A Development Of The Principles And Plans On Which To Establish Self Supporting Home Colonies As A Moste Secure And Profitable Investment For Capital PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1841 edition. Excerpt: ... some men "a passion for reforming the world;" and the success of MrRapp, at Harmony, shews that whenever the animal propensities can be controlled by the strength of moral and religious principle, co-operation for the general welfare, and a vast increase of happiness, become possible. As, however, individuals are liable to be led away on this subject, by sanguine dispositions and poetical fancies, our first object should be to judge calmly whether past experience does not outweigh, in the scale of reason, these bright desires, and this almost solitary example, f and teach us to regard them as dangerous phantoms, rather than indications of capabilities lying dormant within us. Certainly the argument founded on experience is a very strong one; yet it does not seem to me to be conclusive--and as the question of the capabilities of human nature is one of great and preliminary importance, a statement will be given in the next lecture, of the reasons which render it probable that man is still susceptible of improvement to an unascertained extent. Our opinions on this point must necessarily exercise a great influence on our ideas of social duty; and the subject is, therefore, deserving of the fullest consideration. No. II. EXTRACTS illustrative of the Prosperity of Co-operative Colonies. 1. From " Melish's Travels in the United States" in 1811. "The Harmonists, or Rappites, are a colony of German emigrants, who settled in America in the year 1803. When the Society was first established, the whole of their property amounted to only 20,000 dollars. The present stock of the Society we estimated as follows: --9000 acres of land, with implements, .. 90,000 Dollars. Stock of provisions for 900 persons, one year, . 25,000 Mills, machinery, &c, .. 21,000...