a new view of society-第4部分

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which　their　systems　embrace。　　　　　They　have　already　effected　enough　to　prove　that　all　which　is　now　in　contemplation　respecting　the　training　of　youth　may　be　accomplished　without　fear　of　disappointment。　And　by　so　doing；　as　the　consequences　of　their　improvements　cannot　be　confined　within　the　British　Isles；　they　will　for　ever　be　ranked　among　the　most　important　benefactors　of　the　human　race；　but　henceforward　to　contend　for　any　new　exclusive　system　will　be　in　vain：　the　public　mind　is　already　too　well　informed；　and　has　too　far　passed　the　possibility　of　retrogression；　much　longer　to　permit　the　continuance　of　any　such　evil。　　　　　For　it　is　now　obvious　that　such　a　system　must　be　destructive　of　the　happiness　of　the　excluded；　by　their　seeing　others　enjoy　what　they　are　not　permitted　to　possess；　and　also　that　it　tends；　by　creating　opposition　from　the　justly　injured　feelings　of　the　excluded；　in　proportion　to　the　extent　of　the　exclusion；　to　diminish　the　happiness　even　of　the　privileged：　the　former　therefore　can　have　no　rational　motive　for　its　continuance。　　　　　If；　however；　owing　to　the　irrational　principles　by　which　the　world　has　been　hitherto　governed；　individuals；　or　sects；　or　parties；　shall　yet　by　their　plans　of　exclusion　attempt　to　retard　the　amelioration　of　society；　and　prevent　the　introduction　into　PRACTICE　of　that　truly　just　spirit　which　knows　no　exclusion；　such　facts　shall　yet　be　brought　forward　as　cannot　fail　to　render　all　their　efforts　vain。　　　　　It　will　therefore　be　the　essence　of　wisdom　in　the　privileged　class　to　co…operate　sincerely　and　cordially　with　those　who　desire　not　to　touch　one　iota　of　the　supposed　advantages　which　they　now　possess；　and　whose　first　and　last　wish　is　to　increase　the　particular　happiness　of　those　classes；　as　well　as　the　general　happiness　of　society。　A　very　little　reflection　on　the　part　of　the　privileged　will　ensure　this　line　of　conduct；　whence；　without　domestic　revolution　without　war　or　bloodshed　nay；　without　prematurely　disturbing　any　thing　which　exists；　the　world　will　be　prepared　to　receive　principles　which　are　alone　calculated　to　build　up　a　system　of　happiness；　and　to　destroy　those　irritable　feelings　which　have　so　long　afflicted　society　solely　because　society　has　hitherto　been　ignorant　of　the　true　means　by　which　the　most　useful　and　valuable　character　may　be　formed。　　　　　This　ignorance　being　removed；　experience　will　soon　teach　us　how　to　form　character；　individually　and　generally；　so　as　to　give　the　greatest　sum　of　happiness　to　the　individual　and　to　mankind。　　　　　These　principles　require　only　to　be　known　in　order　to　establish　themselves；　the　outline　of　our　future　proceedings　then　becomes　clear　and　defined；　nor　will　they　permit　us　henceforth　to　wander　from　the　right　path。　They　direct　that　the　governing　powers　of　all　countries　should　establish　rational　plans　for　the　education　and　general　formation　of　the　characters　of　their　subjects。　These　plans　must　be　devised　to　train　children　from　their　earliest　infancy　in　good　habits　of　every　description　which　will　of　course　prevent　them　from　acquiring　those　of　falsehood　and　deception）。　They　must　afterwards　be　rationally　educated；　and　their　labour　be　usefully　directed。　Such　habits　and　education　will　impress　them　with　an　active　and　ardent　desire　to　promote　the　happiness　of　every　individual；　and　that　without　the　shadow　of　exceptions　for　sect；　or　party；　or　country；　or　climate。　They　will　also　ensure；　with　the　fewest　possible　exceptions；　health；　strength；　and　vigour　of　body；　for　the　happiness　of　man　can　be　erected　only　on　the　foundations　of　health　of　body　and　Peace　of　mind。　　　　　And　that　health　of　body　and　peace　of　mind　may　be　preserved　sound　and　entire；　through　youth　and　manhood；　to　old　age；　it　becomes　equally　necessary　that　the　irresistible　propensities　which　form　a　part　of　his　nature；　and　which　now　produce　the　endless　and　ever　multiplying　evils　with　which　humanity　is　afflicted；　should　be　so　directed　as　to　increase　and　not　to　counteract　his　happiness。　　　　　The　knowledge　however　thus　introduced　will　make　it　evident　to　the　understanding；　that　by　far　the　greater　part　of　the　misery　with　which　man　is　encircled　may　be　easily　dissipated　and　removed；　and　that　with　mathematical　precision　he　may　be　surrounded　with　those　circumstances　which　must　gradually　increase　his　happiness。　　　　　Hereafter；　when　the　public　at　large　shall　be　satisfied　that　these　principles　can　and　will　withstand　the　ordeal　through　which　they　must　inevitably　pass；　when　they　shall　prove　themselves　true　to　the　clear　comprehension　and　certain　conviction　of　the　unenlightened　as　well　as　the　learned；　and　when；　by　the　irresistible　power　of　truth；　detached　from　falsehood；　they　shall　establish　themselves　in　the　mind；　no　more　to　be　removed　but　by　the　entire　annihilation　of　human　intellect；　then　the　consequent　practice　which　they　direct　shall　be　explained；　and　rendered　easy　of　adoption。　　　　　In　the　meantime；　let　no　one　anticipate　evil；　even　in　the　slightest　degree；　from　these　principles；　they　are　not　innoxious　only；　but　pregnant　with　consequences　to　be　wished　and　desired　beyond　all　others　by　every　individual　in　society。　　　　　Some　of　the　best　intentioned　among　the　various　classes　in　society　may　still　say；　'All　this　is　very　delightful　and　very　beautiful　in　theory。　but　visionaries　alone　expect　to　see　it　realized。'　To　this　remark　only　one　reply　can　or　ought　to　be　made；　that　these　principles　have　been　carried　most　successfully　into　practice。　　　　　（The　beneficial　effects　of　this　practice　have　been　experienced　for；　many　years　among　a　population　of　between　two　and　three　thousand　at　New　Lanark；　in　Scotland；　at　Munich；　in　Bavaria；　and　in　the　Pauper　Colonies；　at　Fredericks…oord。）　　　　　The　present　Essays；　therefore；　are　not　brought　forward　as　mere　matter　of　speculation；　to　amuse　the　idle　visionary　who　thinks　in　his　closet；　and　never　acts　in　the　world；　but　to　create　universal　activity；　pervade　society　with　a　knowledge　of　its　true　interests；　and　direct　the　public　mind　to　the　most　important　object　to　which　it　can　be　directed　to　a　national　proceeding　for　rationally　forming　the　character　of　that　immense　mass　of　population　which　is　now　allowed　to　be　so　formed　as　to　fill　the　world　with　crimes。　　　　　Shall　questions　of　merely　local　and　temporary　interest；　whose　ultimate　results　are　calculated　only　to　withdraw　pecuniary　profits　from　one　set　of　individuals　and　give　them　to　others；　engage　day　after　day　the　attention　of　politicians　and　ministers；　call　forth　petitions　and　delegates　from　the　widely　spread　agricultural　and　commercial　interests　of　the　empire　and　shall　the　well…being　of　millions　of　the　poor；　half…naked；　half…famished；　untaught；　and　untrained；　hourly　increasing　to　a　most　alarming　extent　in　these　islands；　not　call　forth　one　petition；　one　delegate；　or　one　rational　effective　legislative　measure？　　　　　No！　for　such　has　been　our　education；　that　we　hesitate　not　to　devote　years　and　expend　millions　in　the　detection　and　punishment　of　crimes；　and　in　the　attainment　of　objects　whose　ultimate　results　are；　in　comparison　with　this；　insignificancy　itself：　and　yet　we　have　not　moved　one　step　in　the　true　path　to　prevent　crimes；　and　to　diminish　the　innumerable　evils　with　which　mankind　are　now　afflicted。　　　　　Are　these　false　principles　of　conduct　in　those　who　govern　the　world　to　influence　mankind　permanently？　And　if　not；　how；　and　when　is　the　change　to　commence？　　　　　These　important　considerations　shall　form　the　subject　of　the　next　Essay。

SECOND　ESSAY

The　Principles　of　the　Former　Essay　continued；　and　applied　in　part　to　Practice

It　is　not　unreasonable　to　hope　that　hostility　may　cease；　even　where　perfect　agreement　cannot　be　established。　If　we　cannot　reconcile　all　opinions；　let　us　endeavour　to　unite　all　hearts。　　MR　VANSITTART'S　LETTER　TO　THE　REV。　DR　HERBERT　MARSH

General　principles　only　were　developed　in　the　First　Essay。　In　this　an　attempt　will　be　made　to　show　the　advantages　which　may　be　derived　from　the　adoption　of　those　principles　into　practice；　and　to　explain　the　mode　by　which　the　practice　may；　without　inconvenience；　be　generally　introduced。　　　　　Some　of　the　most　important　benefits　to　be　derived　from　the　introduction　of　those　principles　into　practice　are；　that　they　will　create　the　most　cogent　reasons　to　induce　each　man　'to　have　charity　for　all　men'。　No　feeling　short　of　this　can　indeed　find　place　in　any　mind　which　has　been　taught　clearly　to　understand　that　children　in　all　parts　of　the　earth　have　been；　are；　and　everlastingly　will　be；　impressed　with　habits　and　sentiments　similar　to　those　of　their　parents　and　instructors；　modified；　however；　by　the　circumstances　in　which　they　have　been；　are；　or　may　be　placed；　and　by　the　peculiar　organizations　of　each　individual。　Yet　not　one　of　these　causes　of　character　is　at　the　command；　or　in　any　manner　under　the　control　of　infants；　who　（whatever　absurdity　we　may　have　been　taught　to　the　contrary）；　cannot　possibly　be　accountable　for　the　sentiments　and　manners　which　may　be　given　to　them。　And　here　lies　the　fundamental　error　of　society；　and　from　hence　have　proceeded；　and　do　proceed；　most　of　the　miseries　of　mankind。　　　　　Children　are；　without　exception；　passive　and　wonderfully　contrived　compounds；　which；　by　an　accurate　previous　and　subsequent　attention；　founded　on　a　correct　knowledge　of　the　subject；　may　be　formed　collectively　to　have　any　human　character。　And　although　these　compounds；　like　all　the　other　works　of　nature；　possess　endless　varieties；　yet　they　partake　of　that　plastic　quality；　which；　by　perseverance　under　judicious　management；　may　be　ultimately　moulded　into　the　very　image　of　rational　wishes　and　desires。　　　　　In　the　next　place　these　principles　cannot　fail　to　create　feelings　which；　without　force　or　the　production　of　any　counteracting　motive；　will　irresistibly　lead　those　who　possess　them　to　make　due　allowance　for　the　difference　of　sentiments　and　manners；　not　only　among　their　friends　and　countrymen；　but　also　among　the　inhabitants　of　every　region　of　the　earth；　even　including　their　enemies。　With　this　insight　into　the　formation　of　character；　there　is　no　conceivable　foundation　for　private　displeasure　or　public　enmity。　Say；　if　it　be　within　the　sphere　of　possibility　that　children　can　be　trained　to　attain　that　knowledge；　and　at　the　same　time　to　acquire　feelings　of　enmity　towards　a　single　human　creature？　The　child　who　from　infancy　has　been　rationally　instructed　in　the