第14章

Their houses were rendered more comfortable，their streets were improved，the best provisions were purchased，and sold to them at low rates，yet covering the original expense，and under such regulations as taught them how to proportion their expenditure to their income.Fuel and clothes were obtained for them in the same manner；and no advantage was attempted to be taken of them，or means used to deceive them.

In consequence，their animosity and opposition to the stranger subsided，their full confidence was obtained，and they became satisfied that no evil was intended them；they were convinced that a real desire existed to increase their happiness upon those grounds alone on which it could be permanently increased.All difficulties in the way of future improvement vanished.They were taught to be rational，and they acted rationally.Thus both parties experienced the incalculable advantages of the system which had been adopted.Those employed became industrious，temperate，healthy，faithful to their employers，and kind to each other.while the proprietors were deriving services from their attachment，almost without inspection，far beyond those which could be obtained by any other means than those of mutual confidence and kindness.Such was the effect of these principles on the adults；on those whose previous habits had been as ill-formed as habits could be；and certainly the application of the principles to practice was made under the most unfavourable circumstances.(It may be supposed that this community was separated from other society；but the supposition would be erroneous，for it had daily and hourly communication with a population exceeding its own number.The royal borough of Lanark is only one mile distant from the works；many individuals came daily from the former to be employed at the latter；and a general intercourse is constantly maintained between the old and new towns.)

I have thus given a detailed account of this experiment，although a partial application of the principles is of far less importance than a clear and accurate account of the principles themselves，in order that they may be so well understood as to be easily rendered applicable to practice in any community and under any circumstances.Without this，particular facts may indeed amuse or astonish，but they would not contain that substantial value which the principles will be found to possess.But if the relation of the narrative shall forward this object，the experiment cannot fail to prove the certain means of renovating the moral and religious principles of the world，by showing whence arise the various opinions，manners，vices，and virtues of mankind，and how the best or the worst of them may，with mathematical precision，be taught to the rising generation.

Let it not，therefore，be longer said that evil or injurious actions cannot be prevented，or that the most rational habits in the rising generation cannot be universally formed.In those characters which now exhibit crime，the fault is obviously not in the individual，but the defects proceed from the system in which the individual was trained.Withdraw those circumstances which tend to create crime in the human character，and crime will not be created.Replace them with such as are calculated to form habits of order，regularity，temperance，industry；and these qualities will be formed.Adopt measures of fair equity and justice，and you will readily acquire the full and complete confidence of the lower orders.Proceed systematically on principles of undeviating persevering kindness，yet retaining and using，with the least possible severity，the means of restraining crime from immediately injuring society'.and by degrees even the crimes now existing in the adults will also gradually disappear：

for the worst formed disposition，short of incurable insanity，will not long resist a firm，determined，well-directed，persevering kindness.Such a proceeding，whenever practised，will be found the most powerful and effective corrector of crime，and of all injurious and improper habits.

The experiment narrated shows that this is not hypothesis and theory.The principles may be with confidence stated to be universal，and applicable to all times，persons，and circumstances.And the most obvious application of them would be to adopt rational means to remove the temptation to commit crimes，and increase the difficulties of committing them；while，at the same time，a proper direction should be given to the active powers of the individual；and a due share provided of uninjurious amusements and recreation.Care must also be taken to remove the causes of jealousy，dissensions，and irritation；to introduce sentiments calculated to create union and confidence among all the members of the community；and the whole should be directed by a persevering kindness，sufficiently evident to prove that a sincere desire exists to increase，and not to diminish，happiness.

These principles，applied to the community at New Lanark，at first under many of the most discouraging circumstances，but persevered in for sixteen years，effected a complete change in the general character of the village，containing upwards of 2，000