New-York tribune., 1878-05-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE rORTNIGHTLY REVIEW. May.

THE IORINIGHIL1 REVIEW. May
An article in the current number OF ire
yortniQhHy on "The French WOrkmens Congress-
by Mr. Frederic Harrsou timely and significant botn
on account Of the character Of its contents ana 'ho
nosition Of its author Mr. Harrison is wellkho"h
leader OF the English Pos!tivsts, prominent nieo
Of the legal profession, and q strenuous an Po"'i
advocate Of the improvement and eevauoh OF INC "o
ing classes The annual Congress OF which ne ca's III
The paper referred to met Lyons In the early part OF
the preseut year. Delegates were sent from most OF e
,rades districts of France and for twelve days every
aide OF the labor question was actively debated Inc
proceedings the Congress may be taken as coricc
exponent the sentiments and aspirations OF the Frehch
workiugmen Of this moment The first impression nOtceu
hy Mr.. Harrison, is that Communism, or indeed any
form OF systematic Socialism is entirely extinct IN
France There is an immense difference between the
language used and that OF some thlry years "k'
Nor is there less conspicuous difference Del"eeh e
tone OF the French wOrkmen and that OF tho Nern""
assemblies OF the same kind. Communism Is no"
German ideal exclusively. In Lyons there was ho
mention either Of the or the nation Ihe uecson
~ tho majority in that Congress show no sign OF an
attack on the principle OF property Inc pest HPeeo's
IN many cases. insist the usefulness oi property "s
social Institution. The most brilliant, ana perhaps tc
most appaued speech during the whole session. was "g
elaborate defence OF private capital not only as
ncainst Communism, but against cooperation
There was active and eloquent group OF speakers III
favor of what Is called COectyisn,' Dat they ue-
cdcdly repudisted any Intervention OF th'lr sla'e,
Their arguments for the theory Of "Collecysm caeo
out loud protests. the whole plan was hnaiy re-
teeted by large majority Not cnly WAS there no syS
tematic Communism except in the form OF universal CO.
operatioa but no systematic Socialism OF any klnd'
Throughout the whole proceedings the names o' lOu'
Louis Blame Cabet, dad not once occur sh ln certain
sense, the assembly was altogether socialist. Every
man insisted that the economic relations OF society were
not in healthy state. and that they must be trans
formed I'm tho future, I; civilization is to nd
vance But almost TO man they were oP-
posed TO any settlement by the state, or 10 any
pateut scheme OF social regeneration by legislative
means In this respect the French Congress was IL
marked contrast TO the English assemblies In Eh$ia"d
the discussions turn entcrey matters Of practical
legislation There was nothing Of the kind ut Lyons
Not a single bill pending at Versailles was even men,
TONED in the debates There was no reference TO any
parliamentary party or even politician Nor Is th'fe
public man. single employer, or pubic Wltcr VII"
whom the Congress seemed TO have the smallest relation
In England there many public men OF all parties
from whom the bills OF the workmens congresses receive
ectye support At every annual meeting, there are
great employers and great capitalists with whom th'y
aro In constant intercourse But this IS utterly unknown
in the French movement There are no persons in the same
position as MI Brassey Mr.. Munde!la, Mr. Forster MT
Samuel Morley or Nh IhOmas Hughes who manifest an
active sympathy with the wOrkngmcn OF France In the
French meeting there of the businesske and
parliamentary treatment Of the questions tha came UP
which Is common in England. Most OF the speechcs
were simply essays the general relations OF society
and classes. As statements of social questions thcy
were full Of energy and thought, showing study tehec-
tiop and high standard OF literary skill. There was
nothing of the loose conversational dIibbe which Is
heard in English meetings and even IN the Engsh far
lament "speaker after speaker often gets MP ana de
Myers what might fairly pass as passages re-
cited from Jules Simon or Louis Blanc mousse
painter quotes Leibntz and a crowd OF pohti-
win DOSguCt,
Descartes and Dunoyer; q female sk-winder gives an
elaborate discourse on ienOrautlsm; ana WORKING
printer expOunds an ingenious theory OF modern
history" The Congress sat in one OF tie theatres OF
Lyons expressly arranged for the purposet was hand
somey decorated with red drapery red flags bearing the
names OF the cities represented and bust ofthe Repub
lie with a red net. But this color red" remarks Mr.
Harrison which for decorative purposes stapabe OF
magnificent Effects represents to French workmen not
rs some have absurdy sad violence IN any way but the
peaceful Republic OF industry" Nine twomen in the
Congress had rather the lions share in the Offices and
did propOrtiOnae part OF the talking The debate on
cooperation remarkable for the general tendency OF
the speakers deprccate the value OF adosunons and
70 dcuounoe Corporation presented in long
and elaborate report the sole and complete remedy
for every industrial evil radesunons are good only as
they prepare for strikes evils which ujurc every
body cooperation must extended until 1t embraces
all Industry aboshes the wages system aud supcrscdes
employers by making all workers equal coOperators
The sentiment in favor of cooperation however was not
universal One OF the most remarkable speeches was
made 10y young bOuse-panter Of Pans. who on pre-
yous OCCASION had warned his felOwwoTkmen against
regarding cooperation as an iniajle panacea, and de
Tended the importance and tho independence OF capital
1--WE do not DESIRE" he says to take the places OF cap
itats Our aim is not TO make change in the persons
who possess wealth. but in the Of duty under which
they employ wealth IL would serve no purpose. even
81 it were possible TO make the poor of to-day tho rich
oft to- tyhiI lad nothing
rprit In which riches are TO be used. We accept the
personal appropriation OF property but we Geny its alb
solute claim. No man can say to Us, will do what i
please with my own, without thought Of any man but
nyscf" lie listened TO with the deepest interest,
and welcomed with "a triple round of applause