The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-08-20

twins. Thy Woods are not the harbor of de-
vouring Beasts, nor thy continual Verdure the
ambush Of Serpents, but the food Of innumera-
bic Herds and Flocks, presenting thee, their
Shepherdess, with distended Dugs and golden
Fleeces. The wings of thy Night involve thee
not in the horrors of Darkness, but have still
some white feather and thy Day is THAT for
| which we esteem Life) the Longest" Again he
breaks out when " he saw that his Government
had taken root, and was in the very Plantation
strong enough 10 stand by itself, he conceived
such delight within him, as God is described
by Plato to have done when he had finished the
Creation of the World, and saw the Planetary
Orbs move in their spheres. Fer in the Art of
Man (being the imitation of Nature, which is
the Art Of Cody there is nothing so like the first
call of Beautiful Order out of Chaos and Con.
fusion, as the Architecture of well-ordered
Commonwealth"
Verify, as Lamartine says, Fsnaticism is the
enthusiasm of Virtue. Its travail may be loves
labor lost to the toilers themselves, and an in
cessant worry to the world that it would regen-
crate but its endeavors serve for a living pro-
test against the frauds, corruptions, disorders,
and injustice OF society. There is latent sat
ire in all its speculations, however benevolent
in spirit and intention, upon the abuses which
it labors to remove, as severe as that of GULL
ver's Travels, which has not thread of SECRETARY
reform in its whole web of story.
This redeeming impulse ever dwelling and
working in the liberal heart of humanity, like
the incessant yearning of the Divine Provi-
dence, stands at the door and knocks; patient
at once and importunate, appealing bat exact
ing, executing judgment to show mercy, and
| as arbitrary as benefcent.
All these, except Moses, were theorists and
spectators of reform-students merely in the
unknown science of social embryology. The
practical architects of a better order, who have
in every age of the world endeavored to realize
it, have scarcely taught better or done more to
any useful end than their brethren the archi-
tects of dream-land. They have left the prob
lem still unsolved. Of the long endeavor and
the experiments in which it has had so many
expressions, the report is still, " unbound the
boon, unslaked the thirst"
The most ancient and worthiest community
Of social reformers was the Essenian among the
Jews about the time of, the Christian epoch.
Their sentiments were go great an advance
upon the age, that it is questioned among critics
whether they existed before or after Christ
whether they took their doctrines from him, or
he had lived among them in his early life.
They are not noticed by the Evangelsts, or
mentioned in any of the Saviour's discourses
They did not deserve his censure, like the
other sec's and parties in Judea, and he could
not commend or endorse their SECRETARY policy,
however much he approved their personal ex-
cenences. He who taught for all time, could
not give the warrant of his approval to any So
cial, religious, or political polity. BE must
needs leave organizations to his disciples, to
mould them to their necessities through all the
changes which circumstances should require,
until the time when all rule and all authority
shall be put under his feet. That which is best
for the time is best, and On this ground he
committed ordinances and institutions to their
discretion, with the engagement to bind in
Heaven whatsoever they shall bind on earth,
and to loose in Heaven whatsoever they loose
on earth, Just as the constituent or principal
| gives validity and force to whatsoever his rep
| resentative or agent does lawfully in his name.
Jcserhus says that the Eseenians in his time
were about four thousand in number. he de.
scribes them as united only BY the ties of mu-
tual affection. Thev are tbA-r,a-aa.--.p-vivrr,s
| and a complete equality prevailing among all
the people. Property is in common among
them; they marry no wives they allow no
servants; they adopt children, and by turns
serve one another. Tie elders chosen freely
| from the best among them, take charge Of their
revenues, and prepare their food their dress
| is plain and white they have no cities they
neither buy nor sell /; and at the end of their
labors, at the fifth hour, they cleanse them
selves, and partake of Communion Feast,
which is begun with prayer. They avoid oaths,
as marks Of perjury, and admit no strangers to
membership, without formal initiation and pre-
paratory trials" We learn, elsewhere; that
they did not sacrifice animals, lived upon vege
tables and though skillful in the arts, were never
known to make any warke or destructive in.
strument. They had no slaves, because they
esteemed domination of any kind injurious to
both master and servant, and because all men
were brothers; and they worshipped God in
simple manner, as the Creator of the Universe,
and lover of Purity, Justice, and Truth.
In this summary Of doctrines and customs,
We have almost the whole variety of the ideas
which have actuated the other separatists. from
their time to the present. The same spirit of
asceticism; the same tendency to annihilate the
existence OF woman, and the same ignorance
OF the constitution Of human nature, and inca
pacty to manage it, as it is, and must be.
The Shakers, the Zoarites, and the Rapptes.
OF this country, are but modified reproductions
or rehearsals Of Esseniansm, with differences
OF religious faith, and of relations to the world
around them, which do not much affect the
bearing Of their enterprises upon the issue of
the great experiment Of world life.
They last, at most, for generation or two.
under the best moral arrangements which they
are capable Of; and they demonstrate scarcely
anything which concerns the public, excep. that |
they always succeed in amassing wealth. They |
labor less, save more, and secure the fruits of |
industry better, than is ever done in the world
of competitive toiers. They understand what |
partnership and corporate union of effort and |
interest teach US, if we could but learn the |
lesson. They have observed that the profit of |
traders makes commodities dear to the consu |
mer, and cheap in the hands of the producer |
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