324 THE PREVAILING PRINCIPLE. 



here and hereafter, that while every creature may be crowned with 

 the one, a few only can be blest with the other ? 



I am not contending for the principle of universal equality; though 

 how far it may or may not be realized, is one of those secrets, about 

 which it becomes us, as in all cases of ignorance, to be very modest. 

 The bird that has a strong wing will rise, provided it be neither 

 chained nor caged ; and superior ability would, in the same way, in 

 a free or natural state, find its proper elevation. But social life leaves 

 nothing to nature : it often neglects the hardy plant, to foster and 

 force the feeble ; and the natural vigour of the one has no chance 

 against the favoured circumstances of the other. A few instances to 

 the contrary now and then shew themselves, as excepted cases ; but 

 even these are confined to giving evidence of superiority not in 

 meeting its reward. 



I wish the political economists, instead of only considering things'as 

 they are, would go a little further, and consider how they might 

 how they ought to be. All are alike capable of the aggregate of 

 happiness ; all ought to have a chance of it : and certainly the first 

 and fairest chances ought to fall to those that contribute most of the 

 materials of which happiness is made. Is this the case ? The 

 anxiety to increase wealth, or, according to the cant of the day, 

 capital merges all thoughts of happiness. The question is, what 

 can the poor man produce not what can the poor man enjoy. This 

 principle is very well, when applied to our machines ; but very ill, 

 when applied to our fellow-creatures, whose powers of bodily labour 

 are surely subordinate to their moral and mental powers ; yet, by the 

 inordinate stimulus given to the first, the latter are nullified. 



On the principles on which the political economists proceed, they 

 might address the suffering classes in the language of St. Paul, only 

 changing the word " charity" for poverty. 



" Poverty suffer eth long, and is kind; poverty envieth not; poverty 

 vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; 



" Doth not behave itself unseemly ; seeketh not its own; is not easily 

 provoked; thinketh no evil; 



" BEARETH ALL THINGS, BELIEVETH ALL THINGS, HOPETH ALL 

 THINGS, ENDURETH ALL THINGS." 



Whether this is the best advice they can give, they best know. 

 How far it may be well to observe it, is another question. It is no 

 harm to wish that the vitriolic principle of emulation may decline 

 among the people, and the petrific principle of political economy de- 

 part from their rulers ; and that the many lens that are now concen- 

 trating and throwing off the light of knowledge, may warm both to 

 fraternal unanimity and social charity. 



AN OLD WOMAN. 





