a new view of society-第6节

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o　allow　generation　after　generation　to　be　taught　crime　from　their　infancy；　and；　when　so　taught；　hunt　them　like　beasts　of　the　forest；　until　they　are　entangled　beyond　escape　in　the　toils　and　nets　of　the　law？　when；　if　the　circumstances　of　those　poor　unpitied　sufferers　had　been　reversed　with　those　who　are　even　surrounded　with　the　pomp　and　dignity　of　justice；　these　latter　would　have　been　at　the　bar　of　the　culprit；　and　the　former　would　have　been　in　the　judgement　seat。　　　　　Had　the　present　Judges　of　these　realms　been　born　and　educated　among　the　poor　and　profligate　of　St　Giles's　or　some　similar　situation；　it　is　not　certain；　inasmuch　as　they　possess　native　energies　and　abilities；　that　ere　this　they　would　have　been　at　the　head　of　their　then　profession；　and；　in　consequence　of　that　superiority　and　proficiency；　would　have　already　suffered　imprisonment；　transportation；　or　death？　Can　we　for　a　moment　hesitate　to　decide；　that　if　some　of　those　men　whom　the　laws　dispensed　by　the　present　Judges　have　doomed　to　suffer　capital　punishments；　had　been　born；　trained；　and　circumstanced；　as　these　Judges　were　born；　trained；　and　circumstanced；　that　some　of　those　who　had　so　suffered　would　have　been　the　identical　individuals　who　would　have　passed　the　same　awful　sentences　on　the　present　highly　esteemed　dignitaries　of　the　law。　　　　　If　we　open　our　eyes　and　attentively　notice　events；　we　shall　observe　these　facts　to　multiply　before　us。　Is　the　evil　then　of　so　small　magnitude　as　to　be　totally　disregarded　and　passed　by　as　the　ordinary　occurrences　of　the　day；　and　as　not　deserving　of　one　reflection？　And　shall　we　be　longer　told；　that　the　convenient　time　to　attend　to　inquiries　of　this　nature　is　not　yet　come：　that　other　matters　of　far　weightier　import　engage　our　attention；　and　it　must　remain　over　till　a　season　of　more　leisure？'　　　　　To　those　who　may　be　inclined　to　think　and　speak　thus；　I　would　say　'Let　feelings　of　humanity　or　strict　justice　induce　you　to　devote　a　few　hours　to　visit　some　of　the　public　prisons　of　the　metropolis；　and　patiently　inquire；　with　kind　commiserating　solicitude；　of　their　various　inhabitants；　the　events　of　their　lives　and　the　lives　of　their　various　connections。　Then　will　tales　unfold　that　must　arrest　attention；　that　will　disclose　sufferings；　misery；　and　injustice；　upon　which；　for　obvious　reasons；　I　will　not　now　dwell；　but　which　previously；　I　am　persuaded；　you　could　not　suppose　it　possible　to　exist　in　any　civilized　state；　far　less　that　they　should　be　permitted　for　centuries　to　increase　around　the　very　fountain　of　British　jurisprudence。'　The　true　cause；　however；　of　this　conduct；　so　contrary　to　the　general　humanity　of　the　natives　of　these　Islands；　is；　that　a　practical　remedy　for　the　evil；　on　clearly　defined　and　sound　principles；　had　not　yet　been　suggested。　But　the　principles　developed　in　this　'New　View　of　Society'；　will　point　out　a　remedy　which　is　almost　simplicity　itself；　possessing　no　more　practical　difficulties　than　many　of　the　common　employments　of　life；；　and　such　as　are　readily　overcome　by　men　of　very　ordinary　practical　talents。　　　　　That　such　a　remedy　is　easily　practicable；　may　be　collected　from　the　account　of　the　following　very　partial　experiment。　　　　　In　the　year　1784　the　late　Mr　Dale；　of　Glasgow；　founded　a　manufactory　for　spinning　of　cotton；　near　the　falls　of　the　Clyde；　in　the　county　of　Lanark；　in　Scotland；　and　about　that　period　cotton　mills　were　first　introduced　into　the　northern　part　of　the　kingdom。　　　　　It　was　the　power　which　could　be　obtained　from　the　falls　of　water　that　induced　Mr　Dale　to　erect　his　mills　in　this　situation；　for　in　other　respects　it　was　not　well　chosen。　The　country　around　was　uncultivated；　the　inhabitants　were　poor　and　few　in　number；　and　the　roads　in　the　neighbourhood　were　so　bad；　that　the　Falls；　now　so　celebrated；　were　then　unknown　to　strangers。　　　　　It　was　therefore　necessary　to　collect　a　new　population　to　supply。　the　infant　establishment　with　labourers。　This；　however；　was　no　light　task；　for　all　the　regularly　trained　Scotch　peasantry　disdained　the　idea　of　working　early　and　late；　day　after　day；　within　cotton　mills。　Two　modes　then　only　remained　of　obtaining　these　labourers；　the　one；　to　procure　children　from　the　various　public　charities　of　the　country；　and　the　other；　to　induce　families　to　settle　around　the　works。　　　　　To　accommodate　the　first；　a　large　house　was　erected；　which　ultimately　contained　about　500　children；　who　were　procured　chiefly　from　workhouses　and　charities　in　Edinburgh。　These　children　were　to　be　fed；　clothed；　and　educated；　and　these　duties　Mr　Dale　performed　with　the　unwearied　benevolence　which　it　is　well　known　he　possessed。　　　　　To　obtain　the　second；　a　village　was　built；　and　the　houses　were　let　at　a　low　rent　to　such　families　as　could　be　induced　to　accept　employment　in　the　mills；　but　such　was　the　general　dislike　to　that　occupation　at　the　time；　that；　with　a　few　exceptions；　only　persons　destitute　of　friends；　employment；　and　character；　were　found　willing　to　try　the　experiment；　and　of　these　a　sufficient　number　to　supply　a　constant　increase　of　the　manufactory　could　not　be　obtained。　It　was　therefore　deemed　a　favour　on　the　part　even　of　such　individuals　to　reside　at　the　village；　and；　when　taught　the　business；　they　grew　so　valuable　to　the　establishment；　that　they　became　agents　not　to　be　governed　contrary　to　their　own　inclinations。　　　　　Mr　Dale's　principal　avocations　were　at　a　distance　from　the　works；　which　he　seldom　visited　more　than　once　for　a　few　hours　in　three　or　four　months；　he　was　therefore　under　the　necessity　of　committing　the　management　of　the　establishment　to　various　servants　with　more　or　less　power。　　　　　Those　who　have　a　practical　knowledge　of　mankind　will　readily　anticipate　the　character　which　a　population　so　collected　and　constituted　would　acquire。　It　is　therefore　scarcely　necessary　to　state；　that　the　community　by　degrees　was　formed　under　these　circumstances　into　a　very　wretched　society。。　every　man　did　that　which　was　right　in　his　own　eyes；　and　vice　and　immorality　prevailed　to　a　monstrous　extent。　The　population　lived　in　idleness；　in　poverty；　in　almost　every　kind　of　crime；　consequently；　in　debt；　out　of　health；　and　in　misery。　Yet　to　make　matters　still　worse　although　the　cause　proceeded　from　the　best　possible　motive；　a　conscientious　adherence　to　principle　the　whole　was　under　a　strong　sectarian　influence；　which　gave　a　marked　and　decided　preference　to　one　set　of　religious　opinions　over　all　others；　and　the　professors　of　the　favoured　opinions　were　the　privileged　of　the　community。　　　　　The　boarding…house　containing　the　children　presented　a　very　different　scene。　The　benevolent　proprietor　spared　no　expense　to　give　comfort　to　the　poor　children。　The　rooms　provided　for　them　were　spacious；　always　clean；　and　well　ventilated；　the　food　was　abundant；　and　of　the　best　quality；　the　clothes　were　neat　and　useful；　a　surgeon　was　kept　in　constant　pay；　to　direct　how　to　prevent　or　cure　disease；　and　the　best　instructors　which　the　country　afforded　were　appointed　to　teach　such　branches　of　education　as　were　deemed　likely　to　be　useful　to　children　in　their　situation。　Kind　and　well…disposed　persons　were　appointed　to　superintend　all　their　proceedings。　Nothing；　in　short；　at　first　sight　seemed　wanting　to　render　it　a　most　complete　charity。　　　　　But　to　defray　the　expense　of　these　well…devised　arrangements；　and　to　support　the　establishment　generally；　it　was　absolutely　necessary　that　the　children　should　be　employed　within　the　mills　from　six　o'clock　in　the　morning　till　seven　in　the　evening；　summer　and　winter；　and　after　these　hours　their　education　commenced。　The　directors　of　the　public　charities；　from　mistaken　economy；　would　not　consent　to　send　the　children　under　their　care　to　cotton　mills；　unless　the　children　were　received　by　the　proprietors　at　the　ages　of　six；　seven　and　eight。　And　Mr　Dale　was　under　the　necessity　of　accepting　them　at　those　ages；　or　of　stopping　the　manufactory　which　he　had　commenced。　　　　　It　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　children　so　young　could　remain；　with　the　intervals　of　meals　only；　from　six　in　the　morning　until　seven　in　the　evening；　in　constant　employment；　on　their　feet；　within　cotton　mills；　and　afterwards　acquire　much　proficiency　in　education。　And　so　it　proved；　for　many　of　them　became　dwarfs　in　body　and　mind；　and　some　of　them　were　deformed。　Their　labour　through　the　day　and　their　education　at　night　became　so　irksome；　that　numbers　of　them　continually　ran　away；　and　almost　all　looked　forward　with　impatience　and　anxiety　to　the　expiration　of　their　apprenticeship　of　seven；　eight；　and　nine　years；　which　generally　expired　when　they　were　from　thirteen　to　fifteen　years　old。　At　this　period　of　life；　unaccustomed　to　provide　for　themselves；　and　unacquainted　with　the　world；　they　usually　went　to　Edinburgh　or　Glasgow；　where　boys　and　girls　were　soon　assailed　by　the　innumerable　temptations　which　all　large　towns　present；　and　to　which　many　of　them　fell　sacrifices。　　　　　Thus　Mr　Dale's　arrangements；　and　his　kind　solicitude　for　the　comfort　and　happiness　of　these　children；　were　rendered　in　their　ultimate　effect　almost　nugatory。　They　were　hired　by　him　and　sent　to　be　employed；　and　without　their　labour　he　could　not　support　them；　but；　while　under　his　care；　he　did　all　that　any　individual；　circumstanced　as　he　was；　could　do　for　his　fellow　creatures。　The　error　proceeded　from　the　children　being　se