New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-04-29
Association Discussed NO. ~.
From II. corier 8 Eaq.5r Of Aprdi6.


From n. Cosrier s Eaq.rr Of <PT1 l6
TIE SOCIALISM o. TIE TRIBUNE EIAArsED. -
No XI-There is very little in the foregoing arti
Gle from Tie Tribune that requires reply. 1t sd-
vances nothing in defence Of Association that has
not been already answered, nor does it, in any de
groe break the force Of our demonstration that the
Law Of PAssIoSAL ATTRAcTIoS IS the fundamen-
tai principle Of the System We proved conclusively
that this Law Is the sole foundation Of the theory snd
would be the supreme rule Of practice in the new Soc
ETY. which the system aims to bring about. The Hr
binger which is the official exponent Of the AssOcia
uOnsts Of America declares already quoted that
man can be AssOcsiionst % eGrHesf who does not
accept this law the bGss Of his doctrines and Of his
ideas " and that all who advocate the system do In fact
accept the law whether they e0Hseos Of 1t not"
And the truth Of this remark admirably shown By IhS
Tribune Itself, when Ia the article we have copied
above II speaks Of Association as Social order which
shall secure TO every human being within is sphere tbs
/l and true Development Of The wherewith God
has endowed him, physical Intellectual and moral -
Now the Of includes, Of course, his impulses
appetites propenstes desires and passions and the
aim Of Association according 10 The Tribune Is 20
cure 10 every their full and true Development
hst is their constant and complete sasiscuon-to the
full extent of their demands and IN strict conformity 10
their tendencies This 10 exactly the Law Of Passons
Attracion-is lis whole length and breadth. The Tn
bHns therefore Ike the Frenchman speaks prose with
out knowing IT, Even while protesting 10 dssvow the
law it asserts and srocams 1t in the brosdest and most
explicit terms.
In this principle then lies the germ Of the whole the
DRY and practice of Association. We have the
hand Man with his Passions as active powers and on
the other Society with It's forms the medium OF their
activity. That evil, misery suffering attend upon and
result from Mans action in the existing state Of things
s fact universally conceded is also the necessity Of
providing a remedy But before a be applied
or devised the cause OF the evil must be sscertaned
and here the very outset the theory Of Association
comes in direct collision with the teachings Of Christian
ty. No truth Is distinctly taught in the word OF
God than that OF the sniulness OF the human heart
the procvity Of Mans TO act in violation OF the
rule OF right The origin Of sin must always remain
matter OF doubt but the fact OF It's existence In the hui
heart only most explicitly stated in the
ation OF God, but lies open TO universal observation
Christianity II and teaches also that from this
intrinsic depravity Of the heart flows all the evil that
afcts the world. II Is soely because malice covetous
ness envy lust and sehshnes in general exist sctive
principles in the heart Of man, that their frus exist IN
Society. 1t s solely because the fountain IS poisoned
that the streams which flow from It are bitter. Here
then Christianity says is the Of all social evil IN
the sinfuness of the heart of Man. The remedy must
reach thst cause il must prove inefficient The heart
must be changed. The law OF Mans HGtD, must cease
to be the supreme law Of bis life. lie must learn to sub
ec that law to the higher law Of righteousness revealed
In his conscience and In the word Of God. All the pas
sions appetites affections, propeDses and impulses Of
his nature which tend to evil must be repressed, con
troed and overruled must become subject 10 the law
OF conscience and that subugston only be effect
ed by bis personal will with the supernatural aids
furnished In the Christian Scheme. These the plain
teachings of the Christian faith and held be such
by the great body Of the Crstan world We of course
make no appeal upon this point to those by whom they
rejected.
The theory Of Association rejects them altogether
Its advocates maintain In opposition TO them, that the
heart of s not depraved that his passions do not
prompt to wrong doing and DO not therefore by their
action produce evil but that evil results solely from
the attempt made TO check snd control them This at
tempt they say distort their proper development and
produces suffering. " Human Science Is denounced
by Mr. BRBANE because 1t seeks 10 suppress repress
and compress these springs Of action in the SOUL The
evil which exists arises from this attempted suppression
and not from the action Of the passions themselves The
remedy therefore they say consists in raortas this re-
strant in taking of this repressye force in giving
10 human faculties, propensites and impulses their fu
and tree development They are good in themselves
they lead naturally only TO good results they ought
therefore, TO have constant and complete activity
This suppression they add, is the work Of society il
results directly from the social forms in and through
which lives and acts This development Of souls
and their faculties says Mr. BRIsbANE, s not pract
cable in civilized relations In isolated households and IN
coherent industry" Then, he adds Civilization
should be denounced, and some mechanism entirely 0p-
posed 70 u should be sought We must have a new so
cal form which shall provide for. and render possible
this full and free development of the nature Of man
Now Isolated households the laws Of society, the Fami
ly relation the CONSTANTS Of Marriage individual effort
and the prevailing scheme Of labor and OF life, Impose
checks and restraints upon the action Of man We de
msnd society which shall break this bondage which
shall take lite laws from the Of and not seek
10 overdue that by hnOtneT N-ln WHICH lboOI
be performed because 1t is attractive in which men
shall be brought together only according 20 their mutual
lkings in which those only shall work together who
like each other and their common labor in which the
Marriage tie shall be binding only while the passiona
attraction which gave birth shall continue in which
no law Of Society shall override the impulse which i'm
pes men and women 10 form new unions in which
children may obey no superiors but those OF their own
choice in which in short all labor and all life. In all
their departments shall know other law than that
which springs from the tendency OF the passions and
propensites of individual men. such social form the
Associationiss contend 10 demanded IN order 70 Sc
every human being within its sphere the full and
true development Of his nature, physical Intellectual
and moral" And that development It is farther held,
whenever 1t be secured. will lead 10 universal hap
piness because happiness in the words OF Mr. Bars
BANE consists In the constant satisfaction OF the rad
cal passions - and thus all evil will be forever banished
from the world. Then, in the words OF The Tribune
the rich will not crap the poor will not eary for
covetous coreeted person could no more exist IN AS
ISOLATION than wicked one could in Heaven. (Ir
bune, Dec 49, Association thus proposes TO reform
man 10 Danish evil from the world and % effect the
generation of the human race by changing the circum
stances under which men live and act And the posi-
bity of doing this s repeatedly asserted aud constantly
assumed, by The Tribune in this discussion.
Now 1t cannot escape attention that in all this, the
Lac of Nature is assumed TO be the hghe rue Of hu
man conduct Man with his passions and impulses, Is
regarded in Mr.. GoDwINs language the tEsartable
taTa of the social problem and Social medium is
sought in perfect accord with his aatre' so also says
Mr.. Brisbane, We cannot change humsn nature we
can only change Its developments. Whatever, then
accords with and flows from tbs aGErGl insPlses and
propeHsies Of Mag IL Is assumed will lead - good
suits and therefore must be right The Law OF Nature
is the Supreme Law II nature prompts man TO any act
that right provided II does not lead 10 suffering
If mans passions mpe him. Tor example 10 discard bis
wife and take another IL will be right for him 10 do so
If the of Society is such that the act will not coca
sion trouble In the present state OF Society Of course
cannot be done-but under social form is evil
consequences could be syerted and r.e the act would
be right because 1t would be in accordance with the
nature OF man. The Tribune thinks that mans nature
would not prompt him 10 such action that IN true
Society human beings will more desire change IN the
conjHSai relation than to be continually swapping ehh
drea with their neighbors but al the same time Ths
Tribune holds the general principle that the law OF Ma
ture govern human conduct In this as in other rec
poets and ssys that it held that purity and eonstaney
were not demanded BY mans naflys, II
would hold a. Fourier appears co. that IN perfect
Society marriages igM bs ds0inb.e tritaof rsPrOGcA az
tat nseTt pleasure Of tie contracting paFfiss."
Now a matter Of Tact mans mere nature does often
impel him TO INCONSISTENCY That nature will OF course,
be the same In Association Il is now: mans desires,
impulses passions will remain unchanged In Associa
ton then II is certain, oil desire 10 change their
wives far oener than 10 swap their children; and
The TribHCs proiessed belief to the contrary $ pre-
posterous But this is immAteria whether i be true
or false TIE Tribanes adherence 10 the principle Is
equally explicit II makes the law Of Nature slreas