a new view of society-第5部分

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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　these　principles；　will　readily　discover　and　trace　whence　the　opinions　and　habits　of　his　associates　have　arisen；　and　why　they　possess　them。　At　the　same　age　he　will　have　acquired　reason　sufficient　to　exhibit　to　him　forcibly　the　irrationality　of　being　angry　with　an　individual　for　possessing　qualities　which；　as　a　passive　being　during　the　formation　of　those　qualities；　he　had　not　the　means　of　preventing。　Such　are　the　impressions　these　principles　will　make　on　the　mind　of　every　child　so　taught；　and；　instead　of　generating　anger　or　displeasure；　they　will　produce　commiseration　and　pity　for　those　individuals　who　possess　either　habits　or　sentiments　which　appear　to　him　to　be　destructive　of　their　own　comfort；　pleasure；　or　happiness；　and　will　produce　on　his　part　a　desire　to　remove　those　causes　of　distress；　and　his　own　feelings　of　commiseration　and　pity　may　be　also　removed。　The　pleasure　which　he　cannot　avoid　experiencing　by　this　mode　of　conduct　will　likewise　stimulate　him　to　the　most　active　endeavours　to　withdraw　those　circumstances　which　surround　any　part　of　mankind　with　causes　of　misery；　and　to　replace　them　with　others　which　have　a　tendency　to　increase　happiness。　He　will　then　also　strongly　entertain　the　desire　'to　do　good　to　all　men'；　and　even　to　those　who　think　themselves　his　enemies。　　　　　Thus　shortly；　directly；　and　certainly　may　mankind　be　taught　the　essence；　and　to　attain　the　ultimate　object；　of　all　former　moral　and　religious　instruction。　　　　　These　Essays；　however；　are　intended　to　explain　that　which　is　true；　and　not　to　attack　that　which　is　false。　For　to　explain　that　which　is　true　may　permanently　improve；　without　creating　even　temporary　evil；　whereas　to　attack　that　which　is　false；　is　often　productive　of　very　fatal　consequences。　The　former　convinces　the　judgement　when　the　mind　possesses　full　and　deliberate　powers　of　judging；　the　latter　instantly　arouses　irritation；　and　renders　the　judgement　unfit　for　its　office；　and　useless。　But　why　should　we　ever　irritate？　Do　not　these　principles　make　it　so　obvious　as　to　place　it　beyond　any　doubt；　that　even　the　present　irrational　ideas　and　practices　prevalent　throughout　the　world　are　not　to　be　charged　as　either　a　fault　or　a　culpable　error　of　the　existing　generation？　The　immediate　cause　of　them　was　the　partial　ignorance　of　our　forefathers；　who；　although　they　acquire　some　vague　disjointed　knowledge　of　the　principles　on　which　character　is　formed；　could　not　discover　the　connected　chain　of　those　principles；　and　consequently　knew　not　how　to　apply　them　to　practice。　They　taught　their　children　that　which　they　had　themselves　been　taught；　that　which　they　had　acquired；　and　in　so　doing　they　acted　like　their　forefathers；　who　retained　the　established　customs　of　former　generations　until　better　and　superior　were　discovered　and　made　evident　to　them。　　　　　The　present　race　of　men　have　also　instructed　their　children　as　they　had　been　previously　instructed；　and　are　equally　unblameable　for　any　defects　which　their　systems　contain。　And　however　erroneous　or　injurious　that　instruction　and　those　systems　may　now　be　proved　to　be；　the　principles　on　which　these　Essays　are　founded　will　be　misunderstood；　and　their　spirit　will　be　wholly　misconceived；　if　either　irritation　or　the　slightest　degree　of　ill　will　shall　be　generated　against　those　who　even　tenaciously　adhere　to　the　worst　parts　of　that　instruction；　and　support　the　most　pernicious　of　those　systems。　For　such　individuals；　sects；　or　parties　have　been　trained　from　infancy　to　consider　it　their　duty　and　interest　so　to　act；　and　in　so　acting　they　merely　continue　the　customs　of　their　predecessors。　Let　truth　unaccompanied　with　error　be　placed　before　them；　give　them　time　to　examine　it　and　to　see　that　it　is　in　unison　with　all　previously　ascertained　truths；　and　conviction　and　acknowledgement　of　it　will　follow　of　course。　It　is　weakness　itself　to　require　assent　before　conviction；　and　afterwards　it　will　not　be　withheld。　To　endeavour　to　force　conclusions　without　making　the　subject　clear　to　the　understanding；　is　most　unjustifiable　and　irrational；　and　must　prove　useless　or　injurious　to　the　mental　faculties。　　　　　In　the　spirit　thus　described　we　therefore　proceed　in　the　investigation　of　the　subject。　　　　　The　facts　which　by　the　invention　of　printing　have　gradually　accumulated　now　show　the　errors　of　the　systems　of　our　forefathers　so　distinctly；　that　they　must　be；　when　pointed　out；　evident　to　all　classes　of　the　community；　and　render　it　absolutely　necessary　that　new　legislative　measures　be　immediately　adopted　to　prevent　the　confusion　which　must　arise　from　even　the　most　ignorant　being　competent　to　detect　the　absurdity　and　glaring　injustice　of　many　of　those　laws　by　which　they　are　now　governed。　　　　　Such　are　those　laws　which　enact　punishments　for　a　very　great　variety　of　actions　designated　crimes；　while　those　from　whom　such　actions　proceed　are　regularly　trained　to　acquire　no　other　knowledge　than　that　which　compels　them　to　conclude　that　those　actions　are　the　best　they　could　perform。　　　　　How　much　longer　shall　we　continue　to　allow　generation　after　generation　to　be　taught　crime　from　their　infancy；　and；　when　so　taught；　hunt