The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1851-09-25
Socialism,.


are many men-perhaps most intelligent men
are Of that class-whO admit that it would be a
a very pleasant doctrine, were its tenets feast
bic. But while they subscribe to the beauty of
its theory they are not willing to make an ap-
plication of its principles, because it will be
detrimental to their individual interests. Here
we have, at the outset, a most potent reason
why Socialism cannot, in this age of the world,
be made the great constituent Of human gov
ernment. Many Of its advocates are highly
gifted, eloquent and enthusiastic; and an elo-
quent enthusiast is one Of the most efficient Of
propagandsts.
Perhaps it is not to be wondered at that, in
the old world where the masses are oppressed
by tyrannical rulers, who bind burdens on
their shoulders too heavy to be borne, they
should so readily stretch out their arms to en-
brace the bright intangibility. There is moth
ing which can present so pleasing picture to-
the n-trodden slaves of pampered aristoc-
racy as the vision of Liberty, Equality, and
Fraternity, But as long as men are actuated
by love, hatred, jealousy, ambition, revenge,
avarice,-the incongruities which make up the
sum total of human nature-just so long will
Socialism be an impractibility. Every mind
must be cast in one moral mold, and there must
be universal agreement as to what are the es-
sentials Of happiness, and what constitutes the
distinction Of right and wrong, in Short self
control must be complete and perfect, perva-
ding every heart, before the whole human race
can become one family and contentious cease
to be. The advocates of this system propose,
by giving every one enough to eat, and drink,
and wear, and by making education universal.
to remove every cause for contention-to leave
no stimulant to disagreement. But will this
really remove the motive to crime Not by
any means. The natural sequence of it would
be to lessen crime. But the complete eradca-
tion-or perfect control--of the innate selfish
ness Of the human heart alone will place man
kind in position to plakn a practical applica-
ton of the principles and doctrines Of Social
ism. Perhaps when all men become true be-
levers in the religion taught by Him who
spake as never man spake jealouses and heart
burnings will cease--not till then. Can ha-
tired and envy be prevented by giving all man.
kind enough to eat, drink, and wear, and by
making education universal ? Do we not daily
hear of the blackest crimes, the motives of
which exist only in the diseased imagnations
of the perpetrators? If all minds were ma
chimes guided by mathematical principles, and
compelled by the laws which govern them, to
arrive at common solution Of all moral prob
lens, then the absense of reasonable motives
for violence might produce universal harmony
The principals of Socialism are not so readily
received by the people Of the United States, as
by those Of the old world; the reason of which
is very readily discovered in the fact that
while the inhabitants Of countries under the
sway of despotic rulers are groaning under op-
preston, the people Of this country possess, to
great extent-perhaps as much so as can be
be done in the present moral condition of the
race--that real liberty which confers happiness
on its possessors. Those who have nothing to
lose, of course are ever eager for any expert
ment which promises to relieve them of even a
small portion of their crushing burden but
the people Of this country have to much at
stake to risk it by grasping at what in the end,
m ust prove mere fantasy.
Socialism has been tried by the test of rea-
son-it has been weighed in the balance against
the truths Of history, both sacred and progane,
and found wanting-it has been tested by ex-
periments and proved q failure.
Still there can be little doubt but the hu-
man race is improving. There are agents at
work which will, in the process of time, doubt
less, work out the moral regeneration of man
kind. The multiplication of the means, and
the increased rapidity of communication must
have benign effect in establishing u fra ternity
OF feeling and community of interests among
mankind. Commerce, Education, and Science
are the moral socializers of the earth; and
these associated with the still higher agency
of Religion, may in the process of ages, bring
mankind much nearer to the standard of periec
ton than it is at present. But the idea that univ
ersal social harmony can be established by equa-
lizing property and forming the civilized mill
ions into vast joint-stock companies, in the pres
cnt moral condition of the race, is one which
seems to us to SAVIOR too strongly of the Quixo-
tie, to be seriously entertained by men of sound
rcagOn