540 The Population Question. QMAY, 



the labyrinths of this interesting question. They are all necessary to 

 the perfect development of the subject, and lead separately into paths 

 of inquiry that will amply repay the cares of the student. 



Political economy stands wholly opposed to the wisdom of this theory, 

 on the front of which are engraved the characters of justice and bene- 

 volence. When Mr. Sadler's work appeared it was for a time neglected 

 by the press. The majority of periodical writers were confessedly in- 

 adequate to take a part in the controversy. Besides it requires some 

 courage to stand up against received opinions, even although their pal- 

 pable folly, fallacy, and iniquity be distinctly exhibited. The first 

 Journal, we believe, that openly advocated the law of population was the 

 Atlas, which, on all political subjects, is opposed to Mr. Sadler. The 

 Standard, the political adherent of that gentleman, also gave its powerful 

 assistance to the promulgation of his views. These two papers stood 

 alone. Then came the Edinburgh Review, with its discharge of heavy 

 artillery, and its blundering wit, to take up at the eleventh hour the ex- 

 amination of a topic which it would gladly have permitted to sink into 

 obscurity, but which was making such way with the thinking part of 

 society as to render its recognition inevitable. The article it put forth 

 on that occasion will be certain of immortality. It will descend to pos- 

 terity as a part of the history of this struggle in Philosophy to rescue 

 humanity from the degradation of an unnatural and impious creed in 

 Morals and Statistics. The name of Dennis is for ever linked to that of 

 Pope : but the picture it presents to the mind is that of a fool dogging 

 the shadow of a wise man. So will Mr. Macauley be hereafter re- 

 membered as one who played antics in the path of a Philosopher. 



We said we could not venture to translate into intelligible language 

 the meaning of Mr. Malthus's " preventive check." What then must be 

 the true character of the system which the Edinburgh Review espouses, 

 since its mere enunciation would pollute our pages ? Oh ! holy Nature, 

 how hast thou been defamed by these economists ! How heartless must 

 he be who propounds to his fellow-creatures, the revolting doctrine that 

 commands them to crush the play of their inborn instincts, to silence the 

 voice of sensibility and sympathy within, and to defile a glorious man- 

 hood, by turning aside from the walk of duty and happiness into the 

 dark ways of unnatural indulgences ! The " preventive check" is an 

 impiety of an unspeakably disgusting description. It cuts off all the 

 finer attributes of our race, that distinguish us from -the beasts of the 

 field : it proposes so to regulate the intercourse of the sexes, as to defeat 

 the especial purposes for which it was ordained ; and it hints at the hor- 

 rible alternative of a celibacy more criminal and infamous than the worst 

 licentiousness of the worst periods of oriental history. And this is the 

 system which Old Blue-and- Yellow advocates with an energy at once 

 daring and disastrous ; this is the system which the liberal journal the 

 organ of whigs, reformers, retrenchers, and demagogues defends from 

 first to last, as if the liberties of the subject, and the general good of man- 

 kind, were absolutely dependent upon its truth. We think we shall 

 satisfactorily shew before we close, that the said Old Blue-and- Yellow is 

 a witness not to be believed ; and that, whether he thinks himself to be 

 honest or not, he is utterly inconsistent with, and treacherous to his own 

 professions. 



First how does the Reviewer meet Mr. Sadler's stupendous body of 

 proofs ? He picks out an objection here and there, works himself up 

 into a fit of rhetoric, hits his point with a piquant witticism, and dis- 



