The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-08-25
rCelibacy without Separation Of the
~ Sayns ra ta

Cellbacy without Separation OF the
Sexes.
In a long and very interesting letter,
published in the Tribune, is given an ac-
count Of visit to Economy. town in
which the intercourse Of the sexes is en-
tirely suspended, and where, by the laws
ofthe Community which inhabit it, proper
ty is common. The writer says:-"It is
situated on the Ohio, 18 miles below Pitts
burgh, and the estate of the Community is
tract of some three thousand acres.-
There are about one hundred dwelling
houses. Equality is fundamental prin-
ciple Of the Society; the dwellings being
uniformly built after one model, and the
material of dress being the same among
all. The washing is done by steam in
immense vats, which saves a vast deal of
labor, and relieves the women of that
hardest drudgery of the single household.
Property here is held in common. In the
morning, before breakfast, you see the
women gliding about the town with pans
of meat from the butchery, and bread from
the bakery, each being supplied with the
quantity needed by their respective fami-
lies, ''without money and without price"
can vouch for the bread being the finest,
and it seldom fails to rise well and get
we'll baked, | reckon, under the skilllul
hands of the public baker. In all, there
are a little over three hundred souls in the
town now, and in consequence of the de-
crease of population from the original
number, there are many dwellings vacant.
There seems to be fair prospect of total
extinction under the governing principles
of celibacy." 81. -a.. -,...
We add longer passage which we
think will interest our readers, as complet-
ing this curious picture of human society.
81 am not able to state the ground or
philosophy of their doctrine of celibacy
fairly, nor to quote the texts from the Bible
which sustains it, but they are orthodox
Christians, and rely on the Scriptures as
confidently for its truth, as their antipodes,
the PerGectionists of Oneida county, New
York, do in their doctrine of community
oftheir wives. think, however, they have
not reasoned the matter logically like the
Penactionists, and that their doctrine rath-
er rests on sentiment and conviction o.
the heart, than theory and conclusion o
the head. The history of its origin is this
In the year 1903, four years after settle
ment in this country, tho o9,5er n,en,bore
began to believe that they were too canal
were too much given TO the lusts Of the
flesh, and the project of perfect confluence
was mooted. In six months the whole
Society was imbued with the idea, and
there was general and spontaneous de-
termination to adopt it. They consulted
Mr.. Rapp, and he approving, they hence
forth made it their rule of life. The men
and women did not separate as the Shak-
ers. but man and wife continued TO live
together as they do to this day. This was
the hardest test of principle that men and
women ever imposed upon themselves,
and if absolute abstinence be virtue,
these people are the most virtuous people
in the world. doubt if history can fur
nish any parallel in their case; men and
women, husbands and wives, young men
and maidens, voluntarily agreeing to live
as monks and nuns, (profess to- and yet
remain together as usual in all ordinary
relations, and under the same roof. AS
the principle was adopted, so it has been
maintained-voluntarily 1t is incorpo-
rated with their religion, and is deemed an
essential part of that publication which
will fit souls for the happy places in the
next world, but it has been made law of
social compact, the infraction of which
would be attended with special penalty.
1t is considered an individual concern,
and if any man or woman give way to
temptation, it only shows their weakness
and exposes them to the loss ofpublic es-
teem But public sentiment in an united
community is powerful agent in controll-
ing human action, and in this case am
inclined to think has had much to do with
preserving the inviolability of the principle
of celibacy. The strictness with which it
has been kept is remarkable. Most ofthe
people are above middle age. and many
of them are truly venerables. There are
no boys or girls, no youths and maidens,
and only few children of the new comers.
The unnatural silence ofthe town is strange
and almost painful q a.m.trA
/ a . - "