Polynesian., 1851-08-16
PRACTICAL SOCIALISM.
FROM THE NEW YORK EXPRESS.

what he breaches; for how knavish soeve,
may be the doctrine, the professor in tha,
case is entitled to the merit of sincerity
We have no respect for your demagoeue
who Is always calling upon other people tc
to give his isms and his ologies a practical
exempliication, but who is always careful
never to leopard his own neck, or his own
personal liberty, by followin- his own advice
1t was Proudhom, who first proclaimed TO the
world the great truth that sc aIIproperty is rob-
bery; but we were never informed that that
gentleman ever undertook to work practically
upon that comfortable conviction. Extreme
y careful himself not to descend to the pick.
ing and stealing part Of the community creed
whereof he is the great exponent, neverthe-
less he has many followers in France who
miss no opportunity admirably to act out the
principle. An amusing case in point we
are cognizant of in one Of our foreign papers
received by the last steamer. A servant
robbed his master of fifteen hundred francs,
and deposited in the chest he took the trea-
sure from letter, which, for its pithy and
sententious exposition ofthe &c Social'' creed,
is not often rivaled in the literature Of the
blouses. The fellow writes as if he were
sincere, and no doubt he is. However much
we may condemn his Socialism, therefore. as
we said before, we entertain for him an infin-
ltely higher respect than for your Louis Blanc
who run off to England and America when
ever practical enforcement of their doct-
rines is likely TO invite visit from ire police.
Here is the letter that was found in the chest
in lieu of the francs;
.My Dear Master Since came into the
world, rather since begun to reason, am
convinced that all 50 -,ct equal for all. Men
have abused whatl has made equal for
all. BY what strange coincidence is it that
you have SO much. like so many others, and
that you are overwhelmed with the favors of
fortune? What have you done more than
have, and great number Of wretches, of
whom am one ? Have you larger dose
of intelligence No; l deny it. For "a
moment the wind of liberty and of fraternity
had blown on France; every thing was about
become equal for all; but no! savages have
stopped its progress-things are the same
Wretchedness always for the proIetaire.
When entered your service l bowed my
head was hungry l lowered my digni-
ty as freeman. l became your valet !!
But still cherished in my heart the thought
of freeing myself one day from that servitude
from that abusive slavery, from that prof.
ting of man by man. Shame to me, shame
logic of my reasoning, and that you will
agree in adopting the following conclusion
namely, that he who possesses too much is
the debtor of him who has not enough. Now
l know that you have superfui,y; and
therefore profit by your absence to take the
fifteen hundred francs out of your secretaire
and to take myself off. | can establish my
self with it, and gain an honest livelihood in
trade. You understand me well. Many
people may think this a theft, but the prin-
iples of reason declare it is legal. | do
you no injury, as you possess to much.
Now listen and bear in mind; day will
come when the rich shall want the poor
That day is not far distant / have inhu-
ence in a certain quarter-amongst those
who will be kind to their brother. My word
with them is safeguard. But, if you an
noy me by complaints, which will be listened
TO, because you are rich. shall! point you
out to my brothers, and, sooner or later
vengeance If, on the contrary, you con-
slider yourself as having only conferred an
obligation on me, you will have nothing TO
ear, whatever may happen. Health and
Fraternity! DEL-"
The fellow states his case like counsel
or, and we may be permitted to express the
nope we deyoully indulge, that when g the I
lay, which is not far distant, comes along |
he sconquerors" will not neglect to do hon
,r to one who not only forwards Socialism
With his men hut with his fngers Mean /