第19章

Many well-intentioned individuals，unaccustomed to witness the conduct of those among the lower orders who have been rationally treated and trained，may fancy such an assemblage will necessarily become a scene of confusion and disorder；instead of which，however，it proceeds with uniform propriety.it is highly favourable to the health，spirits，and dispositions of the individuals so engaged；and if any irregularity should arise，the cause will be solely owing to the parties who attempt to direct the proceedings being deficient in a practical knowledge of human nature.

It has been and ever will be found far more easy to lead mankind to virtue，or to rational conduct，by providing them with well-regulated innocent amusements and recreations，than by forcing them to submit to useless restraints，which tend only to create disgust，and often to connect such feelings even with that which is excellent in itself，merely because it has been judiciously associated.

Hitherto，indeed，in all ages and in all countries，man seems to have blindly conspired against the happiness of man，and to have remained as ignorant of himself as he was of the solar system prior to the days of Copernicus and Galileo.

Many of the learned and wise among our ancestors were conscious of this ignorance，and deeply lamented its effects；and some of them recommended the partial adoption of those principles which can alone relieve the world from the miserable effects of ignorance.

The time，however，for the emancipation of the human mind had not then arrived：the world was not prepared to receive it.The history of humanity shows it to be an undeviating law of nature，that man shall not prematurely break the shell of ignorance；that he must patiently wait until the principle of knowledge has pervaded the whole mass of the interior，to give it life and strength sufficient to bear the light of day.

Those who have duly reflected on the nature and extent of the mental movements of the world for the last half-century，must be conscious that great changes are in progress；that man is about to advance another important step towards that degree of intelligence which his natural powers seem capable of attaining.

Observe the transactions of the passing hours；see the whole mass of mind in full motion；behold it momentarily increasing in vigour，and preparing ere long to burst its confinement.But what is to be the nature of this change？A due attention to the facts around us，and to those transmitted by the invention of printing from former ages，will afford a satisfactory reply.

From the earliest ages it has been the practice of the world to act on the supposition that each individual man forms his own character，and that therefore he is accountable for all his sentiments and habits，and consequently merits reward for some and punishment for others.Every system which has been established among men has been founded on these erroneous principles.When，however，they shall be brought to the test of fair examination，they will be found not only unsupported，but in direct opposition to all experience，and to the evidence of our senses.

This is not a slight mistake，which involves only trivial consequences；it is a fundamental error of the highest possible magnitude；it enters into all our proceedings regarding man from his infancy；and it will be found to be the true and sole origin of evil.It generates and perpetuates ignorance，hatred，and revenge，where，without such error，only intelligence，confidence，and kindness，would exist.It has hitherto been the Evil Genius of the world.It severs man from man throughout the various regions of the earth；and makes enemies of those who，but for this gross error，would have enjoyed each other's kind offices and sincere friendship.It is，in short，an error which carries misery in all its consequences.

This error cannot much longer exist；for every day will make it more and more evident that the character of man is，without a single exception，always formed for him；that it may be，and is，chiefly created by his predecessors；that they give him，or may give him，his ideas and habits，which are the powers that govern and direct his conduct.Man，therefore，never did，nor is it possible he ever can，form his own character.

The knowledge of this important fact has not been derived from any of the wild and heated speculations of an ardent and ungoverned imagination；on the contrary，it proceeds from a long and patient study of the theory and practice of human nature，under many varied circumstances；it will be found to be a deduction drawn from such a multiplicity of facts，as to afford the most complete demonstration.