MALTHUS’S ESSAY ON POPULATION. 
established administration of property, are, 
with him, the fruitful sources of all evil, the 
hotbeds of all the crimes that degrade man- 
kind. Were this really a true state of the 
ease, it would not seem an absolutely hope- 
Jess task, to remove evil completely from the 
world ; and reason seems to be the proper 
and adequate instrument, for effecting so 
reat a, purpose. But the truth is, that, 
Hiopgh human institutions appear to be the 
obvious and obtrusive causes of much mis- 
chief to mankind, they are, in reality, light 
and superficial, in comparison with those 
deeper-seated causes of evil which result 
from the laws of nature.” 
x * * & 
«©The circulation of Paine’s Rights of 
Man, it is supposed, has done great mischief 
among the lower and middling e¢lasses of 
people in this country. This is probably 
true ; but not because man is without rights, 
or that these rights ought not to be known; 
but because Mr. Paine has fallen into some 
fundamental errors respecting the principles 
pf government, and in many important points 
has shewn himself totally unacquainted with 
the structure of society, and the different 
moral effects to be expected from the physi- 
cal difference between this country and 
-America. Mobs, of the same deseription as 
those collections of people known by this 
name in Europe, could not exist in America. 
The number of people without property, is, 
there, from the pape state of the country, 
‘comparatively small; and therefore the civil 
power which is to protect property, cannot 
require the same degree of strength. Mr. 
Paine very justly observes, that whatever 
‘the apparent cause of any riots may be, the 
real one is always want of happiness ; but 
when he goes on to say, it shews that some- 
thing is wrong in the system of government, 
that injures the felicity by which society is 
to be preserved, he fails into the common 
error of attributing all want of happiness to 
government. Ji is evident, that this want 
of happiness might have existed, and from 
ignorance might have been the principal 
cause of the riots, and yet be almost wholly 
unconnected with any of the proceeedings of 
governinent,” 
_ Mr. Malthus has ravelled together his 
truisms and his sophisms with some in- 
tricacy, but it is not so difficult as he 
May suppose to disentangle them. We 
admit the whole extent of the vice and 
misery in the world; he has not in the 
slightest point exaggerated it. It re- 
Mains to be scen whether human insti- 
tutions, or the laws of nature be in fault ; 
it remains to be seen we speak with re- 
Verence and not without indignation 
_ whether we are to complain of the folly 
of man, or of the will of God, for this 
is the alternative. Let not the impiety 
pf the question be imputed to us! 
297 
Tt has been amply shewn by this 
author; and it never was denied or 
doubted, that in all ages and in all states 
of society, men have suffered, and are 
suffering, from ignorance, filth, famine, 
diseases, large cities, unwholesome em- 
ployment, superstition, bad passions, 
bad habits, bad laws, and bad govern- 
ments, and that some or other of these 
causes have every where, and at all 
times, checked population, and do still 
continue to cheek it. “The period,” 
says he, ‘‘ when the number of men sur- 
pass their means of subsistence has long 
since arrived, and this constantly sub- 
sisting cause of periodical misery has 
existed ever since we have had any his- 
tories of mankind, does exist at present, 
and will for ever continue to exist, unless 
some decided change take place in the 
physical constitution of our nature.” If for 
these last words we substitute the existing 
systems of society, we shall convert the 
sentence into truth. 
In New Holland, where there does not 
exist a man to a square mile, the number 
of men exceeds their means of subsis- 
tence. What is required to remedy the 
evil here, and to make the natives in- 
crease as rapidly as the Anglo-Ameri- 
cans—a change in their physical or in 
their moral nature? In England the 
inhabitants might be trebled, and the 
island still produce enough for the com- 
fortable subsistence of alll ; yet in Eng- 
land population is checked, a great part 
of the people are in want, and every 
profession, trade, and calling, whereby 
man or woman can earn support, is over- 
stocked. Where lies the fault if New 
Holland be not as fully peopled in pro- 
portion as England, if England be not as 
fully peopled in proportion as China, 
if China be not peopled in the fullest 
proportion, not to its actual, but to its 
possible powers of production? Is it 
in human institutions, or in the laws 
of nature? Is it in man or in God? 
Wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be 
righteous, said the Lord: who is he that 
will dare answer the question in Mr. 
Malthus’s behalf? Ifa country be over- 
peopled, and crowded, and distressed, 
in regard to its system of society, before 
it be half peopled in proportion to its 
size and power of production; the fault 
lies in that system of society, not in the 
system of nature. If, while not a tenth, 
nay not an hundredth part. of the hae 
bitable world be cultivated, mankind be 
every where in want, the fault is their 
