New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-12
A,sOciariou Di,c n..ss--.No Is.


tieles almost entirely . the proogcf "a assersn,
the truth Of which we expressly conceded Ct the
very outset Of tbis discussion nsnely that great
social evils exist. and demand q remedy. Il ne
last article. which We have copied above, Tie
Tribune expresses the opinion tfst Il this position
be once established, the rest win ollow Of course"
II this os 50, tue controversy ought long since 70
have been closed for the posltoa IN question has
never been denied We hsTe tiksn unusual psins %
admit from the very beginning that The condition OF
large part Of society rot what q skoud be- ant that
the grs. law u Christian charity "a wei ~ the d;taics
OF e0rm0n humanity, eniolns the Eosi Jealous cen
slant and Intelligent e-0Ts Tor tie relief Of exist
misery snd the oitne which give birth
We dispute only the assertions q de ITton1t concern
Ing the c1asAs and toe Of ihsse eTs. Far from de-
nyiog their estsnce insist thGt they deeper aud
more undanen tai their orr Anc demand more tho
rough ard radical remedy, than Ia TrbuHe supposes
That paper charges them 70 the prevailing Jns Of 80
oiety we sttout. them 70 TIE se-cness sad deprevty
Of human nature, which pervsds IL social i0rns ard
depend upon mona Zks Tribgzs demands a Few form
Of social lie the only remedy fr them we Insist
that a. they do not znae In any form 80 so change
Of form could cure them that 90 they sprns from sn
inherent and dou1lasnt principle 81 sinful senshness N
the heart 20 they only be cured By radical change
10 Individual character and that creovcr the form Of
society proposed By Association Is inpracucable and
certain 20 produce If carried OFT greaier evils than II
seeks to cure Oar arguments upol these several points
- vel a. upon others which have runs Up DUNG tns
-ourse OF this ciscu-sion ransain yet unanswered
md do dot intend. therefore % repcaS them soTe.
y
ce the assertion OF the principle upon which. half
century ago Mr MALrIzvs bssed his famous and ex'
ploded theory viz that tbs por1ahon Of any cCun
Try the condition Of Ia isbofirg classes be-
comes worse and worse. Tas po--on is laid down by
The Tribune In every possible variety OF forms; and the
effort s made TO sustain Il BY some s,atscal sIstemcnt
Of the relative prices q 0hoT sd OF J00f 10 England
during the last i've centuries the point Is stated THIS
that FIVE centuries ago The condition OF the a50nng
classes IN England better thsr - now :-ttst they
enjoyed tie fruits Of ibeil labor hen, bsii1 rtrg
-. Narn nj g. nina nd
low that while the aggregate wealth CT the Nkcc
has Increased the wealth OF tGs lAborng class has
constantly diminished and that tais 10 the natural
snd Inevitable tendency Of society everywhere We re-
ret that Tie Tribune should have copied Its statistics
upon this subec, bhndy from article N old
Democratic Review" and adopted - hastily the fore
gone conclusions which thai article was compiled to
establish Il quotes for lItts1ce the rates OF labor
fixed by British Statute 10 1880 as the regular average
prices Of labor IN that age whersa' If Il had taken tie
psns TO examine the prea1see TO that statute, II
would have found that It was bssed upon the express
svernaent
srtrnen aid s5 hsd iat,sg dis6 tie p-siilace" and
hat sny seeing ae No essiy Of mssters and he great
scarcity Of Will not serve uress they may receive
eroeff warsf ard Ni,llng 10 beg II d.eness
Ia;asr IhAn by ltoor 10 Sc; thsir living" 1e-
Jus, st that period moreover the great BODY of the
laborins cass in England who had before been riafss
or ser had thrown OF thei, ehsias OF service and BE-
free lsborsrs aud ia mater OF history. that IN
der the sxhiraon Of this change in their condition,
they refused work except At exoeant rates In view
Of these fact IL Is easy that the prices Of labor
quoted by TIE Tr.bEAs very likely 10 De deceptive
And s gres.er extent Ia this true IN regard TO the
prices Of food clothing &C. as ycleariy stated by one
Of the writers quoted By the Review upon this very
point Bishop FIEKIvoop. in his chron!son Precio.
sum- or prices current Of that early day. Il .sid ez
prsssly that
"Ths seesanis Of the prices Ct grain are usually The
pres. in dsarhs or IN s-, q ryt essspnSj
nd are vary accurate criterion Of he mean or ord
A1rv ryics.'
And another writer has remarked thar the vAlus Of
money in those dsys msy be
Made 70 bear any proportion 70 iis value IN The present
day that The fancy o. The calculator sht prefer, on hat
nis ~ best MT hU particular e5jsstto f-ppSH.'
These statistics therefore on which The Tri5Vse
hes, by means conclusive. That paper, more
over. nsgects entirely the fact that and cheaper
kinds Of food aud clothing have been substituted BY the
advance Of civilization for those that used In that
early day. immense increase in the Of sub
sisence has taken place snd although certain kinds OF
food and clothing may have .sersAsed In price. the
.rar-s rnst fiving is grew : ninss1ec. y eAl55.
be necessary. however ~ - thsse d-t-s Ia order
70 disorove The Irbrnss a1soe that the British Ia
oorer four centuries ago enjoyed degree OF comfort
unknown 10 bis living descendants and that the labor.
ing classes have been "dspressed during the last i've
centuries from comfort 70 vretchedness IL has been
repeatedly reutsd since II first propounded by NAL
THUS, and IL almost universally abandoned by the
soundest writer's political sconomy The rosecolored
pictures Of the condition Of Ensand three or four cen
tures since quoted BY The Tbuss are simply the bsH
ward and entitled 10 much less weight than would
be due 10 sketehe, Of the condition OF southern slaves
by Mr.. MDurTfx or Gov. HAMMOND. They are udsed
coniradcted By the most disinteested and reliable VIII
ters. ERAsNut In the rsgn OF Henry WI describes
the condition Of the ordinary dwelling Of the English
abOrer In terms which would be grossly exaggerated
now applied 10 the Five Points in our CITY Dr. AKsEE'
DEN who has written fully and ably upon tie subject
ascbes the pague OF 1865 10 tbs universal and constant
dizziness Of the streets aud HOUSES aud the wretehod
diet and clothing Of the nasi Of the people sir THon
"A ~ md m Fpr
speech upon Ireland draws picture of society Ia Ens
land in bis day. Of the most appalling dsrkDess
And the accurate and psinstAking MeCrtLocH gives The
following the result VI his Investigations upon THIS
very point lit Is direct sndenphAae that needs NJ
Lei any one compare the state Of this or any other Ia.
ropeAn country 500 or 100 yeassgo, with s present stale
aud be viii be ssdsa maj aaees have been
made that tho Of subslsIeace have Increased mucn
esssss arc NOS ssnrrs and
uryrs tat Efrs formerly rss s-5svss S'~" ~ fa T'est
Tnese considerations II seem 10 Us. show conclusive
ly that The TbuHss theory groundess II Is not tIue
that the increase Of population OF necessity renders
wreehed and hopeless the condition OF the labor
ing classes The increase OF population is necessarily
subordinate tbs increase in The means of subsistence
and viii not because IL cannot n the long run octsrp
Il And especially Ia 10 theory untrue as applied by
Tie Trbuns 10 the United States IL IA not true that
wealth l. concentrang' IN this country, that any
such causes az have produced thu present state Of
things In Europe" operating here All estates there
20 % the eldest sou here they are divided among al
toe children The prices OF all the necessaTes OF lie
are there raised artificial standard BY the enormous
taxes lc ned upon them such In oPers-
ton here. Our public lands are indsed passing into
private ownership but is the very step necessary 70
secure their cultivation and through that increase Of
the means of subsistence. The constant tendency Of
things with "a. 70 divide among many the large
estates which may have accumulated In the hands
Of individuals And as q general rule In this coun-
try. who 10 able and wiling 70 work need ever
suffer any lack Of the food and cCtning essential 10 h
comfortable subsistence. In large clues. and especially
this City exceptions may be found TO the general rule
-butthey FAR less numerous than they are repre-.
seated and the result OF temporary and accidental
causes. Cites. moreover, 0neF lQ-- standard
Tor estimating the cOnduca Of Peops since exrane-
there prevent thu fair operson OF the gene
raj laws which govern society snd ne CONDITION OF tns
great 6O5I Of the population Of nc Vnted states OF ne
farmers every ~hers !. upon Which the most zeal
hisnthropis have rot pet theory 10 support
may look with anaOyed saIisIscnon- The population,
true IL Increasing with great rapidly; o1E tns q
owing 10 the immense and rapid increase In th8 means
Of su0sissence and Il Il seted prncpe OF political
economy thar tee latter must no, only keep pace win
~ former. bui take the lead.
Leaving ihis view Of the case Tor tie present ct Us
consider Gnotbsr portion Of IAs Tr1ssats 4rsumsnt-
That paper reiferstrs IA. complaints thAt ths SHs
labor Constantly sast As popuAncn increases ana NE
work 70 Be done diminishes and demands that lsoor
should receive szSS proportion OF ia product Our
reply 10 this a. that IA ricS q ty Ike mai OF efey
other marketable commodity Of nscesslg sSslafsd y
tss rao Of SsEpy sAd Dssss1 snd the scheme Of As
soeaon CAMEL possibly sser tlst lzv evsde ls ore