Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-25
French Socialists.

1t is a commonplace of history that the
yagaries Of the revolution, especially its
SOcialistie development, were connected
with the influence of Rousseau. That Fel-
ergeiSt made all men think of the inequali-
ty of conditions; his genius familiarized
people with Socialistic novelties, and
made it the fashion to talk of the injustice
of the laws and institutions which brought
about poverty. His invectives against
luxury were the intellectual stimulus OF
many who had the opportunity of giving
effect to his speculatiOns. Communism
came to the surface again and again in
menacing forms, because Bab9uf taught
with much acceptance that personal prop
erty was the source of all evils and mis-
fortunes. He gave precise shape to the
anarchical speculations of Rousseau and
Mably; and having faith in his own
theories, he found men willing to stake
their lives for the sake of them. The next
leading name in the history of French So
cialism is that of st. Simon. He had his
plan, more coherent than most, for re-
modelling society, and his influence was
proportiOnate to it's genius. The year
1913 was the heyday of French Socialism.
1t was powerful in the Assembly. 1t in
fiuenced legislation. AtelierS NQ6Ondar
became realities. NJ. Louis Blanc and NJ.
Albert were influential politicians. Even
sober-minded men resigned themselves at
that time to the certainty that the laws
relative to property must undergo vast
notifications, and that a new era had be-
gun for mankind,
This state of things did not come to pass
without a long previous education OF the
public mind. The elements which were
seething in public life in 1S4S were elabor-
ated in private for years, Hall dozen
men of considerable ability had been
preaching various Utopias. FOurier's
projects obtained credence to an extent
which it is difficult now to comprehend.
Missionaries such as BaZard and Enfantin
had their groups of adherents. Litera-
ture. too, was permeated by Social
istic ideas. They colored the most
frivolous novels, They lurked even
in vaudeYilles. Balzac and George
Sand delighted to write in SOcialistic
strains. Poets, such as Beranger, put the
vague, restless aspirations of the time
into verse; and men of letters who grew
up i'm the millen which we describe-Nic-
tor Hugo, for example-haVe never been
able to cast off the ideas which were then
in the air, In the recently published vol
ume of George Sands correspondence we
can see the degree to which these specu-
lations have leavened society and the
state of exaltatiOn in which mems minds
We're then.
sort now exists in France. No form of
dogmatic Socialism is much heard of
there. 30 man of eminence is pledged to
it. The books of the men whose names
we have recalled are forgotten: They
have left no prominent successors. In
deed, this is true, with some reservations,
in other countries. No doubt in Germany
Socialism has taken a new development
and has found fresh opponents. But the
writings of Lassalle and Karl Marx, who
are among the latest apostles Of Socialism,
have never found much acceptance
in France, if, indeed, only from the fact
that their ideas are complicated and inter-
woven with Hegelian Technology, which
the opyrier would be little likely to under
stand. When we think of the scope of
Socialistic schemes which but few years
ago found favor, and which are now dis
credited or forgotten, we seem well war
ranted in saying, notwithstanding the
warnings to the contrary in the papal en-
cyclical just published, that nowhere has
Socialism a fraction of the strength which
il once had.