SEVEN EPITAPHS.
We have passed the most notable monuments of the Owen epoch, and come
now to obscurer graves. Doubtless many of the little Communities that
followed New Harmony, and in a small way repeated its fortunes, were
buried without memorial. We have on Macdonald's list the names of only
seven more, and their epitaphs are for the most part very brief. We
may as well group them all in one chapter, and copy what Macdonald
says about them, without comment.
EPITAPH NO. I. CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY, 1825.
"Located at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Founded on the principles of
Robert Owen. Benjamin Bakewell, President; John Snyder, Treasurer;
Magnus M. Murray, Secretary."
EPITAPH NO. II. FRANKLIN COMMUNITY, 1826.
"Located somewhere in New York. Had a printed Constitution; also a
'preparatory school.' No further particulars."
EPITAPH NO. III. BLUE SPRINGS COMMUNITY. 1826-7.
"A gathering under the above title, existed for a short time near
Bloomington, Ind. It was said [by somebody] to be 'harmonious and
prosperous' as late as Jan. 1, 1827; but as I find no trace of it in
my researches, it is fair to conclude that it is numbered with the
dead, like others of its day."
EPITAPH NO. IV. FORRESTVILLE COMMUNITY. (INDIANA.)
"This Society was formed on the 16th day of December, 1825, of four
families consisting of thirty-one persons. March 26, 1826, the
constitution was printed. During the year their number increased to
over sixty. The business was transacted by three trustees, to be
elected annually, together with a secretary and treasurer. The
principles were purely republican. They had no established religion,
the constitution only requiring that all candidates should be of good
moral character, sober and industrious. They declared that 'a baptist,
a methodist, a universalist, a quaker, a calvinist, a deist, or any
other _ist_, provided he or she is a genuine good moralist, are
equally privileged and equally esteemed.' They occupied 325 acres of
land, two saw-mills, one grist-mill, a carding machine, and a tannery,
and carried on wagon-making, shoe-making, blacksmithing, coopering,
agriculture, &c."
EPITAPH NO. V. HAVERSTRAW COMMUNITY.
"This Society was formed in the year 1826 by a Mr. Fay (an attorney),
Jacob Peterson and George Houston of New York, and Robert L. Ginengs
of Philadelphia. It is probable that it originated in consequence of
the lectures which were at that time delivered by Robert Owen in this
country.
"The principles and objects of the Society, as far as I can learn,
were to better the condition of themselves and their fellowmen, which
they conceived could be done by living in Community, having all things
in common, giving equal rights to each, and abolishing the terms 'mine
and thine.'
"They increased their numbers to eighty persons, including women and
children, and purchased an estate at Haverstraw, two miles back from
the Hudson river, on the west side, about thirty miles above Mew York.
There were 120 acres of wood land, two mansion houses, twelve or
fourteen out-buildings, one saw-mill, and a rolling and
splitting-mill: and the estate had a noble stream of water running
through it. The property was owned by a Major Suffrens of Haverstraw,
who demanded $18,000 for it. On this sum $6,000 were paid, and bond
and mortgage were given for the remainder. To raise the $6,000 and to
defray other expenses, Jacob Peterson advanced $7,000; another
individual $300; and others subscribed sums as low as $10. Money,
land, and every thing else were held as common stock for the equal
benefit of all the members.
"Among the members, were persons of various trades and occupations,
such as carpenters, cabinet-makers, tailors, shoe-makers and farmers.
It was the general opinion that the society, as a whole, possessed a
large amount of intelligence; and both men and women were of good
moral character. I was acquainted with two or three persons who were
engaged in this enterprise, and must say I never saw more just and
honorable old men than they were when I knew them.
"It appears that they formed a church among themselves, which they
denominated the _Church of Reason_; and on Sundays they attended
meetings, where lectures were delivered to them on Morals,
Philosophy, Agriculture and various scientific subjects. They had no
religious ceremonies or articles of faith.
"They admitted members by ballot. The details of their rules and
regulations were never printed. I have reason to believe that they had
an abundance of laws and by-laws; and that they disagreed upon these,
as well as upon other matters.
"While the Community lasted, they were well supplied with the
necessaries of life, and generally speaking their circumstances were
by no means inferior to those they had left.
"The splitting and rolling mill was not used, but farming and
mechanical operations were carried on; and it is supposed (as in many
other instances) that if the officers of the society had acted right,
the experiment would have succeeded; but by some means the affairs
soon became disorderly, and though so much money had originally been
raised, and assistance was received from without, yet the experiment
came to an end after a struggle of only five months.
"An informant asserts that dishonesty of the managers and want of good
measures were the causes of failure, and expresses himself thus: 'We
wanted men and women of skillful industry, sober and honest, with a
knowledge of themselves, and a disposition to command and be
commanded, and not men and women whose sole occupation is parade and
talk.'
"In this experiment, like many others, several individuals suffered
pecuniary loss. Those who had but a home, left it for Community, and
of course were thrown back in their progress. Those who had money and
invested there, lost it. Jacob Peterson, of New York, who advanced
$7,000, never got more than $300 of it back, and even that was lost
to him through the dishonesty of those with whom he did business."
EPITAPH NO. VI. COXSACKIE COMMUNITY.
"This experiment also was commenced in 1826, and members from the
Haverstraw experiment joined it on the breaking up of their Society.
"The principal actors in this attempt, were Samuel Underhill, John
Norberry, Nathaniel Underhill, Wm. G. Macy, Jethro Macy and Jacob
Peterson. The objects were the same as at Haverstraw, but in trying to
carry them out they met with no better success. It appears that the
capital was small, and the estate, which was located seven miles back
from Coxsackie on the Hudson river, was very much in debt. From the
little information I am enabled to gather concerning this attempt, I
judge that they made many laws, that their laws were bad, and that
they had many persons engaged in talking and law-making, who did not
work at any useful employment. The consequences were, that after
struggling on for a little more than a year, this experiment came to
an end. One of my informants thus expresses himself about this
failure: 'There were few good men to steer things right. We wanted men
and women who would be willing to live in simple habitations, and on
plain and simple diet; who would be contented with plain and simple
clothing, and who would band together for each others' good. With such
we might have succeeded; but such attempts can not succeed without
such people.'
"In this little conflict there were many sacrifices; but those who
survived and were still imbued with the principles, emigrated to Ohio,
to fight again with the old system of things."
EPITAPH NO. VII. KENDAL COMMUNITY.
"This was an attempt to carry out the views of Mr. Owen. It was
located near Canton, Stark County, Ohio. The purchase of the property
was made in June 1826, by a body of freeholders, whose farms were
mortgaged for the first payment, and who, on account of the difficulty
of realizing cash for their estates, were under some embarrassment in
their operations, though the property was a great bargain."
Of this enterprise in its early stage the _Western Courier_ (Dec.,
1826,) thus speaks:
"The Kendal Community is rapidly on the increase; a number of
dwellings have been erected in addition to those previously built; yet
the increase of families has been such that there is much
inconvenience experienced for want of house-room. The members are now
employed in erecting a building 170 by 33 feet, which is intended to
be temporarily occupied as private dwellings, but ultimately as
work-shops. This and other improvements for the convenience of the
place, will soon be completed.
"Kendal is pleasantly and advantageously situated for health. We are
informed that there is not a sick person on the premises. Mechanics of
various professions have joined the Community, and are now occupied in
prosecuting the various branches of industry. They have a woolen
factory in which many hands are employed. Everything appears to be
going on prosperously and harmoniously. There is observed a bustling
emulation among the members. They labor hard, and are probably not
exempt from the cares and perplexities incident to all worldly
undertakings; and what society or system can claim immunity from
them? The question is, whether they may not be mitigated. Trouble we
believe to be a divisible quantity; it may be softened by sympathy and
intercourse, as pleasure may be increased by union and companionship.
These advantages have already been experienced at the Kendal
Community, and its members are even now in possession of that which
the poet hath declared to be the sum total of human happiness, viz.,
Health, Peace and Competence."
"Several families from the Coxsackie Community," says Macdonald, "had
joined Kendal when the above was written, and the remainder were to
follow as soon as they were prepared. The Kendal Community then
numbered about one bundled and fifty members including children. They
were engaged in manufacturing woolen goods on a small scale, had a few
hops, and did considerable business on the farm. They speak of their
'_choice spirits_;' and anticipate assistance to carry out their
plans, and prove the success of the social system beyond all
contradiction, by the disposal of property and settlement of affairs
at Coxsackie. In their enthusiasm they assert, 'that unaided, and with
only their own resources and experience, and above all, with their
little band of _invincible spirits_, who are tired of the old system
and are determined to conquer or die, they _must_ succeed.' I conclude
they did not conquer but died, for I can learn nothing further
concerning them."
A recent letter from Mr. John Harmon, of Ravenna, Ohio, who was a
member of the Kendal Community, gives a more definite account of its
failure, as follows:
"Our Community progressed harmoniously and prosperously, so long as
the members had their health and a hope of paying for their domain.
But a summer-fever attacked us, and seven heads of families died,
among whom were several of our most valued and useful members. At the
same time the rich proprietors of whom we purchased our land urged us
to pay; and we could not sell a part of it and give a good title,
because we were not incorporated. So we were compelled to give up and
disperse, losing what we had paid, which was about $7,000. But we
formed friendships that were enduring, and the failure never for a
moment weakened my faith in the value of Communism."
* * * * *
We group the three last Communities together, because they were
evidently closely related by members passing from one to another, as
the earlier ones successively failed. This habit of migrating from one
Community to another is an interesting characteristic of the veterans
of Socialism, which we shall meet with frequently hereafter.