The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-02-11
yor these Who suppose snas q
regulation Means Prosper''
rraror, the Christian Union
cnavrySrsM AND CHRISTIANITY

vanrulassou Means PfOsP~Ess
rerom the Christian Union
co.vus1sx AND CHRISTIANITY.
poonn, even,s in this city have given oc.
-, 70 The newspapers for great deal OF
S Ia.,,n. 10 of Communism. They gene
ss,,i. sneak Of IL, not only With abnorence
Mt S;th contempt, as thing wholly ancn
70 American soil, and incapahie OF 'ahins
,,oof here. IL one sense this is true ehouI w.
Rut below these superficial d'stur i,'r;o,,s
a class Of facts which deserve .uo, ~ thcm.
consideration ,hanis generally give" went .. {.
throughout Europe grc'l NV, Of
going on against the eArs'i"e rn arodually
social conditions. The poor ait Ia.,.nr
~;,;,,, 20 nbtain for themselves larger
. u2 p the material wealth OF society.
sa"s long hrcn perceived by thonshtiul men
got The asccndsn, power OF the time was
democracy, But it every day becomes
nlaiper that an equslity which Is merei!
nolitical will not satisfy the masses. ma;
fher desire Is q larger share CT PhSs
mower as 4 means towards securing tn's'
What the Commune definitely proposes
Tho nrn,is;on of comfortable subsistence
for each individual by the commu'
n;ty--is sought with more or less ol,tl'lS.
ness and earnestncSi by vast anu luni sI 10,
in(numkeT. The movement Is Ie"'i u1u =:
rra,har OF causes, local or genera M
FncIand The habits OF seh-Iehalcc n'' Sona
servatism which run I'D the pSop,e a., o' =, ~
~ ~ s,ronr against i. Everywhere the Ia"
81 human nature works by which man
,,.,n h,s Gotten little above his ieslo"s D!
s,,nor;or ability or good fortune Is eager 70
I.adn his advantage aad di$cards thcoiles VI
nnna,,v. But, on the whole, the slrusS's
hatwcen capi.al and labor grows hot'cr. anu
Tho ranks are Icing consolidated Oh po'p
sides. o;o,1r :, Fra,ce
shore is 2 strong tendency among Inc arti-
con c,nss towards forcibe revolt, and al
aiten,nt 70 rcvclution;ze society from lis
foundations. Among the corresponding
rIoss in FucIand-who Of late are hndlhS
,,l,ies amen" the agricultural laborerS-a
mrrb more moderate temper prevails. itut
ho,h In England and on the continent the
working class is deeply imbued with
strong anti.reliyious spirit-no mere olsioy'
alty towards the Church, or diSbenet Oh spe,
cial doctrines, but.an utter relectioii " al
spirituaI faith whatever. The poorer c'a>ses
are pushing reso!u.cly for snare III Tue
wealth of tie few. and casting aside Us &C.
1usiye all belief in anything higher imam na-
terial good.
II is by no means certain that America
raj causes have combined to prevent or post
none 1.-THE vast natural wealth that already
insures to almost every industrious man q
comfortable support; the equality OF all
classes before the law; q degree OF social
equality far beyond anything known in Eu'
rope; and a general intelligence, morality,
and habit of self.reliancc. But our national
life is rapidly changing, and not altogether
for the better. Wealth tends to accumulate
in fewer bands. With growing popuia-
ton, the struggle of competition becomes
harder, and more are crowded 10 the wall.
Especially ia large towns and cities, the race
for external and SNOWY success, into Which
men are drawn, breeds restlessness ana ais
content.
Every Year fewer families are SatlSDeo
with rational living. Such causes tcpu ~
wards the ultimate Gcvclopnleht III lne .i,'eS
of this country Of an organized contest ne-
tween the rich and the poor such rs unus
various forEls is already gong Oh peJoAa 1se
Atlantic.
That such a tendency already exists is evil
dent enough from facts, and the only QEcS-
tioris hcw far it is likely to go. In trades
unions, strikes, labor conventions, is seen
the disposition of manual laborers to unite as
q class-scmetimes for excellent purposes,
sometimes for wholly unreasonable ones.
For good or for bad ends, the bond is con-
stan,ly strengthened. The power thus de-
yeloped will naturally he felt more aud more
in the government Of the country. AS
things are now tending it is likely to be used,
as a caSS-power generally is, for merely class
interests.
In this country the comparatively poor
arc the governors. The power is with the
majority, and they are the majority. the
property, the personal rights, the whole
sphere OF action and life Of each individual,
are ultimately subject to their determna-
ton. Let deep discomfort with their con-
dilion Lecome the prevailing feeling OIL mat
class, and they have it in their hands, by
uniting for political action, to work aDso,
lu.cly indetiute changes in our present social
constitution, At present both the Glscon-
tent and the sense Of clasS-power seem 10 pe
on the increase.
We by no means look upon these things
as altogether evil. We believe that the
present organization Of society is IN many
respects far from perfect, and that It's I'M
pIoyement must come largely from the
efforts of those who are suffering. But IL Is
of the first Importance that great SOCIAL re-
forms should he guided by intelligence and
inspired by high feeling, and that we should
not be left to the aniagonisms OF sellisnneSs.
1t would be small gain to the world 10 eX-
change the rule Of a selfish and intelligent
few for that of selfish and ignorant niany.
Some persons seem to think that the tails
manic word against all our national dangers
IL education. We believe that the educa-
tion given by our common schools is very
im,ortant, but we have no faith that of itself
aIone IL is or can be q sufficient safeguard OF
popular virtue. It is but a small part of
education at the best that a child gets in the
school-room. We Americans are trtle
supersti,ious in this matter. Our schools
are not nearly so good as they ought to be,
yet we expect from them more than the best
schools can give. The very moderate guam
tity Of reading, arithmetic, geography, etc.,
which the average pupil carries away with
him when he leaves school will not at all in.
sure bis being good citizen or an intelll-
gent voter. As child and as man he must
be kept under pure moral influences to be n
safe member Of the State.
It Is painful fact that we SO often hear
complaints of the failure of our churches to
reach tie poor. 1t is reproach to any
church that 1t should so fail. Christ's gospel
iss gospel to the poor. 1t is greivous re-
proach TO any church that it fails to reach
what is called the iaboriDg class. America is
the home Of laborers. We boast of our de-
mocracy and if there is one place where
democracy should le n reality it is the house
of God. Culture, Intelligence, refinement,
are abused and perverted il they keep men
from giving their sympathies and Christian
companionship TO those who have less than
themselves. Ii the Master were to come