New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-05-10

MANY questions have been agitsted 10 France
within the year past, aud are still agitated many
par,ies have been aud are now cOntending. at
h,,ton however there - but one vital question,
and with regard TO that question t~o opposing
osrt,es That question - ftc SDc.1l QbesfiOn
and those two parties that Of the defradcrs ana
that Of the ot the present constitution O,
society. These twO parties without doub, nre
sabJivIted each into several schools widely d.
verse, bat we can group all these schools around
two ceAters to preserve and strengthen the or
ganizstiOn Vi modern society, OF 10 change funds-
mentally i;s present basis and % inaugurate
new social state. Society as It IA is defended oy
those who possess anything, and by that intend
MT only tie favored Of fortune, boz a most all
those who have any interest 40 capital or who
have the means OF certain employ ment; il il
asssed by those who posses nothing but their
arms, hypg 10 continual uncertainty with respect
20 the morrow, rs well as ia prvAtlon Of the com
iorts Of life tnd often Of the morsei Of bread NJ
c~ssary 70 sosisln their miserable existence snd
that of their families The Er1 say u the s.
coDd Do as We do, work get money, snd
you can have also your share OF the good things
that wealth procures.' The scc0Hd reply, We
would gladly be able like You u enjoy the good
things OF lite but when we work, or hard TIL
prOcures for Us nothing tut hltle black bread ,
and too often work fails and then we sub
lectcd 20 all the horrors OF AFFECT poverty. TINS
diversion IS not just The first reJOln, " II you
are hungry We vii give you aims, and II you are
sick We will put you Ia a hospital Bat, say the
'ccond. 1T ia not aims that We wish, bat sure
work, and remuneration Tor 10 sufficient OF ltsell
10 enable US and ours To live -" You demand
TOO much and society cannot DO more than II Is
dong OF what do you complain Are You not
tree r'-" Yes, free ~ die OF hunger, aId if that
- the utnO,t O1erOi our society II must be
thrown and replaced by another -" Eternal en-
oHy Oi order 10 you forget that society crush
Won as dangerous reptile -" The order Of which
YOU speak isa .rghtiul disorder: ] know wei
.that that socicty which ought % be d mother 90
all replies 10 the complaints OF the poor by grape
shot and transportation; but no matter 1 viii
fght, aud would rs hei die by bail as be slow
~ consumed by humiliation aud misery Ssch
Is the dialogue thousand times repeated every
day ia journals, in clubs IN Conversations M pub
lie places, Ia the street, or the work shop.
Perhaps at first You will be disposed immedi
steiy 10 make common cause with the iirstspeaker,
and 70 regard as greatly exaggerated - say the
least the complaints Of the second. That would
not surprise me. Permit me. however, to ask OF
you Il little patience, and a more profound study
III The STATE OF things. Them only viii you be
able 10 give an opinion Justly. | wish 70 draw
aside the veil which covers tie frl-htiul picture
Of the misery Of our working classes, especially
the north OF France. The facts that shall cite
cannot be suspected Of being exaggerated, for
hall draw them only from an inquiry into the con-
year l-4-, an inquiry made and published 10y
the order OF the Academy Of Moral and Political
Science, a learned Society having an official cha
rscter belonging OF richt AMI in fact to the class Of
those who are satisfied with the present social
constitution. In view OF the dreadful results t.
labor and the lsbOihe classes of the financial re-
verses consequent upon the last Revolution, the
Academy Of Moral and Political Science commits
siohed one Of its members to visit the principal
manufacturing districts Of France, IN order t.
ascertain the exact condition of the working
classes. MIR Blanqui IA brother of the Banqul
WIN is eliminated ia the political affair OF 18Th
Mayl, a member of the Department Of Political
Economy snd statistics, hss published the results
OF that long and careful investigation, which cx
tended 70 our principal houses OF industry. From
this impartial WORK ! shall extract certain state
ments, Of the accuracy oil which no one can have
the least doubt 1t is only necessary, for the bet
ter appreciation of certain points, that the reader
should bear IA mind that the author OF tins import
ant memoir ia an Economist, and an avowed OPP
ponent of all Socialism, and Of any essential change
IN the present organization OF society.
The genera, distress, according 10 NJ. Blanqul
beats with very unequal weight upon different
members OF the industrial family. There is a vast
difference botW cen the peasant who works free
IN the open air, and - owner OF the cottage az
" hlch he was born, and the workman IN manu-.
factory tied to the machinery Of his trade-oiteu
the insOvent tenant OF a filthy and unhealthy
a pSriment. We must no longer coniound the IA
genOus WorlNmen Of the Jura aud Picariy az
the soil IN summer, watchmakers and artisans m
winter with the pale inhabitants of the cellars OF
Lille, hcapcd together pc.l NELL IN immense build
ings the very sieht OF hich cxcitos horror Even
la The midst Of Paris, the intelligent workmen and
sede staries Of the Rue ~. Martin have nothing ~
common with the strolllng -pickcrs Of the hne
Mouhctaid aud the Faubours st Jacques but
general aud lamentahle fact worthy OF notice Is.
4 a.. Il I'll
shops aud home employ mont Industry organizes
itself IN immense establishments. which resemble
BARRACKS OF converts The woikmen are crowded
by hundreds, sometimes by thousands, IN these
laboratories where labor IS exposed 10 all the
a the variations OF prlce and demand
Their suilerings slontakc the character OF puhi'
calamity and manifest themselves through those
threatening grievances which trouble the peace Of
cities
The cities OF Rouen, Lille and Lyons, specially
Dc voted to the manufacture of the fabrics OF thread
SILK, linen aud cotton, present under every view
the same economical and social aspect Labor Is |
general organized IN great isolated manniacto
mes or IN little work shops grouped together and
the population there ~ agglomeratcd 10 the highest
degree OF concentration. The unheal;hness 81
such quarters is fact long established, AID Mus
,rates IN a most affecting manner the dep.orable |
condition Of a part at the population To this |
painful item, especially IN the departments q |
splhning AMI weaving, We must add the SAL e"@ |
a almost Irresistible temptation OF couhnug children
10 the premises OF the workshop, and thus deprN |
ing them OF the benefit of elementary instruction.
even when the STATE Offers II to them gratutousy. |
ltIseasy to understand the trishtiul disturbance |
" hiCh was produced IN ls4s. in the midst OF u |
aborius population SO huldlod together. by the |
suspension al work which always follows pOhtica |
revolutions. Ia the single city OF Rouen, more |
'han thirty thousand workmeu suddenly ioand
themselves without emp oymcnt, and were tou'
plunged iuto the most dreadful misery. The TWO |
evils which most stct the laboring population II
he department of Lower Seine, lot which houen
$ the chief place. are the insaubnty OF dwellings,
nod the abuse of employing children IN the manu-
sctorics. IL is thus that the evil pcrpetunteS X
'eii from generation 10 generation attacking IN
ancy in lis flower and producing wretcoed'
ckly population. which Is continually dcseners-
ing IA physical aud moral vigor. The lrlshtiu.
ouditlon OF the dwellings, Of laborcrS IN the cry
. Rouen demands a radical reform IN the name
{ deccucy and humanity. There exists at X ueu
fas, appropriately honorsd with the name o.
dwellings,. where the humSn species breathe a
ltsted air which hills instead Of sustaining late.
shich attacks infants at the mothers breast, and
\ hlch lcSds them L. premature decrepitude b.
way OF the most affective diseases Scrotdla rheU
nj .lf 7