upon this now most interesting
subject. ...r. .. b..
As an instance Of these new and apparently magical
powers, the writer, some years since, directed the
operations Of machinery with the working part OF
population Of not more than two thousand five
hundred men, women, and children; which COM
bned manual and mechanical power, produced day
by day much manufactured produce as, previous
10 the discovery Of that machinery, would have
required the steady application Of the working part
Of population exceeding six hundred thousand
persons. II, then, the working part Of popula-
lion not exceeding two thousand FIVE hundred,
produced, with this new-discoyered machinery, as
much as fifty years before, would have required the
working part Of population Of upwards OF six hun
bred thousand, what becomes, It may be naturally
asked, of the difference between the consumption OF
&C.. k.,nd and hun fhnn md,
This Ia the question OF questions-the GREAT
PROBLEM to be solved, and which this generation
is called upon TO solve, through the misery which
science misdrected is hourly INJECTING upon the
industrious classes Of the world Had not the scien
tifc inventions Of the last century been most la
mentally misdirected, all human affairs would have
taken opposite direction TO the course which ma
tons have pursued
10 the same proportion as new productive power
invented and applied to produce wealth and the neces-
sares and comforts Of life ifsociety had been rightly
based and constituted, the necessity for over en-
ployng manual power would have diminished, nor
could there have been any cause TO have induced
parties for individual GAIN to increase physical and
mental weakness, vice, crime poverty, division, and
misery, by the unnecessary employment OF women
and young children in the manufactures Of the
world On the contrary, had society been based on
true principles, and consistently, and, therefore,
rightly constituted, manual labor would have de-
decreased, children would have enjoyed the rights
Of childhood and women would have been nationally
employed 30 as to increase their health and enjoy
ment, and, at the time the effectually to
have promoted the general prosperity and happiness
Of all parties. And as these new productive powers
creased, wealth and leisure from severe and disa.
greeabe manual labor would also have increased; in
consequence, all would have been better educated in
childhood and youth; all afterwards would have
been more efficiently employed physically and men :
tally and the inferior things Of the world, created by
man when he had less scientific and general knowl-
edge would have been gradually superseded by those
which superior; and man is necessarily
materially Influenced by that which is good or bad
around him, his general and individual character
would have gradually risen towards perfection in
proportion the inferior surrounding objects gave
place to the superior. Thus beneficial would have
commencement Of the past century, been based on
true principles, and constructed in accordance with
them, man. ere now, would have been intelligent
and rational being. ...
But society has been based on falschoods, and
constructed erroneous notions, devised TO give
countenanco and support to those lamentable errors
from which have proceeded-for no other results
could emaDate from them-all the vices, crimes, in
ferior passions and miseries Of race. The
signs of the times throughout the civilized world
exhibit evident proof that the glorious period has
arrived when these ana evils to give place
to truth and righteousness; when the grossly gno-
| rant and demorazing laws of men will be forever
abandoned, and the everlasting and wise laws food
will be adopted and become universal.
ROBERT OWEN.
| WASHING ron, January &c.