George Combe's Letter

A portion of our readers - how large a poriion we cannot say - will be highly pleased and profitedby ihe perusnl of the 1 tter in cnother column from Geo. Combe, the celelirated pliilosopher and Phrenologist. It answers, in few words, the inquiry so ofien mado - What can be done for t!ie removal of the evils of society 1 It does this, by shnwing that the enormous miseries and evils wliicli we see all around nt, arise from the moral and intelectual condition of the individuáis. By the removal of ignorance, vicp, and selfihness fmm the mind of eacli person. nnd ihe inciense of knowledge, skill. virtne, and industrv, the condition of the whole communiiy can be vcry grpíitlv impnived ; and in no ntirr watf. ssoc:ations, Fourierism, Lnnd Restriclions. &c. so far as they can be efiective ni all, mechipíly valuahle as they tend la imnovp and elévate the individual. But no exlernal remeHies of this charecter, liowevor ingeniouslv devispd, or faiihfu'ly li-ieH, can occnóplinfi the dpsired end. A sliglil examinatlon nf n few points in tbe ei-ting utate of things will illu.-trata ihis. Tnke, for inslance, the inequalily of. Property about which a certnin cla-s of Phil-inthropists dpclaim so much. Sjppose this inpqualitv removed by a general and pqual distribution of ihe whole capital of society : what would be the cnn.sequericel Every one knows. Thedrinkin? rann would consume his share in drtinkennfss: the proflignte man, on hia vícps : the lazy man, Cor suhsistence, without enrning anv more : ihe shnre of the foolish man would go t the sharpers: and ihe incompetent man would lose his portiun by mismnnngement. On Iheother hand, we hould see the shrewd nnd "ble busiupss rain doubling nnd trfrblinghis por: ion by pnterrisingschpmps : tie man of ingenuily would beconw weallhy by invpnlions: the indnslrious.-ind frugal man would inervará his stock by s-nalt savings: while tbs knavisfi and keenighted would nccurmilafe by preyingor ihe ignorant and uns(Hppcting. Ai the d of fifty years, we should find tha wIioIp capital df society ahout a-! unevcnly dividei' as at present, while one third of it would have heen lost by this experiment, in consequenr-e of plneing so murh of il in the hands of iersons vvlio had not the abil.ty or disposición even to preserve it. [i would be found. too, thnt thesame dasíes uf men who chiefly owned the propertv of society bcfore thp división, would regain it afterwnrds; while ihe clnsses riginally deslitute, degraded and needy nfler thc.T portion was spent, would bo degrsded nnd needy stijl. Such would be. the disast rous resulls of an equal divjsion of property. But still further to show the oporation "f the laws of nature in rcgird to property, we will t.ike anolher nuance. Y.nder ia the residence of thu wealthiest man, in town. Ile is a merchnnt, miller, and manu Tact uier, and fur rminy years has siiccessfutly and methodically pursued his business. Let us go inlo his dwelling, and see how tasief.dly all things are ar■ anged. Every thing is nice and comfoitable. The house s painted, pape-edr cnrpeted, nnd filled with elcgint furniture, while n great variety of flowers and shrubbery pipase th senses when you stpp out nl the door. The inmntes partake of tho ehnraetw of the dwellitig- ihey are refined, nent, rntfillectoal, industrióos, nccomplished. Now let u go a few rods further, t.ad enter that miserable apnU.gy for n housp. What j, contra-t ! How onrse, rough, unru'tivated, unintellpt-lu i!, and ignorant are the inmaies ! How wnstefiilly nnd hefidlesslv every thing is kejlt ! what a antol order and enonorny is presented ! They nre pooip nnd needy, and get a scanty subsistence by daily labor. Now let Ihese two families chnnge plnces, and what would be the result ? If we visit ihf-m aga'n at the end of threeyenrx, we shall find the appearnnce of things gre.-nly changed. The gate that lpnds to the splendid mansión hangs hy ono hinge: the pickets are off the fer.ce here and there, while olhprs imDgr by a singlp naü : the cow j„ baiting in ihe door yard, while the pig are rooiing up th choice and splendid flowers. Lights are broken out of the windowe ; the whitew.nshrd and paperpd wallsare covnèd with sm.ike and dirt : the costly carpetsnre burnt nnd greased in various places and the furniture mancd, ii.jured inH broken. The familv are haughtv, disdainful, exprnsive, and yet ignornnt nnd vulgar ; and :he owner is un-killful nnd unsuocessful in business, and is rapidly on the road to ruin. VVhv ihisgreat chnnge ? Because property hns been put into the hands i.f those who nre intellectu.-illy and mornlly disqualified to take cara ofit. But we will visit thnt stiinll house agnin. The change is so great we scarcely reognize it. The owner, who formerly lived in the great house, has nccommodated himself io his condition. By his knowledge and good cliaracter he has begun to thrive ; he has become a cerk and book-keeper Tor his rich neighbor, nnd out of his salary he is fixing things comfortnble and convenient. He has purchased his little dwelling house,painted
it, surrounded t witli a npnt fence, while rose, flowers, and fruit troes, tlnifty nnd vigórous, give induhiiabla evidence that the inmnte3 posse-s refine.ment and la-te, nnd givo promise of fuiare comfort and happinoso. So it is nll through society. Thosê whohtwe tlie inleÜPCiual and mornl faculiies necessury for acquiring and keeping property, will acquire and keep it, in all circnmstances: while those who hnw them not, will waste, dfsiroy, and 1o?e even the oapitnl that may be put inlo their hands. All olservntion nnd experience demónstrate this. Why, :hn, should we lnmentthe present unequal disti-iliution of property, when, as a general rule, it is distrihuted, or is in the prneess of distribution, imo the hnnds of ihov who nre beít qui'ified to uso and en;oy it ; nniev artly in those pioportions. to", in which they are competent 10 judiciousl y preserve nnd rnan g it 1 The foolish and unjust Uva of socie'.v are aUo attiihumble to the same cnUSO- the wnntof inteliigenoe nnd vi.tue in the Eeveral individuMs comi.nsing the ommunitv. Who mnke tl e Uw! The Lepi lntors. Who elect them? The penple. Why do thev not e'eel those who are more competent and honest ?- Bernu?e the electas have not soffi-ieut ntelügonce to judge of the qualificwions of ewidWates, or too üttle virf.e to wish f,,r ru'.ers better thr themsflves. IJenre the naiional evjls lint come upon us. We are nnw pnyingnt lenst on. hundrpd milHom ft 'he mere plea-ure of whipping Mexico, whfn tha nmount, l.vd out in notional milroads, or for purpo-es of pitblleducaran, roight be a bieding tn unbnm genoratioM. The rrmjonty of the voiers of the nntion, blinded by denvg"gues, prefpr to throw awny ?o miifh of :he nnliotv.l capital in a war whi.-h will l-enpfit nobody ; and tl ev verily think u is well bestosved. A small min'-ritv of the peopie are conscioiis of ihe folly aid wlckedness of the prce8ig i but whní an they rio lo dmwn the cry of ihe fighting portion? Cnm.nr:,tivp!y nothing. The only hope of ber.er thing must tic through the inciense of knowledgfi and m.ral prinriple nmong the n.nes ; and thie must be a slow and gradual work. It s absurd to expect ïhai a commuriity of ignorant and imperfect boings boulii liave a perfect nnd Vry wiso goveninu-n; of iheir own mnl;"mg ; that t sliould display, in its operat ons, an exMied miprenmcy of mor.-.l princple. hile the grrat mass by whom" it w,.s c n -roik'd we i-e governed only by the ártifires of se'fish and önpriucipted fcanvei, or the impul-es of lo'.v and grovelling pa-ssions. The s:ime geat truth bolda in refrrmcB to all tlie evils of soi-My, m"ial. s c'u', p'!il:c-il nnd pecunnry, all orig - Baling in the ignorancn and depraviiy of the in iividua's, and (Hmitfiflg "f no other eflectnal and thorough rrmedy than the augmentntion of knowU-dge and viitue in tliose who are constantly suiTering so largeiy for the wnnt of tliem. Entertnining thcsp views of exisfiöa evils, Wfl have no greot íatth in the efficacy of hose projects (f reform wlrch promise to remove the miseries of society immelintely, by a mere chingo ín he external circumstanees of ts memier?. That these circums;vces make a lift-rencein c-har.ictr, is mt 1" ni.-s.ï: bn' is the changfl in all respects nne foi the bëtt-r ? ]e'nnt the sume linnsp whirth is beltè-ficial to ore person often prove myiri.oOT to nr.o'l'er, n-coHing In 'he in!c-nM slatof mind of lh inrrvi.luM 1 Anl no combination at ci'-cnmsbi.ces lias vel be"n éovised hicS fonul remove a!l moral, BtcíoI, nnn politiral "viN (mm n enmmunity. hnwevpr wiw'fl t may bé. Man' salvation froöl evil will rot cotn fiom without, hut must h workpfl ou' for lumself, and by binwtr, in -livHunlly, fmin tho dppths "f his own h"som, by the incrense of his knowledpe, and the most perreot restraint upon all his feolingsai.d passions.