are taught to believe would then be the necessary and only conservators of the general happiness and plenty of the community? Where! In the frightful systems of the anti-populationists; and, thank GOD, there only!

(4) But if the labouring poor do not marry early, and the preventive check does prevail generally among that class, what then becomes of those direct attacks, and still more galling insinuations, against them upon this head? Let the labouring poor of England have, at least, justice, from a system which deliberately denies them mercy! Let the anti-populationists no longer head the false accusations against a class which must, of consequence, be unspeakably meritorious in their eyes; rather let it be acknowledged that they postpone, if they do not finally forego, the sole solace and comfort which fate awards them in this life, (an infinitely greater sacrifice than the same conduct could become in any other rank,) in order to preserve their independence, or rather to avoid burdening those for their occasional relief whom their toils are constantly serving and enriching. Let it be proclaimed that this meritorious rank, who are neither philosophers, nor divines, nor economists, make a greater and more disinterested sacrifice than any such; that they cheerfully labour till the short span of their life is still shortened by their toils, and, while so doing, defraud the morning of their days of its only sunshine, that they may not cast a transient shade upon the bright and lengthened day of prosperity which their richer fellow-creatures enjoy. Regarding this class, therefore, let it be the study of their betters to benefit them; instead of robbing them of their birthright, and furnishing to hearts naturally too hard, and seldom softened by prosperity, those arguments

which will ever be ready to present themselves to justify neglect of the wretched and the desolate. In a word, if, as it is assumed when the argument of the theorists requires it, that the labouring poor do obey the preventive check, how have they attempted to reward this meritorious class, and how do they justify their propositions concerning them? When their theory has to be sustained, as it respects the country, then its population are represented as obedient to the preventive check; when the national charity has to be attacked, then they are as confidently asserted to be regardless of it. It is high time that this duplicity were abandoned; it is injurious and discreditable.

(5) But the people of this country do marry, and marry early. If this, under their circumstances, be a crime, then "they are the most offending souls alive." A single sum in arithmetic would go far to settle this fact having the number of annual marriages and the amount of the population, we can soon arrive at the proportion, and we shall find it to be great when compared with that in almost any other country. But this is not all: the superior longevity of the inhabitants of England must be taken into the computation, when it will be seen that the relative number of the weddings is still greater. The error fallen into by our calculating anti-populationists is great and palpable, and is utterly subversive of the whole of their deductions on this branch of the subject, and, indeed, of their entire theory; but as this is made matter of consideration in a subsequent Book of this treatise, where the point is discussed somewhat at large, I shall content myself here with asserting, that the preventive check, generally speaking, does not prevail in England, all that its advocates have said to the contrary notwithstanding. (6) I have also to state that this check, instead of

increasing in its operation, as the population has kept augmenting, has regularly diminished in its influence: but this decisive fact, likewise, will be fully substantiated in the second volume of this work, to which the numerical part of the argument will be principally confined, and where it is believed the assertion will be placed beyond the reach of doubt or cavil.

(7) But though I speak thus decisively regarding the facts and calculations which will be given in proof that the preventive check has greatly declined, and that it hardly now exists in this country, still I am not so confident that the conviction as to its folly and wickedness will be so general, or that the knowledge of its being almost obsolete may not induce some inveterate anti-populationists to wish and attempt its revival. But how is this to be effected? "Aye! there's the rub!" To do so, by any direct means, would speedily shake the pillars of our social system to their very foundation. The time is gone past when such experiments would be either prudent or possible. No thanks to those, therefore, who inform us that they would not interfere by any direct laws on the occasion! As well might you attempt to interdict the use of those elements of nature which are still unappropriated, (because it is impossible to monopolize them,) as to interfere with this sacred right of human beings. In times past, laws have been framed, with such an intent; but even then they were wholly ineffectual. A puritan of the 17th century proposed their renewal under severer penalties; but, with a fairness of which the present projectors have shown themselves incapable, he did not propose that the wealthy should have unbridled licence, and the poor be solely restricted. He exhorted that the business should be generally and indeed nationally undertaken, with "divine and spi

"ritual breathings after GOD, in the sense of our own "weakness." I have only to add, that such a sense would not be wanting if the attempt were really made. The saints, I mean the ancient and conscientious ones, though moved by a strong and enthusiastic, but, I think, mistaken feeling of religion, found, and have fully recorded, a "sense of their own weakness," under restraints voluntarily imposed. The commonalty, sinners as they are, would, under any compulsory restriction of the magistrate or the country, soon find another sense besides that of their weaknessthat of their strength, and would rise against such an outrage upon the rights of Nature and the laws of GOD, and call their oppressors to an account as severe as it would be certain. Nor would the consequences be evaded, by the attempt being transferred to the rising generation, as is the cowardly proposition of the theory opposed.

(8) But lastly, what will the advocates of the preventive check have to say, when they find that, were their proposition relative to the postponement of marriages, even to the extent they seem to wish, carried into effect, the consequence would be any thing rather than that which they so confidently anticipate? Nature, knowing the benevolence of her designs, has secured their fulfilment against any meddling interruption or assault that durst be attempted. Allowing to the check in question very ample range, (and still, as it will be fully shown hereafter, the number of children would by no means be diminished,) it would, were it listened to, only "keep the word of promise to the ear, and break it to the sense." Or if so far imposed as to be operative, like all other forced and unnatural remedies, it would relieve by ultimate de

struction.

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CHAPTER XXIII.

ON THE CHECKS TO POPULATION: THEIR MORAL DEFENCE CONSIDERED AND REFUTED.

(1) BEFORE Concluding this examination of the checks to population, it seems necessary to notice an argument often put forth in their favour, which is intended to reconcile them to the principles of natural and revealed religion.

(2) An author, in the Supplement to the Encyclopedia Britannica, who may be readily recognized as Mr. Malthus, seeing the importance of the objection to his theory, naturally arising from those principles as hitherto understood, has attempted, very unsuccessfully, as I think, to meet it. He admits, that if the principle of population, as given forth by him, "impeaches the goodness of the Deity, and is inconsistent with the "letter and spirit of the Scriptures, the objection "would be the most serious one which has been "brought forward; but the answer to it," he says, " is very obvious, and it may be compressed into a "very small compass1." The sum of this answer is as follows:-"The evils arising from the principle of "population are exactly of the same kind as the evils "arising from the excessive or irregular gratification "of the human passions in general, and may be "equally avoided by moral restraint."

(3) A more important series of fallacies, than ap