The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-12-30

never saw word from Brisbanes or Fourier's
: writings except such quotations their enemies
chose to give u.s. but from the hacknied topics of
the day" l have gathered what l think are the
sentiments of the social reformcrs and if am cor
rect they do not 6ohtend for the niancst absurdty
that all the miseries TO which humanity is subject
are owing to the present distracted state of society
but they do contend that great majority of the
evils and miseres that infest society-the rich as
well as the poor-are owing to causes that can and
WILL be removed.
They do contend, and with all proprcty, that the
physical condition of man can be renovated" if
he will live in accordance with the laws of his being
the laws of his nature, which are as surely the
| laws Of God as though they had been written on
} tables of stone and by Him delivered to man with
all the thunders and ghtnings that attended the de-
livery of the moral law of the Jews on Sinai. But,
} say they, he cannot live or act in harmony with
nature under the selfish system that now has the
ascendency in the social world.
They contend that the mass can be raised from
their present degrading grovellng state, to one of
comparative perfection and happiness in physical
sense, but they say this cannot be done while the
laboring casscs are compelled by pussant force of
perverted sefshness-which is now the motive
power of society-to labor beyond the extent of
their physical capabilities from sixteen to twenty
hours every day. that they may obtain the bare neces
saries of life-this is the case in Europe and many
places in the United Saes-while their children are
compelled togrow upin gnorance-the greatest bane
ofhuman life-and as their strength will admit;
and before the system has half arrived to its physi-
cal maturity, they are forced into the same dull
stupid routine Of working, eating, sleeping work
ing, eating sleeping, being simply dumb, driven
cattlt in the bivouac of ife," thus preparing them
selves for an early DEATH exhausted with toll and
benumbed in all the higher attributes of his nature"
They admit that the institution of graduatons of
rank is the institution of God, and as such they
honor all those that are in harmony with nature
those that are founded on the gradatons of natural
endowments; but they uncomgromisingly condemn
those artificial distinctions of rank by which rogues
and fools become the rulers of society. These they
say are the inventions of selfish and ignorant men,
and seeing that these have in their possession the
highest gifts of fortune, and consequently of rank
they seek to lower them to their natural situation in
the social scale, and to elevate in their places the
efficient good and enlightened.
I cannot think that the body of Social Reformers
hold that the "father is not the natural instructor of
the child, " though perhaps some of the leading mem
bers of that body may hold doctrines as manfestly
inconsistent with both Revelation ard nature as is
that one But they earnestly contend that it is the
duty of the guardians of children whether they are
or are not parents to give to every child suitable
education and if they not qualified to do this
they are unfit for the places they fill; and should
give way to those that are, and that in such cases
society should take the guardianship of the child.
That This is in harmony with the precept command
ing children to obey their parents ii" the Lord"
have not the least doubt.
The above believe to be the sentiments of the
Social Reformers in relation to the points that you
condemn, and pray what is there that is contrary to
the general tenor of the New Testament? There is
nothing; and are not these principles in direct &C
cordance with nature? and if they are, they are
surely in harmony with Revelation; for this cannot
supersede nature, but goes with it. and they cannot
be separated however much bigots on the one hand
and skeptcs on the other may strive to do so.
And now in conclusion would ask every reader
of these articles-f we have any-to look for a mo-
ment at the absurdity of thinking expecting that
the result of Che abors of the Social Reorners and
of MARAT and his colleagues, will be the same P
They ask only the social reformation of man, with
out meddling with his moral religious opinions =
those sought the revolution of the government
politics. religion, morals, and indeed all the common
feelings Of human nature" These have had the
way prepared by the preaching of the doctrines OF
Christ ;-:ho by the writings of VoEtaire, Dderot,
! Condoreet D. Alembeat and others who endeavored
to set aside all religion these would make man
more spiritual being than he now s;-those endeav-
ored to make him less so than he then was these
advocate and publish their principles from the sacred
desk the press and the firesde, while those concoct
ed their hellish schemes in the lowest sinks Of in
guilty, such as brothels, gambling houses and wine
cears,-these have on their side many of the first
minds in both Europe, the land of serfdom, and
America, the land of liberty, Though here "every
fifth man is held as a chattel and slave ")-while
those had on theirs only the licentous, ignor-
ant and wicked of the lowest classes of starving
France" These have on their side those whose
orthodoxy cannot be questioned while those had
none but Atheists or "kindrid spirits"
But 1 must close, for my limits are too crcum-
scribed to dwell long on any branch of this subject,
if 7 wos fitted FIR this discussion | have imbibed
the sentiments that have expressed in this COM
munication and ifthey untenable or erroneous
will gladly drop them upon being convinced that
they are so.
Nov. 81. Yours. H. D.