Ch. xii. Cont'muatloji of the same Subject. 397 



the whole nation would shortly become a nation 

 of paupers with a community of goods. 



Such a result might not perhaps be alarming to 

 Mr. Owen. It is just possible indeed that he 

 may have had this result in contemplation when 

 he proposed this plan, and have thought that it 

 was the best mode of quietly introducing that 

 community of goods which he believes is neces- 

 sary to complete the virtue and happiness of 

 society. But to those who totally dissent from 

 him as to the effects to be expected from a com- 

 munity of goods ; to those who are convinced that 

 even his favourite doctrine, that a man can be 

 trained to produce more than he consumes, which 

 is no doubt true at present, may easily cease to 

 be true, when cultivation is pushed beyond the 

 bounds prescribed to it by private property ;* the 

 approaches towards a system of this kind will be 

 considered as approaches towards a system of 

 universal indolence, poverty, and wretchedness. 



Upon the supposition, then, that Mr. Owen's 

 plan could be effectively executed, and that the 

 various pauper societies scattered over the coun- 

 try could at first be made to realize his most san- 

 guine wishes, such might be expected to be their 

 termination in a moderately short time, from the 

 natural and necessary action of the principle of 

 population. 



But it is probable that the other grand objection 

 to all systems of common propriety would even at 



* See vol. ii. c. x. b. iii. p. 154. 



