and openly before the public and say 'I AM AN ATHEIST, AND I GLORY IN MY PRINCIPLES!'"-now beginning with what is vulgarly called a lie, is a bad beginning for those who affect to teach that truth alone can make men wise and happy. In a case of this kind, there is nothing like appealing to facts-one fact to the purpose being here just as good as a thousand. Now if the reader will look at the article proclaiming truth, I know nothing of individual friendships or mere party societies. The Oracle of Reason was intended "to maintain the right to publish any and every kind of speculative opinion," ,"-"to deal out Atheism ns freely as ever Christianity was dealt out to the people," and to aid the best minds among the liberal party in casting "off the swindling kind of morality that frames itself to every occasion, including all the abominations" Is there a God?" in the first number of this of jesuitry, without its character, grandeur, or consistency," nor will I allow any pretenders, of mushroom growth, the honour, if there be any, of being the first honestly, without mental reservation of any kind, to proclaim myself a perfect Atheist, and teach the whole truth"without mystery, mixture of error, or fear of man." paper, printed and published, be it remembered, four clear weeks before the Atheist was in existence, they will find the following: : Not ourselves believing in any designing principle, mind, intelligence, cause, or what you will, distinct from the material world; believing, on the contrary, therefore uncaused, and that uncaused something the that something must have been from all eternity, universe-we are PERFECT ATHEISTS. In the third paper upon the same subject, when speaking of the immorality of the belief in the existence of any kind of god, I observed, world of immoralities. In the fifth paper I was, if possible, yet more explicit, and lest it should be supposed that it was in consequence of what has appeared in the Atheist, I need only say that it was written long before I had any notion that such an attack was to be made, the substance of what appeared having been made known to me by a never to be forgotten friend, through the bars of my prison. The passage to which I allude runs thus The Atheism of these papers is not INSINUATIVE but DIRECT; not SHAM but REAL; and, good or bad, about the opinions we have ventured to broach there is no mistake; THERE CAN BE NO MISTAKE; THERE SHALL BE NO MISTAKE! The above remarks refer to a weekly paper, styled the Atheist and Republican, the first number of which appeared without date; but as everybody knows, and the paper itself carries internal evidence of, after some three or four vice, falsehood, and misery, and all the religious bufUpon the belief of a god hangs nine-tenths of the numbers of the Oracle of Reason were pub-foonery which are the disgrace of civilized societies. lished. When it was announced through the press, An Atlas of error, it bears upon s broad shoulders a that a paper proclaiming the truth, consistency, and moral grandeur of Atheism, with the superiority of republicanism over every, or any other, form of government was about to appear, I was greatly delighted, for my vanity led me to consider it one of the first fruits of my labours; for who could doubt that the Oracle of Reason opened, paved, and showed the way for the Atheist and Republican? The child proved a froward one, but I will not cast it off or disown it, nevertheless; and though it is a principle with me that in general more is done by love than fear, in this case a little sound chastisement will not be amiss, and this I hope to administer without "bluster," "mere abuse," or "bombastic bravado." Certainly all will acknowledge that I have good reason to be upon my p's and q's, when the great unknown of the Atheist has been kind enough to inform us that "a gentleman of distinguished talents (himself, gentle reader!) has been engaged as editor, and more than thirty able writers in science and literature,"-surely this is enough to scare one out of one's wits; and no one in his wits would willingly provoke this terrible thirtyheaded giant, not to speak of the editor, who will be a sort of shield-bearer or page to a more than Falstaff; who tells us that the thirty will attack existing prejudices in the boldest manner, notwithstanding they "run great risk from bigoted persecution." I strongly suspect, however, that this monstrous moral giant, like Polyphemus, has but one eye, at least only one eye that can be depended upon, so that, if unluckily that one should be put out or seriously damaged, the boasted strength of the monster will be worse than weakness, and only fatal to himself. In the first number the writer finds fault that "yet no one has had the courage to come fairly We DENY the rationality of all belief in a god or gods; in which denial is included the AFFIRMATION, that there is good and sufficient reason to DIsbelieve in any such existence. By the word god we understand a PERSONALITY (let supernaturalists call it what they will) distinct from, and independent of, matter. It may be said, that though I declared myself an Atheist, yet I did not "glory" in being one; I would just hint, that to "glory" in any kind of belief, is the part of a fool, not a philosopher. There is nothing glorious in any kind of belief whatever, and if any of the thirtyand-one had taken the trouble to read my "Introduction" they would have seen it declared that " If men have not yet known they should now be taught, that it is neither creditable nor discreditable, honourable nor dishonourable, to be an Atheist, a Christian, or a Mussulman." Surely it would have been better, more honest, and far more social of my calumniators, to have attacked the philosophy of the thing, instead of running a tilt at me for not doing that which can only be done by half-bred infidels and thorough bred fanatics. Having convicted the Atheist and Republi 66 can of barefaced falsehood, to take any more pains about its moral character would be but slaying the slain, yet I must upbraid them with their want of filial affection. King Lear says of the ingratitude of his daughters, that it was as though the mouth should tear the hand for lifting food to it; and so I may say of the one, or thirty-one who have honoured me and disgraced themselves by foul slander. They tell us that they are tired of the old mode of proceeding, and desirous of seeing Atheism advocated in a proper manner by an organ worthy of it, modestly adding that it will be their "task to supply this desideratum;" they are to "clear the stage of quacks, impostors, and madmen" of all descriptions, never to use fine words, that they may appear learned;" they are to be "perspicuous in composition," and as to all other faults, the fact that they have pointed them out in their contemporaries, is the sufficient guarantee that they will avoid them themselves;" then, by way of a wind-up, it is hinted that" they have opened communication with intelligent correspondents in all parts of our own country, in America, and on the Continent;" adding, that "it will thus be seen that no pains or expense has been spared to ensure ORIGINALITY, VARIETY, and CAREFUL SUPERVISION." Alas, poor Oracle! thy Priest must hide his diminished head. Now the sun of atheism has risen all mere stars will become invisible. Thirty and one literary cooks! pray heaven they spoil not the broth, nor that this huge mountain, after so much labour, bring not forth a mouse! Upon the present occasion, I have confined myself exclusively to the lies, conceit, and puffery of this paper; and if I live, out of prison or even in prison, should I be allowed my pen, I will expose the ignorance of these writers, and prove by reason and sound argument" that their first paper, not to speak of the rest, abounds in blunders and errors in philosophy, of the most serious kind. Having been the first openly to teach atheism, it will be my duty to expose those who, not having sufficient knowledge on the subject, bring it into discredit by their swaggering impertinence and ridiculous assertions. I will show, that, in the so-called refutation of the á posteriori argument in proof of the existence of a god, the writer has really deserted the atheistical position, and that he is properly what is called in another part of the paper, by the same writer, if I mistake not, a Causationist, not an Atheist; and if not a Universal chance-monger, something equally silly-a Universal causemonger. So far at present the Atheist and Republican. There are other writers whose open and honourable strictures upon my proceedings, though severe, are worthy of the most respectful attention. By many such, the style of my articles has been objected to, as being "diffuse, wordy, loose, and the matter wanting method and sequence, illogical," to which I demur not; no one is more sensible than myself that my style is wordy, diffuse, &c. I am no logician, and fear I never shall be, for the character of my mind is precisely that of my writings-hasty, irregular, bold, and enthusiastic; I write as I speak, and speak exactly as I think, so that my writings and speeches have always one grand merit, they are the fac-similies of my mind. My style is to have no style; and, as the writer in the Odd Fellow shrewdly hinted, being far more apt with my tongue than with my pen, there is in all I have written the vice of oratorship, not close and connected, but rambling and discursive; less likely to please logicians than honest men. The pen is not my forte, I am more happy with the tongue; writing clogs my impatient thoughts, which, whatever may be their value, are always in a hurry to display themselves, generally rushing pell-mell, helterskelter, without regard to order, precision, and the decencies of logic. Therefore it is that I have always loved speaking better than writing, as being less troublesome, and more in harmony with my temper and feelings. I never wrote half-a-dozen lectures in my life, though I have delivered some hundreds, upon a great variety of subjects: the most successful, and decidedly the best, of which cost least in preparation. To be a close reasoner I never pretended, still less to the character of a first-rate logician. I do not despise those who have this happy talent, no one can more admire them, but I adırîre only, and do not aim at rivalry, or hope to reach the same degree of excellence; at the same time candour, and not vanity, prompts me to say that there are in my writings and speeches excellences of another kind, which the close reasoner and adept in logic may strive in vain to imitate. There are as many kinds of mind as of human faces, and therefore in judging of mind we should, in justice, judge of it after its kind. All men cannot fill the same departments, whether of science, of art, or of literature-it is enough that we fill our own department well. My department in the work of reform, and my competency to fill it, is not fairly estimated at present, and how should it be, when those who criticise neither know the materials with which I have to deal, nor the great objects I have in view. I am also charged with the use of a foul admixture of scurrility and abuse." There is nothing more casy than to make such a charge, but it is sometimes exceedingly difficult to determine what is, and is not, scurrility and abuse. Scurrility and abuse forsooth! why there is hardly a modern writer, of any note,ho has not been charged by his enemies with being scurrilous and abusive; it is the common cuckoo-cry of all who are well lashed. Expose bigotry in homely phrase, tell the truth in good rough English, you are at once denounced as a low and vulgar-minded fellow. Paine is now acknowledged as the best among political writers, cruel; but the science of justice alone can teach whether I have unnecessarily shocked. There are feelings we ought to lacerate-prejudices it is criminal not to expose. Why does a surgeon amputate a mortified limb but to preserve the rest? Amputation is a bad thing but sometimes necessary, nevertheless. Surely mind requires analagous treatment; its errors are its rotten and mortified parts, in poetic phrase, the gangreens of the soul, which should be cut off or out that the sounder parts may be preserved. Who could be so blinded by his charity as not to see that there are prejudices it is criminal not to expose, just the sort of criminality of a man-who, seeing the assassin's arm uplifted to destroy those he should protect and cherish, would hesitate to run him through the body, because, poor fellow, he couldn't help being what he was, and his nerves might be unpleasantly shocked. But I should not do justice to my feelings, did I not express my gratitude for the acute and manly strictures of such writers as the Odd Fellow. I think them what they think me honest, but mistaken. I would rather have this censure in such a spirit, than the most extravagant praises from the lips of folly. The would-be critics, who are the unclean birds of the press, and in every sense, have hardly a feather to fly with, I heartily despise; in my warfare with such I will neither give nor take quarter. yet he was anything but choice in his phrase- truth, for the first time, without shocking huology, or gentlemanlike in his diction. "Pub-man prejudices? To shock unnecessarily is licola" is now our most popular, if not our best, political writer; yet I never heard that he was remarkable for softness and delicacy of expression. Why, who has not heard a thousand times both Paine and Publicola denounced as foul-mouthed, scurrilous, and abusive scamps? The Dispatch newspaper is the very pillar of freedom, and greatest terror of evil-doers, unquestionably the most extensively useful that ever was published; but whoever thought of looking into the Dispatch for choice flowers of rhetoric or namby-pamby phrase? I could extract sentences and paragraphs by the score from the columns of that paper that my censors would at once acknowledge throw my abuse, &c., far into the shade. And just so with banter and ridicule, which even the clergy, who Rre such nice men and so easily shocked, have Got the slightest objection to, when used against the horrid tribe of infidels; but if used by Deists and Atheists against Christians, it is trumpeted forth as something profane and shockingly immoral. I know fully as well as my censors, that foul language cannot serve any but a bad cause, but I deny most emphatically that a single foul sentence, or even word, has been published in the Oracle. There is nothing foul save that which is inimical to morals and human freedom. I do not deny that "the offensively thrusting forward one's opinions-singular or not-without charitable regard to the opinions, prejudices they may be, of others," is not justifiable: that is, I agree that it is sometimes not justifiable; as, for example, I did not think that a certain noted reverend zentleman was justified upon the score of utility and there can be no other justification for any act), when delivering a mock sermon on the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ, he said, a a tone most pathetically ludicrous, "there, my dear friends, there was the blessed saviour Having, for the present, disposed of these Dailed upon the cross like a dead rat upon a subjects, I must, before I conclude, say a few barn door;" and I am still of the opinion that words more particularly to yourselves, to whom it was a useless, and therefore unjustifiable, this letter is addressed. I have been accused tling with human feelings. But let us be of a desire to break up your party, and from areful lest criticism degenerate into cant; let its wreck form one of my own; but for this, as us beware lest we strain charity for human pre-well as other calumnies, I was fully prepared. dice too far; let us be watchful that we make I most emphatically deny that I ever had any at the weakness of others an apology for our vn laziness; and that we hold not back those truths which ought to be told, from fear of being rused of needlessly thrusting forward our opini1.Truth (says Milton) can no more be soiled haman touch than a sunbeam; though this -hap wait on her nativity, that she has never et been born into the world, except to the nominy of those who brought her forth." en away with this cant about liberality, if it to interfere with our highest and most sacred Jaty, which manifestly is to "be cruel only to be kind,” and to pronounce truth, even though 1 give pain to morbid human feeling. Who, the world's history, ever pronounced a great Such is my defence of the Oracle, its leading principles, and the style in which it has been written. It is a mere outline, that I may fill up hereafter. A defence of its principles may be considered superfluous, seeing that none have yet ventured to attack them, all opposition being confined to the manner, and not the matter, of the thing. desire to break up your party; for though your present practices by no means square with my notions of the just and useful, I am clearly of opinion that your party, with all its faults, is the most advanced, the most liberal, and decidedly the most useful now in existence-but then I wish it to be known as what it really is, and not to hang out false colours. Your leaders would fain have you thought progressors and free inquirers, whilst you are no such thing, but a mere JOINT-STOCK ASSOCIATION,banded together for the laudable purpose of bettering your physical and moral condition. This, I say, is a laudable, a most admirable object; but, in the name of consistency and honour, be content to stand before the world in naked truthfulness as what you really are, and pretend not to a character that does not belong to you. If ever I had an interest in flattering you, it is at this moment-but I disdain to do it, and would rather rot in gaol than obtain your support by the crooked ways of falsehood. I hear that your party has nobly exerted itself in my behalf-not directly, but indirectly-not as a party, but as a body of enlightened reformers: This shows that you are sound at the core; it shows that you feel there is a great principle at stake, when you thus sacrifice individual differences upon the altar of public liberty. thank you for myself; I thank you yet more for the sake of the noble cause by which I am prepared to stand or fall; for be assured of this come what may, I shall remain true to the great principles of civil and religious liberty. You have seen the proclaimers of great truths dragged into prisons and courts of law, like sheep to the slaughter; you have seen men murdered, under colour and pretext of law, legal butcheries and judicial assassinations—yes, such atrocities you have seen or heard of. In this land of boasted liberty scaffolds have streamed with blood, multitudes been mowed down en masse, and dungeons crowded with victims, that the Great Whore-the worse than Babylonish harlot-might be maintained in all her shameful glory. You will, if opinion be not aroused and shaken from its death-like sleep, see in me one more victim of her brutal lusts and fierce intolerance. It is for you and the People of England to determine whether I am to have the mockery, or the reality, of a trial-the mere forms, or the spirit of justice. There must be money and there must be agitation-these are the ingredients to be thrown into the great cauldron of opinion, before it is possible the charm of mental freedom can be extracted therefrom. Money finds all ways open, aye, even courts of law; let us see if enough cannot be gathered to open that of the Queen's" the remedy is not to be found in prosecution Bench. It is only by a monied agitation public but in the general diffusion of education." liberty can be protected. This number, the reader will please to consid as supplementary; and in future the Priest the Oracle will speak as usual, and procee with the consideration of those subjects he ha proposed to treat, before honoured by a notic from the authorities. Should it happen th my mouth is stopped, the paper will be edite and conducted by friends, whose principles a my principles, and upon whose integrity au talent I have the fullest reliance. So that, whe ther I am in or out of prison, the Oracle wi still boldly pronounce nature's decrees, in spit of human decrees, and proclaim philosoph without asking the license of folly. Your well wisher, question is included in that writer's article o December 19, which is so complete a refutation of vulgar fallacies upon this subject, that would willingly, did space permit, transcrib the whole. The following passage teaches al that is just in principle and just in action, a regards opinion:-" I know nothing of Mr. S or his book, nor do I care a fraction about wha that book may, or may not, contaiu; but hold it an essential principle of liberty, that h has as much right to publish his opinions a any prelate, orthodox divine, or dissenter. I there be error or indecency in his works, whic II do not assert, the antidote is not to be found in a prosecution, for the remedy is immeasura bly worse than the disease. Where then is th solid remedy to be found, for this real or fancle evil? Educate the people, not in prejudices o any sort, but in principles, with a thorough latitude of inquiry, of expression, and publica tion. At present the phrase, National Educa tion, is little else than a fraudulent device t continue the old system of supporting preju dices." Aye, truly is it, and well the clerg know the fact; neither really instructing them selves, nor, if they can help it, allowing others t do it. They care very little about errors an indecencies-'tis simple naked truth terrifie them; and it is precisely because they are cun ning enough to know that real education woul release mankind from the grasp of all tyrannie that they will not give it to the people. I den that there is a single indecent expression, or single philosophical error to be found in th Oracle. From its first to its last page there not a single paragraph that I would not defen upon any rostrum, or even in any court law; but let it be remembered, that even thoug it could be proved to contain the most execra ble, indecent, and stupid trash that ever w penned, yet to persecute its author would be t outrage the liberty of the mind, and shock a common sense. As "Publicola" wisely say Let the public remember that the real question is not whether my opinions are correct or incorrect; or my manner of expressing them vulgar or refined; but this, and this only, is the question-Shall men suffer persecution for holding any set or kind of opinions, or for any manner of expressing them? Once admit the moral right of any man or set of men to punish others, either for the matter or manner of their opinions, and you at once unchain a legion of tyrannies, and open wide the door to every species of cruelty. Liberty of the mind" is all or nothing, to confine, is to crush, it; and like that noble writer "Publicola," "my principles apply with equal force to any and all books, whether the name be Bible, Testament, Talmud, Koran, Milton's Paradise Lost, or Shelley's Queen Mab. The principle is general, and all cases the same." Indeed, all the wisdom of the CHARLES SOUTHWELI BRISTOL:-Printed & Published by FIELD, SOUTHWEL and Co., 6, Narrow Wine-street.-LONDON: Hether ington, Watson.-GLASGOW: Paton and Love. Saturday, January 1, 1841. To the SOCIALISTS of ENGLAND. they violate it; like greedy children, they would LETTER IV. "Honesty IS the best Policy." FRIENDS, I SHALL now proceed to call your attention to what I maintain was, and is not now, the principle taught by Robert Owen. All associated bodies are expected to have some principle, by which I mean some philosophic conclusion, as to what is right, what is wrong; what ought to be done, and what ought not to be done. Some principles affect the members of societies in their aggregate or corporate capacity, and should be common to all the members; whilst others, which only relate to individual thought and action, are of comparatively trivial importance. No matter for what purpose men are banded together, some one common object they must have, and some one common conclusion or principle, else no bond of union can possibly subsist. swallow, and yet desire to have, the lolly-pop. Such individuals are not rare-shows, but may be seen in every street and be picked up by the score in every party. Any one who should go a-fishing for such in the great sea of public life. must get strong nets, for without supernatural assistance I will promise them a miraculous draught." It is the principle of the honest Catholic, that the church of Rome is the true apostolic church, and only authority in matters of faith. He holds that the bible contains the word of his god, but not all the word, the rest being handed down in those traditions of which his church is the repository. It is with him a principle that the bible, as interpreted by his church, is true, but that much knowledge, merely traditional, and therefore not contained in the bible, is also to be received as true upon the same authority. The genuine Catholic also believes that Peter was the rock upon which Christ built his church, the holder of the keys of heaven and hell; and that the Popes, his legitimate successors, are de facto heirs to his authority, his god's vicegerents upon earth, the appointed and infallible agents of his will. Such are some of the leading principles of Catholicism; they are clear, distinct, and welldefined; acknowledged by the great body of the faithful, and from which many honest Catholics would rather die than swerve. Principles are either good or bad, according to their application; which is here expressly stated, because I have met with some who have thought principle in itself good or bad, whereas all principles are abstractionsconclusions of the mind, to be tested by their application, and their value determined by the conduct they induce; in short, the effects of which they are the parents. We speak of true principles and of false principles; those which These principles, if detestable are not deceitare beneficial, and those which are pernicious; ful; they have all the merit of clearness-a by which are meant conclusions drawn from child may understand them, and children may things, and the infinitude of human relations. act upon them. The Catholic and the old A party or associated body is said to be con- Social principle are the antipodes of each other sistent with its principles when the conduct of the opposites, if not antagonists-the north its members, in their corporate capacity, is in harmony with their published conclusions; the vica of consistency not being necessarily identical with that of truthfulness or justness of action, as a party may be equally consistent in error as in truth-the consistent advocacy of a principle proving nothing for the principle itIf There is much more consistent action upon false, than upon true, principles; indeed, nothing is more rare than to see men act consistently upon the principles which they not only Arknowledge to be truc, but declare should be acted upon; yet such inconsistent people are and south poles of the mental world-and the glory of a Socialist would be the shame of a Catholic. The one proclaims the sufficiency of reason and the absurdities of faith, the other proclaims the sufficiency of faith and the deceitfulness of reason. The Social principle was PROGRESSIVE; and the cry of its advocatesFORWARD! Catholic principle is inimical to progression; it fears, it hates it; and all the Popes, from Peter downward, with the faithful at their heels, have stood upon the ancient ways, far better loving a backward than a forward motion. Socialism was based upon philosophy, [SECOND EDITION.] |