Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-03-08


.ercise. 10 incessan. druJgery and tod. they
should produce not only as much as .sup>
port them. but one half more. according
10 political economists, these occupations
would be incomparabiy more profitable
lhan'lhe agricultural occupations, aud con
sequenily much better for society.
I'VE deny The fact, and scou, The infer.
ence. The production OF man, and oil man
in his best condition is the physical ulii-
matum Of The earth; and any system what.
ever thu. sacrifices the srorkman to the
toork-the man soho produces the wealth
to the wealth Produc.d-is monstrous
system OF misdIrected intention. based on a
blasphemy against man's spiritual nature
s'rhe whole system OF modern manufac.
lure, with ils factory slavery; its gaunl
and sallow faces; its halfclad hunger; its
female degradation; its abortions, and sick
ly children; its dens Of pes.aence and
abomina.ion; its ignorance, brutality and
drunkenness; its vice, and all The hideous
forms Of infideli,y, hopeless poverty, and
mad despair-these, and if it were possi-
ble verse than these, are the fruits OF fmak
ing man the workman Of mammon, instead
OF making wealth The servant Of humanity
for the relief Of mans estate.
"The day is not far distant when Labor
in England will hold her court of justice;
let those who may, await the sentence Of
The tribunal.
"'rhat system Of political economy which
makes wealth, and no, Man, the ultima.
tum, is based on monstrous (allacy-on
fallacy SO slavish and so detes,able. that
the wonder is, how accomplished aid per-
sonally amiable men become who are its
abeliors.
The fallacy is, in taking rents Of the
landlords, and the profts Of the capital
ists, as the measures oil good or evil, in-
stead of taking the condition Of the culti-
gators, and the condition Of the laborers,
as the true index OF the character Of a sys.
tenn"
Speaking of socialist and communist
doctrines with which the author does not
entirely agree:
"These doctrines, whatever may be the
contemp, heaped on them in England, are
far more generally diffused than most Eng
lishmen are aware of. They are now
revolu.ionizing Europe; and no one can
predic, the extent of the changes that must
follow them, if once they gain the complete
mastery Of the public mind. Instead oi
railing a. them, however, it is much more
profitable to endeayor to understand them.
Those doctrines contain profound truth;
aud more than this, they are the conyul.
sive cries OF mans spiritual nature, seeking
after better and holier world than is found
in the present condition OF society. IL IS
true, that men are brethren-the children
Of one Father; it is trus, that universal be.
nevolence is virtue; 1t is true, that man
ough, no, to seek his own advantage at the
expense OF his fellow; it is true, that in
the present state Of society there are stapen'
dous abuses which cannot be justified, and
unreasonable supersli,ions which there is
light enough TO dlspel.
"Chris,ianity itself teaches Us tha, men
are brethren; and no dogmas thai ever have
been uttered ara more communists than
some precep,s Of The New Testament. /.
is q fact, also, be i. explained as it may,
sudt kno ooFly SbiiSkiouo WOi0 Ng SSs0 SoWs
munis.s-that they held all things in COM
mon, and that ne man called anything his
ewn. These very doctrines have revived
in our day again, and they are now play
ing hovoc with the institutions of Europe.
They are reuivsd in the a0orld Of politics,
however, and no. in the world Of religion;
and, as q phenomenon in the history oil
man, this circumstance is well worthy Of
attention."
l ought to have mentioned that the title
Of the book is, "The Theory Of Human
Progression" The au,hor is an English
man, and has not thought bess 10 give the
world his name with hia views. Upon
Crime, Pauperism, Land and Equity, bis
pages blaze with truth. II is the very
book for ono to read after perusins "Kel
logg on Labor, and other Capital" V.