The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-02-24
rha Oneida Com munity.


into prominence an institution which
since the death of its founder, has declin-
ed in Importance, and is, in the leading
respects for which it was brought into
being, dead Even his rare vocabulary
of abuse seems to be inadequate to ex-
press Guiteau's intense hatred of the Com.
munity into which, as the result of his
fathers influence and authority, he enter
ed while young man. That the Oneida
Community and John Humphrey Noyes
are objects of foul mouthed assassin's
objurgations is not, in itself, anything
against either of them; but we fear it will
be found, in briefly reviewing the life of
its founder and of the principles of the
Community which he created, that Gui-
teau was the worse man for his retire.
ment from the world, and that, whether
by an abuse of the practices at Oneida
or not, some degree of the depravty
which eliminated in the murder of Pres
ident Garfield is traceabe to the murder
ers stay with the singular people whose
leader and peculiarities of belief and life
form the subject of this brief sketch.
We will, first of all, give an account
of Noyes, the enthusiast, whose strong
individuality was the source and the
fountain of life to Perfectionism, by
which general name the principles of the
Oneida Community are known.
John Humphrey Noyes was born at
Brattleboro, VT, in the year 1911. His
parents were in good circumstances, and
refined people, and their son early gave
promise of the capacity for studious
and devout life. After receiving his de-
gree at Dartmouth college, young Noyes
read law for a while, but the bent of his
mind was towards theology and the life
of foreign missionary. Accordingly
he relinquished the law and began the
study of theology at Andover, from
whence he removed to Yale.
AT New Haven, Conn, he encountered
a revivalistic teacher, who found in him
a disciple apt to fanaticism and with the
originality and the strength of will to
give it a new direction and to make it
aggressive and of moment in that
most wonderful chapter of history which
tells the varied and complex tale of the
struggle of universal human nature to be
right with God. Mr.. Noyes was about
twenty-three years of age when, as he
expressed it, he ''landed in a new exper-
ience aud new views of the way of sal
walton, which took the name of perfect
ionism." This experience was succeeded
by his removal to Putney, VT, where
his father then resided, and was in bust
ness as banker. There he preached
and wrote and published for severa
years, and in 1888, when twenty sever
old, married Harriet A. Holton, young
: lady of good family, who had been pre-
viously influenced to adopt his peculiarl.
religious views. 1t is by no means re
markable that the young teachers prin
ciples were adopted but slowly. In 1S4'
his congregation numbered only abou
40 persons. He was in correspondence
however with people far and near, VIII
! recognized in him their leader. Tw'
, years before this date, Noyes' views o
the relations of the sexes had been pub
lished, and, in 1916, he was at the hea
= of small community at Putney, fror
: whence local persecution drove him i
7 lS4S to settle with a number of follower
4 at Oneida, Madison county, n. Y. Th
place OF settlement was very uninvitin9
consisting of forty acres of land, an vi
painted frame house, an old Indian hu
and an Indian saw-mill. This bold NOV
> preceded the practical adoption of con
= munism by number of people of Brool
II lyn, n. Y. Communities under Noye
direction were also begun at Wallingfor
+. . and other places. In few years tn
= original Oneida settlement had absorbe
all the rest excepting that of Walline
ford, which from 1857 to the end {
Noyes' days continued as branch an
portion Of that in which the proph
himself resided. the property of bot
being united Agriculture, horticultur
several mechanical occupations and IL
learned professions engaged the thrivil
industry of the community, whose pr
!; ductions, whether of the induitri
~ = arts or of literature, manifested +
/ markable superiority. Wealth w
le gathered apace In 1874, the unit,
= communities of Oneida and Walliugfo
u were worth more than half million dc
,e lars, owned in the neighborhood of nil
'' hundred acres of land, and had q
- members, l3l of whom were male
Noyes' first followers were New En-
'o land farmers, to whom were added, fro
,c time to time, some Americans and fe
II English and Canadian people. a Gle
- erly edited paper called the Circulo
a' was published for many years, and col
o manded great attention not only becau
> of its singular religious teaching, b
from the general excellence of its sty
Is and its curious information about natul
> history and other subjects of interest
)! intelligent readers. The Circular w
y sent alike to those who could not pay, f
tito those who paid the stated subscri
ton price, two dollars, and to those W
VI paid more to exc out the deficiency {
;" casioned by the unproductiveness of t
&c e first class of subscribers.
~ The men were dressed in ordinary c,
II tune, the women in bodice, loose troI
~ ers and skirt falling just above t
IA knee. Short hair is the fashion amo
an women, who keep it cut just below t
"a ear, and, if so disposed, give it a not |
pa graceful curl.
an Whe a new member is received he
n, she subscrbes to the creed OF the co
ar munity and also signs an agreement l
as to claim any wages for labor while
N the community
he We have said that Noyes was I
Do prophet of porfectionism He believ
,e- and taught the pelfectibilily of hum
81 nature, by which he lmeant its devel'
NO ment into = condition of perfect sinle
"a ness When this stage was reached,
he contended, the community of person
or of property was rightly observed. {
habitation between couples was rel
lated by third parties, and children be
of the union were numbered among
IN other erpossessions of the community. III
In lnnNIr Ii IL IAnrnIIS