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Mosheim. Vol. 1, p. 78. But whence then our Martyrologies, the long and tragical accounts of such horrors? Why the holy-idiots would have it so! The maxim which the sanguinary temper of the church had adopted was, " Fides nostra non probatur nisi per illorum sanguinem." Our faith is not proved but by their blood. And so to be sure, could this Lardner himself, who in his whole life never so much as encountered the contradiction of an unbeliever, never had to fear even an inconvenience, never wrote in the advocacy of Christianity, but in the sure prospect of fame and honour, never preached for it, but upon the still surer guarantee of a competent income, never knew of any sufferer for conscience sake, but the infidel Woolston, and never entertained any senti"Why ments towards him, but the chuckling tyrant's triumph then, let him suffer," he who never gave aid in his life, nor meant, nor wished it, to any virtue that ploughed not in his yoke; this trickster of divinity, could in robes of silk, and from cushions of velvet, affect to be moved with sympathy for the persecutions which Christians were still undergoing. When he knew and saw, that imagination itself could not imagine a grosser falsehood than the pretence that they were undergoing anything, Yes, Finally my the most learned Lardner could cant thus vilely:brethren, by these examples of the patient and victorious confessors and martyrs, let us be animated and encouraged to steadiness in the cause of truth, humbly depending upon God, and earnestly praying that we may have strength from above, equal to the trials which we may meet with; and certainly there remains a rest for the people of God, for in this world they scarce ever have security and protection, but are treated as impious, profane, and disaffected" Vol. 2. p. 344.

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Is it you, Mr. Carlile, and I, that have been the people of God all this while, without knowing it? For who but we, and those who think and feel as we do, have suffered persecution, or have ever had to fear it, since the blood-stained banner of the cross established the necessary reign of universal hypocrisy, or universal ignorance; the argument is still, a-fortiori, if this would such a man as Lardner; what would not the ourang-outang saints from whom his creed, and his credibility are derived? the subject is little suitable to the range of meditation which the thermometer would prescribe. I hold myself therefore sufficiently to have proved, and here conclude my proofs, that PERSECUTION

IS PECULIARLY CHRISTIAN.

I remain, your's truly,

Evidence, Oakham, June 25th, 1828.

ROBERT TAYLOR.

COMPETITIVE CO-OPERATION versus CO-OPERATIVE COMPETITION.

We have before placed on record our judgment on the defects of the co-operative project of Mr. Robert Owen and others, and we have now to record another practical proof of those defects. The trial of the scheme at New Harmony, in the United States of North America, is evidently a failure. It has presented nothing but instability and change, until, at last, it is reduced to the common state of competition. We look at schemers about states of society, who do any thing more than assail the superstitions and tyrannies that degrade it, as persons of excited imaginations, similar to those who have been in search of the millenium of human happiness, or of the philosopher's stone, that is to turn every thing to gold. The project of Mr. Robert Owen appears to us to have radical defects in the view which he takes of the animal nature of man.

ADDRESS DELIVERED BY ROBERT OWEN

At a public meeting of the inhabitants of New Harmony, on Sunday, April 13, 1828.

Since I left you, I have made another visit to the old world to see what had been doing there in my absence. I found the same overwhelming causes of distress in full activity that were in progress when I left it, and which causes had been continually advancing for several years previously. I mean inventions and discoveries to supersede manual labour in all the principal departments of life, and an increase of poverty among the producers of real wealth in proportion to the increase which had been made in these scientific improvenients. Every step in this progress tends to accumulate large masses of useless wealth in the hands of a few individuals, and to withdraw it from the industrious producer.

The necessary consequence of a diminution of manual labour is an increase of crime; which again necessarily produces through all the ramifications of society, from the lowest to the highest, an increase of misery. The only remedy proposed in Great Britain by the united wisdom of its parliament, is to induce a spirit of emigration among the producing classes. And while the individual system shall prevail, a continued emigration will be their only relief.

The United States are following the example of Great Britain in its rapidity of production; and they will soon experience many of its evils. The productions of this continent which are necessary to the best state of human existence, will very shortly be in such abundance as to exceed the demand for hem; and as soon as that period shall arrive, manual labour will decrease in value, and the non-producers will become the lords and oppressors. Experience has proved that the happiness of states is always in proportion to the equality of their population in knowledge and wealth; but the system in progress in the United States tends to form an aristocracy composed of the priest hood, the lawyers, and the wealthy; and threatens to produce a state of so

ciety the least calculated to promote the general welfare and happiness of any population.

These are the evils to be guarded against. On the other hand, there are many reasons to rejoice in the prospect of the future. Owing to various causes, knowledge in the old as in the new world is making a silent yet sure progress among the mass of the people. The introduction of Infant Schools and Mechanic Institutes, and their almost daily increase in Great Britain, imperfect as the new modes of instruction are, is effecting such a gradual change in the minds of the superior producing classes, as will enable them, ere long, to give a new and very different direction to the progress of inventions and discoveries which at present threaten to overwhelm them and their posterity. Superstition, also, among the enlighted part of society, is rapidly on the decline; Free-Press Associations are becoming popular, and the minds of the better informed among the middle classes are daily collecting strength to throw off the shackles of religious oppression, together with the deception and vice which these every where produce. A little longer, and the priesthood will have no influence over any portion of the population except the most ignorant, and those who are compelled to become hypocrites to gain elections into office to obtain a livelihood. No one but these will believe, or pretend to believe, that a Power infinitely wise and good, and who does all things by his might, should, knowing what he was about, make a devil to counteract his own operations, and create human beings to disobey his express wishes and commands. None but irrational beings could be made to believe, or rather to think they believe these or any such palpable contra. dictions and absurdities.

The time is at hand when the priesthood will discover that they individually suffer, and grievously too, by teaching mankind these degrading errors, and keeping men, in consequence, so profoundedly ignorant as we find them at this day. They will, I conclude, now speedily perceive the mistake which they have made, and pursue a different and much wiser course. They must do so shortly, or they will find the whole of the intelligent part of society opposed to them. Let them instruct the people in real knowledge that might be of use to them, iustead of filling their minds with imaginary notions of useless speculations about incomprehensible superstitions, and they will then render their fellow-creatures a real and permanent service. At present they are a stumbling block in the way of every valuable improve. ment. They are an incubus, pressing the population of all countries down to the lowest point of mental degradation and vice, and rendering the rational faculties of mankind a continued curse to the world-those faculties which under a different direction might become an invaluable blessing.'

The priesthood will make this change in their conduct speedily, or they will prepare themselves to enter into an open mental conflict with the most intelligent and conscientious of the human race. It is my opinion that they will act rationally, and adopt the former alternative, and every facility ought to be offered them to do. so with the least inconvenience. The world had better pay them twice or ten times as much for instructing it in what is true, than pay them as it does at present for perpetuating ignorance, poverty, and vice, by destroying the reason of man.

From the facts and considerations which I have now stated, my conviction

is, that the general progress of knowledge and decline of superstition among the people of Europe and the United States, will speedily effect a great change for the better, in their condition. Men cannot proceed much farther in the acquisition of real knowledge, without discovering what things are necessary for human happiness, and what is the shortest and best method to obtain them permanently; without being, as at present, dependent for them on the will of a few capricious wealthy individuals, who derive all their power and influence from the iguorance and industry of the many whom they oppress.

It is full time that these grievous evils should terminate. To hasten this period, I left Europe to come here, where the greater freedom of the constitution on the subject of religion, admitted experiments to be tried for the benefit of the human race, which could not be attempted, with any reasonable prospect of success, where superstition is the law of the land. I came here with a determination to try what could be effected in this new country to relieve my fellow men from superstition, and mental degradation; so that if successful, the experiment should be an example which all might follow, and by which all might benefit.

I tried here a new course for which I was induced to hope that fifty years of political liberty had prepared the American population: that is, to govern themselves advantageously. I supplied land, houses, and the use of much capital; and I tried, each in their own way, all the different parties who collected here; but experience proved that the attempt was premature to unite a number of strangers not previously educated for the purpose, who should carry on extensive operations for their common interest and live together as a common family. I afterwards tried, before my last departure hence, what could be done by those who associated through their own choice, and in small numbers; to these I gave leases of large tracts of land for ten thousand years upon a nominal rent, and for moral conditions only; and these I did expect would have made a progress during my absence; but now, upon my return, I find that the babits of the individual system were so powerful, that these leases have been, with a few exceptions, applied for individual purposes and individual gain; and in consequence they must return again into my hands.

This last experience has made it evident that families trained in the individual system, founded as it is upon superstition, have not acquired those moral qualities of forbearance and charity for each other which are necessary to promote full confidence and harmony among all the members, and without which communities cannot exist. Communities, to prosper permanently, must consist of persons devoid of prejudice, and possessed of moral feelings in unison with the laws of human nature.

All systems of religion train men to be prejudiced, to be without charity, and to be opposed to each other. With these qualities they never can unite as brethren of one family, having one interest and sincere kind feelings for each other.

But is the population of the world to be left in this miserable and hopeless state? If all we desire cannot be effected for this generation, so as to produce honesty, industry, intelligence, independence and happiness, by reason of the habits and feelings that have arisen out of their superstitious training;

ought we to abandon them and their offspring to their errors and miseries? Ought we not rather to redouble our exertions to stop that evil from proceeding any farther, and never be weary in well doing? If we cannot do all now, let us do whatever is practicable; and make as great an advance towards the right road as we can make with the means we possess.

From all I have seen since I left you, I am more than ever convinced of the necessity for the change from the individual to the social system ; and through some difficulties with patience and perseverance unyielding, the present generation may yet obtain many of the benefits which their children may be prepared to enjoy in comparative perfection.

To effect this change, a course must be adopted different from what I originally intended. It was my wish not to engage again in any affairs of business, but to leave all pecuniary matters to the management of others, and to make arrangements to be always at liberty to go and spread the knowledge of the principles on which the Social System is founded, far and near, that vice and misery might upon an extensive scale be the more speedily reduced. I must, however, now make some modifications of my proceedings in consequence of many parties here, during my absence, having acted in opposition to my views, and to the principles of the Social System, instead of promoting them, as they were bound to do by their promises and engagements, and as I expected they would, because it was their interest to do so.

Some of you that remained here under the individual system have complained that during my absence a monopoly has existed in some departments, which has retarded your individual success; and the neighbouring communities have also complained since my return that they have been injured by it. I fear there has been some foundation for these complaints, but it is probable that these statements have been exaggerated by the over-excited feelings of the suffering parties.

It is necessary, however, now to declare distinctly, that hereafter there may be no mistake upon a subject of so much interest, that it was never my intention to establish any injurious monopoly, nor to grant such monopoly to any one: And every individual has always been, as now, at full liberty to dispose of the produce of his own labor in any way he may choose.

But, on the other hand, it was no part of my plan, by the introduction of petty stores and whiskey shops, to encourage competition which produces as many evils as monopoly, and is equally contrary to the social system. The party permitted to sell foreign produce, promised on making the engagement for the premises in which the monopoly is said to have existed, that the business should be conducted, as it had been previously managed, as much for the benefit of the town as for the proprietors.

In these respects I have been disappointed, and the business through errors of judgment has been conducted, I fear, too often more with a view to pecuniary gain of the individual proprietors, than for the mutual benefit of the surrounding population.

[Robert Owen then adverted to other occurrences which took place in his absence; but, as these are of a more local nature, it appears unnecessary to detail them. He proceeded :]

Now as the foundation of all improvements in the condition of mankind

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