THE 
NI 
\ 
~ 
MO 
No, 66. 

THLY M 
DECEMBER tr. 

AGAZIN KE. 

7 
[Mogg of WoL. To. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
On the general causes of the extreme DE- 
PRESSION of the lower ORDERS of sO- 
CIETY, with a particular REFERENCE 
to the prejent STAVE of this COUNTRY. 
ee firft view, nothing more furprifles 
\. a fenfible mind,and nothing ever more 
grieves a benevolent one, than the extreme 
inequality of mankind in civilized fociety. 
Rude fociety, fuch as that formed by the 
American favages, is equal, without ty- 
ranny, without trade, without articles to 
exchange, or money to reprefent them. 
The next ftage fhews us the combina- 
tion of a few of greater cunning and ad- 
drefs than the reft, the rife of their domina- 
tion, and the fubjugation of the million. 
In its progrefs, fociety becomes agricultu- 
raj and commercial. To deprefs the mil- 
lion, itis neceflary, in the early ftages of 
fociety, to combine more individuals againtt 
them than afterwards, becaufe, labour and 
bodily powers being chiefly valuable in 
the early ftages, other acquirements have 
not yet obtained fo great a degree of efti- 
mation as they afterwards obtain, and the 
yet fimple organization of fociety, open to 
the moft vulgar obftrvation, expofes the 
arts and furnifhes not the means of ty- 
ranny. 
Civilization and commerce, as they in- 
creale the complexity of the mechanifm of 
fociety, favour the tyranny of the few 
and the extreme deprefiion of the many : 
Firft, » By bringing certain qualifica- 
tions into an undue and inordinate eftima- 
tion. 
Secondly. By rendering the combina- 
tion of individuals more eafy. 
Thirdly. By creating wants in the 
multitude, and giving to the few the 
power of commanding their fervice by 
fupplying thofe wants. 
Firft. Of.all the inltruments of decep- 
tion, by which, in the more advanced 
ftages of civilization, the million are fub- 
dued tothe wifhes of the few,—eloquence 
is the moft powerful, The eloquent man 
is always too highly efteemed, and the 
multitude err in nothing more than in the 
eftimate of his worth. The man to 
whom they delegate the making of laws 
has often no other qualification. The 
man with whom they intruft the execution 
of the laws can boaf only of the fame at- 
Montrupy Mage. No. 66. 
tainment, and they think their fouls fafe in 
the hands ofa great {peaker. That divifion 
of labour which is created by the arts of 
civilization, devoting the multitude to fer- 
vile occupations, enables the few to per- 
fuade them that whatever qualifications 
they exclufively poffefs are of difficult at- 
tainment, and indicate in their poffeffors 
fuperior and commanding powers. Hence 
the multitude think every man their fupe- 
rior by nature, whom the arts of cultiva- 
tion have improved ; and are prepared to 
ve the willing flaves of plotting traders, 
ftrutting fpeechifiers, and titled foldiers. 
Secondly. An advanced ftate of civiliza- 
tion favours that fecrefy of correfpondence 
by which the combination of individuals is 
made eafy 3; and it brings men together 
in claffes, and thus affociates them for any 
purpofe which they may deem it their in- 
tereit to purfue. _ 
Thirdly. Civilization and commerce 
multiply the wants of men. Whatever 
can protect us againtt the intemperance of 
climate, whatever can enable us to indulge 
indolence or to ftimulate appetite, the arts 
of civilization and commerce fupply. The 
means of gratification which thefe arts 
produce are unequally diftributed by the 
operation of the caufes we have already 
named, and the pofleflion of thefe means 
enables the privileged claffes to command 
the fervice and fubdue the minds of thofe 
who are lefs fortunate. ‘Thus the founda. 
tions are laid of the deprefiion of the mul- 
titude, which depreflion will be increafed : 
Firft. By whatever diminifhes the num- 
ber of the labouring clafles. 
Secondly. . By whatever increafes the 
facility of commanding the labour and co- 
operation of the multitude. — - 
Thirdly. By whatever favours the rapid 
advancement of the fortunes of individuals. 
Fourthly. By whatever increafes ths 
public contributions. 
Fifthly. By whatever diminifhes the 
productions of the earth, or favours their 
rapid confumption, and efpecially by brute 
animals. 
Firftt. In countries where particular 
cafts determine the occupation of individu. 
als, the numbers of the labouring claffes 
will be liable to little fluétuation. But ia 
Europe, where the field is more open to 
all, and where every man mutt dejire to 
be emancipated from a fkate of fervile li- 
Z£ bour, 
