a new view of society-第3章

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struments　of　beneficial　improvements。　　　　　It　may　be　said　that　the　principles　herein　advocated；　may　nevertheless；　like　the　former　millions　which　have　misled　mankind；　originate　in　error；　in　the　wild　and　perverted　fancy　of　a　well…meaning　enthusiasm。　They　have；　however；　not　only　been　submitted　to　several　of　the　most　intelligent　and　acute　minds　of　the　present　day；　and　who；　although　urged　to　the　task；　have　candidly　declared　they　could　find　no　fallacy　in　the　inductions；　but　they　are　such　as　few；　if　any；　will　venture　to　deny；　or　scruple　to　declare　that　they　already　admit。　　　　　And　if　these　principles　shall　demonstrate　themselves　to　be　in　unison　with　every　existing　fact　which　can　now　be　examined　and　compared；　they　will　ere　long　prove　themselves　to　be　of　a　permanent　and　substantial　value　beyond　any　of　the　discoveries　which　have　previously　been　made。　　　　　Great；　however；　as　the　advantages　may　prove；　the　introduction　of　principles　and　practices　so　new；　without　being　well　understood；　may　create　a　momentary　ferment。　　　　　To　prevent　the　possibility　of　any　such　evil；　the　leaders　of　all　the　sects　and　parties　in　the　state　are　invited　to　canvass　these　principles；　and　to　endeavour　to　prove　error　in　them；　or　evil　in　the　consequences　which　might　follow　from　their　admission　into　practice。　　　　　The　encouragement　of　such　fair　discussion　and　examination　of　these　principles　is　all　that　is　now　solicited　from　Your　Royal　Highness。　　　　　And　should　that　discussion　and　examination　prove　them　to　be　erroneous；　they　will　then　be；　as　they　ought　to　be　for　the　public　good；　universally　condemned。　On　the　contrary；　should　they　bear　the　test　of　that　investigation　to　which　they　are　now　earnestly　submitted；　and　be　found；　without　a　single　exception；　uniformly　consistent　with　all　the　known　facts　of　the　creation；　and　consequently　true；　then；　under　the　auspices　of　Your　Royal　Highness's　Administration；　will　mankind　naturally　look　for　the　establishment　of　a　practical　System　of　Government　which　can　introduce　and　perpetuate　such　important　public　advantages。　　　　　That　these　principles；　if　true；　may　give　birth　to　the　measures　which　they　immediately　recommend；　and　that　Your　Royal　Highness　and　the　Subjects　of　these　Realms；　and　the　Rulers　and　Subjects　of　all　other　Realms；　may　in　the　present　age　enjoy　the　advantages　of　them　in　practice；　is　the　sincere　wish　of　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your　Royal　Highness's　faithful　Servant；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　AUTHOR


FIRST　ESSAY

Any　general　character；　from　the　best　to　the　worst；　from　the　most　ignorant　to　the　most　enlightened；　may　be　given　to　any　community；　even　to　the　world　at　large；　by　the　application　of　proper　means；　which　means　are　to　a　great　extent　at　the　command　and　under　the　control　of　those　who　have　influence　in　the　affairs　of　men。

According　to　the　last　returns　under　the　Population　Act；　the　poor　and　working　classes　of　Great　Britain　and　Ireland　have　been　found　to　exceed　fifteen　millions　of　persons；　or　nearly　three…fourths　of　the　population　of　the　British　Islands。　　　　　The　characters　of　these　persons　are　now　permitted　to　be　very　generally　formed　without　proper　guidance　or　direction；　and；　in　many　cases；　under　circumstances　which　directly　impel　them　to　a　course　of　extreme　vice　and　misery；　thus　rendering　them　the　worst　and　most　dangerous　subjects　in　the　empire；　while　the　far　greater　part　of　the　remainder　of　the　community　are　educated　upon　the　most　mistaken　principles　of　human　nature；　such；　indeed；　as　cannot　fail　to　produce　a　general　conduct　throughout　society；　totally　unworthy　of　the　character　of　rational　beings。　　　　　The　first　thus　unhappily　situated　are　the　poor　and　the　uneducated　profligate　among　the　working　classes；　who　are　now　trained　to　commit　crimes；　for　the　commission　of　which　they　are　afterwards　punished。　　　　　The　second　is　the　remaining　mass　of　the　population；　who　are　now　instructed　to　believe；　or　at　least　to　acknowledge；　that　certain　principles　are　unerringly　true；　and　to　act　as　though　they　were　grossly　false；　thus　filling　the　world　with　folly　and　inconsistency；　and　making　society；　throughout　all　its　ramifications；　a　scene　of　insincerity　and　counteraction。　　　　　In　this　state　the　world　has　continued　to　the　present　time；　its　evils　have　been　and　are　continually　increasing；　they　cry　aloud　for　efficient　corrective　measures；　which　if　we　longer　delay；　general　disorder　must　ensue。　　　　　'But；'　say　those　who　have　not　deeply　investigated　the　subject；　'attempts　to　apply　remedies　have　been　often　made；　yet　all　of　them　have　failed。　The　evil　is　now　of　a　magnitude　not　to　be　controlled；　the　torrent　is　already　too　strong　to　be　stemmed；　and　we　can　only　wait　with　fear　or　calm　resignation　to　see　it　carry　destruction　in　its　course；　by　confounding　all　distinctions　of　right　and　wrong。'　　　　　Such　is　the　language　now　held；　and　such　are　the　general　feelings　on　this　most　important　subject。　　　　　These；　however；　if　longer　suffered　to　continue；　must　lead　to　the　most　lamentable　consequences。　Rather　than　pursue　such　a　course；　the　character　of　legislators　would　be　infinitely　raised；　if；　forgetting　the　petty　and　humiliating　contentions　of　sects　and　parties；　they　would　thoroughly　investigate　the　subject；　and　endeavour　to　arrest　and　overcome　these　mighty　evils。　　　　　The　chief　object　of　these　Essays　is　to　assist　and　forward　investigations　of　such　vital　importance　to　the　well…being　of　this　country；　and　of　society　in　general。　　　　　The　view　of　the　subject　which　is　about　to　be　given　has　arisen　from　extensive　experience　for　upwards　of　twenty　years；　during　which　period　its　truth　and　importance　have　been　proved　by　multiplied　experiments。　That　the　writer　may　not　be　charged　with　precipitation　or　presumption；　he　has　had　the　principle　and　its　consequences　examined；　scrutinized；　and　fully　canvassed；　by　some　of　the　most　learned；　intelligent；　and　competent　characters　of　the　present　day：　who；　on　every　principle　of　duty　as　well　as　of　interest；　if　they　had　discovered　error　in　either；　would　have　exposed　it　…　but　who；　on　the　contrary；　have　fairly　acknowledged　their　incontrovertible　truth　and　practical　importance。　　　　　Assured；　therefore；　that　his　principles　are　true；　he　proceeds　with　confidence；　and　courts　the　most　ample　and　free　discussion　of　the　subject；　courts　it　for　the　sake　of　humanity　…　for　the　sake　of　his　fellow　creatures　millions　of　whom　experience　sufferings　which；　were　they　to　be　unfolded；　would　compel　those　who　govern　the　world　to　exclaim　…　'Can　these　things　exist　and　we　have　no　knowledge　of　them？'　but　they　do　exist　and　even　the　heart…rending　statements　which　are　made　known　to　the　public　during　the　discussions　upon　negro…slavery；　do　not　exhibit　more　afflicting　scenes　than　those　which；　in　various　parts　of　the　world；　daily　arise　from　the　injustice　of　society　towards　itself；　from　the　inattention　of　mankind　to　the　circumstances　which　incessantly　surround　them；　and　from　the　want　of　a　correct　knowledge　of　human　nature　in　those　who　govern　and　control　the　affairs　of　men。　　　　　If　these　circumstances　did　not　exist　to　an　extent　almost　incredible；　it　would　be　unnecessary　now　to　contend　for　a　principle　regarding　Man；　which　scarcely　requires　more　than　to　be　fairly　stated　to　make　it　self…evident。　　　　　This　principle　is；　that　'Any　general　character；　from　the　best　to　the　worst；　from　the　most　ignorant　to　the　most　enlightened；　may　be　given　to　any　community；　even　to　the　world　at　large；　by　the　application　of　proper　means；'　which　means　are　to　a　great　extent　at　the　command　and　under　the　control　of　those　who　have　influence　in　the　affairs　of　men；'　　　　　The　principle　as　now　stated　is　a　broad　one；　and；　if　it　should　be　found　to　be　true；　cannot　fail　to　five　a　new　character　to　legislative　proceedings；　and　such　a　character　as　will　be　most　favourable　to　the　well…being　of　society。　　　　　That　this　principle　is　true　to　the　utmost　limit　of　the　terms；　is　evident　from　the　experience　of　all　past　ages；　and　from　every　existing　fact。　　　　　Shall　misery；　then；　most　complicated　and　extensive；　be　experienced；　from　the　prince　to　the　peasant；　throughout　all　the　nations　of　the　world；　and　shall　its　cause　and　the　means　of　its　prevention　be　known；　and　yet　these　means　withheld？　The　undertaking　is　replete　with　difficulties　which　can　only　be　overcome　by　those　who　have　influence　in　society：　who；　by　foreseeing　its　important　practical　benefits；　may　be　induce