THE DESTINY tl)c fjumaii Eacc on C'artl), lEAIS FOR ITS ATTAIMENT; TWO INTRODUCTORY LECTURES S'© suHiEiiS'igs, BY THOMAS LYGLES, Jii. CINCINNATI: GAZETTE OFFICE.--HTilClIT, FI.SIIEK, & CO., PlilXTEHS. 1 8 4 9 . TO THE READER. The first of the hvo following Lectures was delivered by (lie author in this city, over three years since, and by request, was repeated before the “Cincinnati Union of Associalionists,” of which he was at the lime of its delivery, and is notv, a member. Tlie other has never appeared before the public. As tliey have, been lying idle for .conic time, being of no special benefit to him.sclf, or others, he lias concluded to publish them, believing they contain facts and argtimeiils, which, if generally known and appreciated, would prove interesting and iinportailt to mankind. Should his Lectures tend, in any degree, to subserve the ciiuse of Human Progress, he will feel amply repaid for the time and labor spent in their composition. T. I. Cincinnati, Nov, 3rd, 1S19, LECTUEE L Ladies and Gentlemen: The subject that avUI occupy our attcntioii on the present occasion, and to ivhich your earnest, and unbiased allemion is respect- fidlv inruted, is entitled—“The Destiny of tlie Human Race on Earlli, and the Means for the attainment of that Destiny’'—a subject fraught rvith the deepest interest, and one wliicli, as your speaker will endeavor hereafter to show, has an intimate, and practical relation, '.villi llie best interests of societ_v—of all classes of society—rich and poor, high aiul low, bond and free. It will be immcdiatelv perceived, by the audience, that the .subject is naturally divided into two grand parts: first. The Destiny id' the Human Race on Earth; and second. The Means for the. attainment of that Destiny. 'VVe shall, therefore, observe this natural indication, and in the first place, will speak of the Destiny of the. Race on Earth; and in the .second place, (which latter portion will form the greater part of our Mibsetiucnt discourses,) treat as to the Means for the attainment of that end, which arc to be found in a sciciicc—the science of Association ; (as it is termed by its advocates, both because it is expressive of its charac¬ ter and intentions, and to distingui.'h it from other systems,) or, as it may very appropriately be termed—the .science of Social Rc-Organizu- tim, the principles of wliich are professed to have been discovcreil by CiiAKLEs Foui'.ier, and which arc embodied in the writings of that profountl and original genius. The first question that naturally .suggests ilsell to the mind in tlic consideration of this question, is: dVIiat is the Destiny, the final Des¬ tiny, of the Race? Or rather, we will inquire: What is the Destin,y of Man? viewed as an individual member of the Race; for having determined his Destiny, then will we know that of the Race, as il< Destiny is but an aggregate of the Destinies of each individual member 12 duties, like other people; but it is all mechanical—all force-work— nothing spontaneous—just like a horse moving round with a machine; he goes round because he is forced to do so; he cannot stop himself. But, my friends, although the enjoyments we have mentioned, are not universally available, we must not blame the Ceeator for it. He has been liberal in his donations. He has acted the part of a kind parent. The evil is attributable to man, either to his ignorance, (chiefly to his ignorance,) or to his perversity. We have now proved, we hope, conclusively, that Happiness is attain¬ able on Eanh: first, from the fact that the elements of Happiness are within us, and the Creator, in the formation of our desires, in order to be consistent with Himself, must have devised some means for ilieir gratification; and secondly, because the objects of our solicitude aie around us, in the beautiful and glorious productions of nature, and tte are endowed with physical coirsiitutions capable of gratifying tun various afieciions. We rrow arrive at the second part of our first grand division, in which, if you will remember, we promised to endeavor to short- ilm chief reason why man has always been, and is now, prevented frinn realizing Happiness. Man's failure to obtain Happiness is to he found, chiefly, in the fai i of separate, and conflicting action. The moral world is a great haiilr field. Force is arrayed against force. There is, in society, compara¬ tively no union—no concert of action. -Ml of our material interests, (i. e. our external, or outrvard interests, used in contradistinction to om internal, or spiritual interests.) are divorced from, and are, in fan. in direct opposition to each other. That which is to the interest of one person, is detrimental to the interest of another, it is to the interest of the carpenter, that houses should hum down, so that he may obtain employment by rebuilding them. It is to the interest of the farvur. that his neighbors' crops should fail, or their ground prove unproductive, so that he may not be prevented, through the effect of competition, from realizing a large profit from the products of his industry. He may look on with indifference, nay, with positive satisfaction, at the failure of his neighbors, for by this means he only the more effectually secures his omi interest. 'What cares he if other people do fail ? It is none of his look, out. It is their own affair. He will lose nothing by the operation. Their interest is not his interest, neither is his interest their interest. 13 Tlie lawyer wishes, perhaps against his conscience, that people may enter into quarrels, and bring law-suits against each other, so that he may earn liis “fee. ” A peaceable neighborhood would mar all of his calculaticns. He would be obliged, using a trite expression, to “ shut up shop. ” And if he thought of shifting his quarters, the first questions that would naturally suggest themselves to his mind would be—“ Do people quarrel and figlit much with each other where I am going to? Are there many murders? Are robberies, arson, and larceny frequent? If so, it will be well for me to go; if not, I bad better be contented where I am, and not ‘Hove to roam.” It is to the interest of the nndcriuker, ilval people should give up the gliost as rapidly as possible, so that lie may may box them. in. It is to the interest of the doctor, that people should become sick, and as a Ladv. a Irieiid of ours once jocularly remarked, ‘‘keep them so,” as that by attending, and giving them his learned and astute advice, he may be enabled to procure for liimself and for his family, (if he has any,) some of wliat is generally considered tlie lie plus ultra. With regard to this latter personage, a certain poet, in an article entled “The Farmer, ” has very appropriately remarked, that— In fact, my friends, tliis antagonism extends to all classes and parts of society. The infection has spread from tlie very crown of the head to the soles of the feet, of the great social body. Nations war against nation.s—parties against parties—sects against sects—capitalists against capitalists—capitalists against laborers—laborers against capitalists—and laborers even among themselves. Of how much animosity, selfishness, envy, duplicity, over-reaching, fraud, extortion, oppression, and other kindred evils, is the present conflict of material interests the fruitful source! The misery and crime resulting from it, 0! how frightful. It ivould be impossible, in the space marked out for this first lecture, to give anything like a full and correct idea of the manifold evils resulting 15 so long will poverty anti suffering fill the world, rendering it a ■■ vale of tears,'’ blasting our best and fondest hopes, and leaving poor, miser¬ able, wretched, despairing man, •• without Goii, and without Hope ill the world.” lint only lot man unite, organize, and ceme forth in the miglit and majesty of his collective strength, and viclory will he his. The giant anti-social monster will be cloven to the earth. i\o more will his rapacious srvord gleam o’er our devoted heads. Ko iiinre will be heard the sad wailings of fathers, and mothers, and brothers, and sisters, and liindred, and friends; but Peace will dwell in all our borders; Hapjiiticss tvill spread her broad, fioating banners o'er free and rejoicing people; and our smiling Earth, decked like a bride with the beauteous garlands of Flora, and adopned with the rare and varied productions id’ Ceres—with rich and luxuriant harvests and abundant fnnts— will bask in the golden sun-light of Prosperity. LECTCIIE IL 29 32 and therefore proper, law. It is a wholesome check imposed upon passions which, not having suitable channels for their direction, by a free out-let, would tend to the destruction of law and order—breaking down all bulwarks, and deluging society with an impetuous and tin governable torrent of licentiousness, crime, blood-shed and mi.=ery. By gradual means, only, as, in a true order, we become more and more elevated and pure, can those bolts and bars which separate us from our attractions, be removed, and we allowed the glorious aniJ inestimable privilege of walking in ilie cleat and unerring liglit iii Liberty. Until such period, we must be content to bear, in a greatn or less degree, the penalty imposed upon us for disobedience, awaiting, like philosophers, with calm patience and lieroic fonitiide, the time when, our manacles broken, and released from our dark prison-hoii.=i '. we can venture forth, as free men, into the enjoyment of a jiurn and more invigorating atmosphere. The subject of the Passions is an imponant, and also a tciy esiensive one, and ample justice cannot be done it in one leciun-. In our next, we will pursue the subject further, when we will speak of the Social Organization propo.seJ by As=ociaiionisi,=: it.- adaptation to the nature of man: the various means by nliicli it may be rendered universal: and in conclusion, will endeavor to ansuer the numerous objeciious that have been, and are now, offered again-i the science, so far as we are. or may be acquaiiuod with tlicm. ai]d treat of ihiugs of a more general nature, in ilieir relation to ihv grand subject of Human Happiness. calmly and seriously reflect upon all that has been said, and tliu- prepare your minds for a reception of the trutlts which we ho)ie lu present in subsequent lectures