History of American Socialisms Part 51

13.--The law of marriage is the same in kind with the Jewish law concerning meats and drinks and holy days, of which Paul said that they were "contrary to us, and were taken out of the way, being nailed to the cross." Col. 2: 14. The plea in favor of the worldly social system, that it is not arbitrary, but founded in nature, will not bear investigation. All experience testifies (the theory of the novels to the contrary notwithstanding), that s.e.xual love is not naturally restricted to pairs. Second marriages are contrary to the one-love theory, and yet are often the happiest marriages. Men and women find universally (however the fact may be concealed), that their susceptibility to love is not burnt out by one honey-moon, or satisfied by one lover. On the contrary, the secret history of the human heart will bear out the a.s.sertion that it is capable of loving any number of times and any number of persons, and that the more it loves the more it can love. This is the law of nature, thrust out of sight and condemned by common consent, and yet secretly known to all.

14.--The law of marriage "worketh wrath." 1. It provokes to secret adultery, actual or of the heart. 2. It ties together unmatched natures. 3. It sunders matched natures. 4. It gives to s.e.xual appet.i.te only a scanty and monotonous allowance, and so produces the natural vices of poverty, contraction of taste and stinginess or jealousy. 5.

It makes no provision for the s.e.xual appet.i.te at the very time when that appet.i.te is the strongest. By the custom of the world, marriage, in the average of cases, takes place at about the age of twenty-four; whereas p.u.b.erty commences at the age of fourteen. For ten years, therefore, and that in the very flush of life, the s.e.xual appet.i.te is starved. This law of society bears hardest on females, because they have less opportunity of choosing their time of marriage than men.

This discrepancy between the marriage system and nature, is one of the princ.i.p.al sources of the peculiar diseases of women, of prost.i.tution, masturbation, and licentiousness in general.

CHAPTER III.--_Showing that death is to be abolished, and that, to this end, there must be a restoration of true relations between the s.e.xes._

PROPOSITION 15.--The Kingdom of Heaven is destined to abolish death in this world. Rom. 8: 19-25. 1. Cor. 15: 24-26. Isa. 25: 8.

16.--The abolition of death is to be the last triumph of the Kingdom of Heaven; and the subjection of all other powers to Christ must go before it. 1 Cor. 15: 24-26. Isa. 33: 22-24.

17.--The restoration of true relations between the s.e.xes is a matter second in importance only to the reconciliation of man to G.o.d. The distinction of male and female is that which makes man the image of G.o.d, i.e. the image of the Father and the Son. Gen. 1: 27. The relation of male and female was the first social relation. Gen. 2: 22.

It is therefore the root of all other social relations. The derangement of this relation was the first result of the original breach with G.o.d. Gen. 3: 7; comp. 2: 25. Adam and Eve were, at the beginning, in open, fearless, spiritual fellowship, first with G.o.d, and secondly, with each other. Their transgression produced two corresponding alienations, viz., first, an alienation from G.o.d, indicated by their fear of meeting him and their hiding themselves among the trees of the garden; and secondly, an alienation from each other, indicated by their shame at their nakedness and their hiding themselves from each other by clothing. These were the two great manifestations of original sin--the only manifestations presented to notice in the record of the apostacy. The first thing then to be done, in an attempt to redeem man and reorganize society, is to bring about reconciliation with G.o.d; and the second thing is to bring about a true union of the s.e.xes. In other words, religion is the first subject of interest, and s.e.xual morality the second, in the great enterprise of establishing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

18.--We may criticise the system of the Fourierists, thus: The chain of evils which holds humanity in ruin, has four links, viz., 1st, a breach with G.o.d; (Gen. 3: 8;) 2d, a disruption of the s.e.xes, involving a special curse on woman; (Gen. 3: 16;) 3d, the curse of oppressive labor, bearing specially on man; (Gen. 3: 17-19;) 4th, the reign of disease and death. (Gen. 3: 22-24.) These are all inextricably complicated with each other. The true scheme of redemption begins with reconciliation with G.o.d, proceeds first to a restoration of true relations between the s.e.xes, then to a reform of the industrial system, and ends with victory over death. Fourierism has no eye to the final victory over death, defers attention to the religious question and the s.e.xual question till some centuries hence, and confines itself to the rectifying of the industrial system. In other words, Fourierism neither begins at the beginning nor looks to the end of the chain, but fastens its whole interest on the third link, neglecting two that precede it, and ignoring that which follows it. The sin-system, the marriage-system, the work-system, and the death-system, are all one, and must be abolished together. Holiness, free-love, a.s.sociation in labor, and immortality, const.i.tute the chain of redemption, and must come together in their true order.

19.--From what precedes, it is evident that any attempt to revolutionize s.e.xual morality before settlement with G.o.d, is out of order. Holiness must go before free love. Bible Communists are not responsible for the proceedings of those who meddle with the s.e.xual question, before they have laid the foundation of true faith and union with G.o.d.

20.--Dividing the s.e.xual relation into two branches, the amative and propagative, the amative or love-relation is first in importance, as it is in the order of nature. G.o.d made woman because "he saw it was not good for man to be alone;" (Gen. 2: 18); i.e., for social, not primarily for propagative, purposes. Eve was called Adam's "help-meet." In the whole of the specific account of the creation of woman, she is regarded as his companion, and her maternal office is not brought into view. Gen. 2: 18-25. Amativeness was necessarily the first social affection developed in the garden of Eden. The second commandment of the eternal law of love, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," had amativeness for its first channel; for Eve was at first Adam's only neighbor. Propagation and the affections connected with it, did not commence their operation during the period of innocence. After the fall G.o.d said to the woman, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception;" from which it is to be inferred that in the original state, conception would have been comparatively infrequent.

21.--The amative part of the s.e.xual relation, separate from the propagative, is eminently favorable to life. It is not a source of life (as some would make it), but it is the first and best distributive of life. Adam and Eve, in their original state, derived their life from G.o.d. Gen. 2: 7. As G.o.d is a dual being, the Father and the Son, and man was made in his image, a dual life pa.s.sed from G.o.d to man. Adam was the channel specially of the life of the Father, and Eve of the life of the Son. Amativeness was the natural agency of the distribution and mutual action of these two forms of life. In this primitive position of the s.e.xes (which is their normal position in Christ), each reflects upon the other the love of G.o.d; each excites and develops the divine action in the other.

22.--The propagative part of the s.e.xual relation is in its nature the expensive department. 1. While amativeness keeps the capital stock of life circulating between two, propagation introduces a third partner.

2. The propagative act is a drain on the life of man, and when habitual, produces disease. 3. The infirmities and vital expenses of woman during the long period of pregnancy, waste her const.i.tution. 4.

The awful agonies of child-birth heavily tax the life of woman. 5. The cares of the nursing period bear heavily on woman. 6. The cares of both parents, through the period of the childhood of their offspring, are many and burdensome. 7. The labor of man is greatly increased by the necessity of providing for children. A portion of these expenses would undoubtedly have been curtailed, if human nature had remained in its original integrity, and will be, when it is restored. But it is still self-evident that the birth of children, viewed either as a vital or a mechanical operation, is in its nature expensive; and the fact that multiplied conception was imposed as a curse, indicates that it was so regarded by the Creator.

CHAPTER IV.--_Showing how the s.e.xual Function is to be redeemed, and true relations between the s.e.xes restored._

PROPOSITION 23.--The amative and propagative functions are distinct from each other, and may be separated practically. They are confounded in the world, both in the theories of physiologists and in universal practice. The amative function is regarded merely as a bait to the propagative, and is merged in it. But if amativeness is, as we have seen, the first and n.o.blest of the social affections, and if the propagative part of the s.e.xual relation was originally secondary, and became paramount by the subversion of order in the fall, we are bound to raise the amative office of the s.e.xual organs into a distinct and paramount function. [Here follows a full exposition of the doctrine of self-control or Male Continence, which is an essential part of the Oneida theory, but may properly be omitted in this history.]

CHAPTER V.--_Showing that Shame, instead of being one of the prime virtues, is a part of original Sin and belongs to the Apostasy._

PROPOSITION 24.--s.e.xual shame was the consequence of the fall, and is fact.i.tious and irrational. Gen. 2: 25; compare 3: 7. Adam and Eve, while innocent, had no shame; little children have none; other animals have none.

CHAPTER VI.--_Showing the bearings of the preceding views on Socialism, Political Economy, Manners and Customs, etc._

PROPOSITION 25.--The foregoing principles concerning the s.e.xual relation, open the way for a.s.sociation. 1. They furnish motives. They apply to larger partnerships the same attractions that draw and bind together pairs in the worldly partnership of marriage. A Community home in which each is married to all, and where love is honored and cultivated, will be as much more attractive than an ordinary home, as the Community out-numbers a pair. 2. These principles remove the princ.i.p.al obstructions in the way of a.s.sociation. There is plenty of tendency to crossing love and adultery, even in the system of isolated households. a.s.sociation increases this tendency. Amalgamation of interests, frequency of interview, and companionship in labor, inevitably give activity and intensity to the social attractions in which amativeness is the strongest element. The tendency to extra-matrimonial love will be proportioned to the condensation of interests produced by any given form of a.s.sociation; that is, if the ordinary principles of exclusiveness are preserved, a.s.sociation will be a worse school of temptation to unlawful love than the world is, in proportion to its social advantages. Love, in the exclusive form, has jealousy for its complement; and jealousy brings on strife and division. a.s.sociation, therefore, if it retains one-love exclusiveness, contains the seeds of dissolution; and those seeds will be hastened to their harvest by the warmth of a.s.sociate life. An a.s.sociation of States with custom-house lines around each, is sure to be quarrelsome. The further States in that situation are apart, and the more their interests are isolated, the better. The only way to prevent smuggling and strife in a confederation of contiguous States, is to abolish custom-house lines from the interior, and declare free-trade and free transit, collecting revenues and fostering home products by one custom-house line around the whole. This is the policy of the heavenly system--'that they _all_ [not two and two] may be one.'

26.--In vital society, strength will be increased and the necessity of labor diminished, till work will become sport, as it would have been in the original Eden state. Gen. 2: 15; compare 3: 17-19. Here we come to the field of the Fourierists--the third link of the chain of evil.

And here we shall doubtless ultimately avail ourselves of many of the economical and industrial discoveries of Fourier. But as the fundamental principle of our system differs entirely from that of Fourier, (our foundation being his superstructure, and _vice versa_,) and as every system necessarily has its own complement of external arrangements, conformed to its own genius, we will pursue our investigations for the present independently, and with special reference to our peculiar principles.--Labor is sport or drudgery according to the proportion between strength and the work to be done.

Work that overtasks a child, is easy to a man. The amount of work remaining the same, if man's strength were doubled, the result would be the same as if the amount of work were diminished one-half. To make labor sport, therefore, we must seek, first, increase of strength, and secondly, diminution of work: or, (as in the former problem relating to the curse on woman), first, enlargement of income, and secondly, diminution of expenses. Vital society secures both of these objects.

It increases strength, by placing the individual in a vital organization, which is in communication with the source of life, and which distributes and circulates life with the highest activity; and at the same time, by its compound economies, it reduces the work to be done to a minimum.

27.--In vital society labor will become attractive. Loving companionship in labor, and especially the mingling of the s.e.xes, makes labor attractive. The present division of labor between the s.e.xes separates them entirely. The woman keeps house, and the man labors abroad. Instead of this, in vital society men and women will mingle in both of their peculiar departments of work. It will be economically as well as spiritually profitable, to marry them in-doors and out, by day as well as by night. When the part.i.tion between the s.e.xes is taken away, and man ceases to make woman a propagative drudge, when love takes the place of shame, and fashion follows nature in dress and business, men and women will be able to mingle in all their employments, as boys and girls mingle in their sports; and then labor will be attractive.

28.--We can now see our way to victory over death. Reconciliation with G.o.d opens the way for the reconciliation of the s.e.xes. Reconciliation of the s.e.xes emanc.i.p.ates woman, and opens the way for vital society.

Vital society increases strength, diminishes work, and makes labor attractive, thus removing the antecedents of death. First we abolish sin; then shame; then the curse on woman of exhausting child-bearing; then the curse on man of exhausting labor; and so we arrive regularly at the tree of life.

CHAPTER VII.--_A concluding Caveat, that ought to be noted by every Reader of the foregoing Argument._

PROPOSITION 29.--The will of G.o.d is done in heaven, and of course will be done in his kingdom on earth, not merely by general obedience to const.i.tutional principles, but by specific obedience to the administration of his Spirit. The const.i.tution of a nation is one thing, and the living administration of government is another.

Ordinary theology directs attention chiefly, and almost exclusively, to the const.i.tutional principles of G.o.d's government; and the same may be said of Fourierism, and all schemes of reform based on the development of "natural laws." But as loyal subjects of G.o.d, we must give and call attention to his actual administration; i.e., to his will directly manifested by his Spirit and the agents of his Spirit, viz., his officers and representatives. We must look to G.o.d, not only for a Const.i.tution, but for Presidential outlook and counsel; for a cabinet and corps of officers; for national aims and plans; for direction, not only in regard to principles to be carried out, but in regard to time and circ.u.mstance in carrying them out. In other words, the men who are called to usher in the Kingdom of G.o.d, will be guided, not merely by theoretical truth, but by the Spirit of G.o.d and specific manifestations of his will and policy, as were Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus Christ, Paul, &c. This will be called a fanatical principle, because it requires _bona fide_ communication with the heavens, and displaces the sanctified maxim that the "age of miracles and inspiration is past." But it is clearly a Bible principle; and we must place it on high, above all others, as the palladium of conservatism in the introduction of the new social order.

Two expressions occur in the foregoing summaries which need some explanation; viz., in the first, the word _Spiritualist_; and in the second, the term _Free Love_. Without explanation, the modern reader might suppose these expressions to be used in the sense commonly attached to them at the present time. But if he will consider that the articles in _The Berean_ were first published long before the birth of Modern Spiritualism, and that _Bible Communism_ was published long before the birth of Free Love among Spiritualists, he will see that these expressions do not mean in the above doc.u.ments, what they mean in popular usage, and do not in any way connect the Oneida Community with Modern Spiritualists, or with their system of Free Love. The simple truth is, that the Putney school invented the term _Spiritualist_ to designate all believers in immediate communication with the spiritual world, referring at the time specially to Perfectionists and Revivalists, and marking the distinction between them and the legalists of the churches; and they invented the term _Free Love_ to designate the social state of the Kingdom of Heaven as defined in _Bible Communism_. Afterward these terms were appropriated and specialized by the followers of Andrew Jackson Davis and Thomas L.

Nichols. The Oneida Communists have for many years printed and re-printed in their various publications the following protest, which may fitly close this account of their religious and social theories:

FREE LOVE.

[From the _Hand-Book_ of the Oneida Community.]

"This terrible combination of two very good ideas--freedom and love--was first used by the writers of the Oneida Community about twenty-one years ago, and probably originated with them.

It was however soon taken up by a very different cla.s.s of speculators scattered about the country, and has come to be the name of a form of socialism with which we have but little affinity. Still it is sometimes applied to our Communities; and as we are certainly responsible for starting it into circulation, it seems to be our duty to tell what meaning we attach to it, and in what sense we are willing to accept it as a designation of our social system.

"The obvious and essential difference between marriage and licentious connections may be stated thus:

"Marriage is permanent union. Licentiousness deals in temporary flirtations.

"In marriage, Communism of property goes with Communism of persons. In licentiousness, love is paid for as hired labor.

"Marriage makes a man responsible for the consequences of his acts of love to a woman. In licentiousness, a man imposes on a woman the heavy burdens of maternity, ruining perhaps her reputation and her health, and then goes his way without responsibility.

"Marriage provides for the maintenance and education of children. Licentiousness ignores children as nuisances, and leaves them to chance.

"Now in respect to every one of these points of difference between marriage and licentiousness, _we stand with marriage_.

Free Love with us does _not_ mean freedom to love to-day and leave to-morrow; nor freedom to take a woman's person and keep our property to ourselves; nor freedom to freight a woman with our offspring and send her down stream without care or help; nor freedom to beget children and leave them to the street and the poor-house. Our Communities are _families_, as distinctly bounded and separated from promiscuous society as ordinary households. The tie that binds us together is as permanent and sacred, to say the least, as that of marriage, for it is our religion. We receive no members (except by deception or mistake), who do not give heart and hand to the family interest for life and forever. Community of property extends just as far as freedom of love. Every man's care and every dollar of the common property is pledged for the maintenance and protection of the women, and the education of the children of the Community.

b.a.s.t.a.r.dy, in any disastrous sense of the word, is simply impossible in such a social state. Whoever will take the trouble to follow our track from the beginning, will find no forsaken women or children by the way. In this respect we claim to be in advance of marriage and common civilization.

"We are not sure how far the cla.s.s of socialists called 'Free Lovers' would claim for themselves any thing like the above defense from the charge of reckless and cruel freedom; but our impression is that their position, scattered as they are, without organization or definite separation from surrounding society, makes it impossible for them to follow and care for the consequences of their freedom, and thus exposes them to the just charge of licentiousness. At all events their platform is entirely different from ours, and they must answer for themselves. _We_ are not 'Free Lovers' in any sense that makes love less binding or responsible than it is in marriage."[C]

_Material Results._

The concrete results of Communism at Oneida, have been made public from time to time in the _Circular_, the weekly paper of the Community. The "journal" columns of this sheet, in which are given the ups and downs of Community progress, with much of the gossip of its home life, would fill several volumes. Referring the inquisitive reader to these for details, we shall limit our present sketch to the main outlines:

The Oneida Community has two hundred and two members, and two affiliated societies, one of forty members at Wallingford, Connecticut, and one of thirty-five members at Willow Place, on a detached part of the Oneida domain. This domain consists of six hundred and sixty-four acres of choice land, and three excellent water-powers. The manufacturing interest here created is valued at over $200,000. The Wallingford domain consists of two hundred and twenty-eight acres, with a water-power, a printing-office and a silk-factory. The three Community families (in all two hundred and seventy-seven persons) are financially and socially a unit.

The main dwelling of the Community is a brick structure consisting of a center and two wings, the whole one hundred and eighty-seven feet in length, by seventy in breadth. It has towers at either end and irregular extensions reaching one hundred feet in the rear. This is the Community Home. It contains the chapel, library, reception-room, museum, princ.i.p.al drawing-rooms, and many private apartments. The other buildings of the group are the "old mansion," containing the kitchen and dining-room, the Tontine, which is a work-building, the fruit-house, the store, etc. The manufacturing buildings in connection with the water-powers are large, and mostly of brick. The organic principle of Communism in industry and domestic life, is seen in the common roof, the common table, and the daily meetings of all the members.

The extent and variety of industrial operations at the Oneida Community may be seen in part by the following statistics from the report of last year, (1868.)

No. of steel traps manufactured during the year, 278,000.

" " packages of preserved fruits, 104,458.