PROOF. 

FABIAN TRACT No. 79· 

rd of Remembrance and Caution 
to the Rich. 

Bv JOHN WOOLMAN. 

(FIRST PRINTED IN 1793 .) 

I. 
"People may have 110 ziztentzon to oppress, yet by enterzizg on expenszve 
ways of lift thez'r mzizds may be so entangled thereziz, and so engaged 
tu support expensz've customs, as to be estranged from the 
pure sympathzizizg spzi'zi." ("Remarks on Sundry Subjects." 

First printed, London, 1 773.) 

JoHN WooL:-.IAN1 the author of this hundred-year-old tract, lived in 

the New England Colonies, in the days when they still paid allegi


ance (and taxes) to the British Government. 

He is usually known as a Quaker advocate of the cause of the 
slave, at a time when slave-holding was still looked on, even by most 
of his co-religionists, as an essential part of the normal and heaven-
ordained state of society. It is, however, frequently overlooked that 
he perceived clearly that the question of slavery was but one phase 
of the Labor question : he wrote not only "Some Considerations 
on the Keeping of Negroes," but also "On Merchandizing," "On 
Trading in Superftuities," " On Schools." In his writings he enunciates, 
in simple religious phraseology, some of the truths which 
economists are only now beginning to understand : he is, as it were, 
the voice in the wilderness, the John the Baptist of the Gospel of 

Socialism. 
The following essay contains the most connected account of his 
views on social questions. Though first printed in 1793, it was 
probably written about 1771, shortly before W oolman's death, and 
just before the publication of "The Wealth of Nations.'' But the 
ten years spent by Adam Smith at Glasgow University and Balliol 
College, Oxford, were passed by his American contemporary in work 
on his father's farm and in a small country store. So that the question 
naturally arises, by what authority is it that the working tailor 
says these things? Woolman's answer may be found in his Journal: 
his writings are "openings from the Lord,'' his words are spoken"from an inward knowledge that they arise from the heavenly 
spring.'' "There is," says Woolman,• "a principle which is pure, 

"Considerations on the Keeping of Negroes," 1762. 


2 

placed in the human mind, which in different places and ages hath 
had different names ; it is, however, pure and proceeds from God. 
It is deep and inward, confined to no forms of religion nor excluded 
from any, when the heart stands in perfect sincerity. ln whomsoever 
this takes root and grows, they become brethren.'' 

John Vvoolman was, he tells us in his Journal, "born in Northampton, 
in Burlington County, West Jersey, in the year 1720." He 
was one of a large family, and, his parents being Quakers, he was 
brought up in conscientious Puritan fashion. He received "schooling 
pretty well for a planter," probably at the small country school of 
the village. This he supplemented by work in winter evenings, and 
with much reading of "the Holy Scriptures and religious books." 
Till he was about twenty-one he lived with his parents and worked 
on his father's farm. Then he left home for the neighboring village 
of Mount Holly, New Jersey, "to tend shop and keep books," for 
"a man in much business as a shopkeeper and baker.'' Here, in a 
small Quaker community, he made his home, and the plain, twostorey, 
whitewashed house in which he lived was standing fifty 
years ago, still overlooking a country rich with farms and woodlands. 
Here, on the 18th of eighth month, 1749, he was married to 
"a well-inclined damsel," Sarah Ellis; and here he brought up his 
little family.

But it was not his lot to die in this spot where he had passed so 
much of his life. In 1772 he felt a "religious concern" " to visit 
Friends [Quakers] in the northern parts of England.'' Notwithstanding 
the wishes of his friends, he thought it right to travel 
"steerage," and doubtless suffered from the thirty-eight days' voyage 
across tlte Atlantic. In his journeying through England he usually 
went about on foot in order to avoid participating in the cruelties 
under which post-boys and stage-horses suffered. Five months after 
leaving home he fell a victim to small pox, and died at York on the 
7th of tenth month, 1772. 

His business career illustrates the principles he advocated. Perceiving 
that "a humble man with the blessing of the Lord might 
live on a little," he learned the trade of tailoring and settled down 
in Mount Holly as a tailor, with a small retail business in trimmings, 
linings, and cloth-in spite of the temptation to enter the lucrative 
calling of general storekeeper, and his " natural inclination to merchandise.'' 
But even in his tailor's shop "trade increased every year,
and the way to large business " in cloths and linen appeared open ; 
but he tells us, '' I felt a stop in my mind," " believing that Truth 
required me to live more free from outward cumbers.'' Not without 
some regret, some natural longing after the position of ease and 
wealth which he might have won for his family, he laid down 
merchandise in I 756 and lived as a working tailor without even 
an apprentice. Part of the time and energy thus freed from the 
cares of this world, he devoted to tending his garden and orchard, 
believing that " if the leadings of the Spirit were more faithfullyattended to " " more people would be engaged in the 
sweet employment of husbandry, and in the path of pure wisdom, 


3 

labur would be an agreeable healthful employment.'"' He gainedleisure, moreover, to write many valuable essays, and to undertake 
journey's through the States in the service of the slaves. It is 
probable that his work was an important factor in the ultimate

abolition of slavery. 

The whole life of W oolman was a protest against superfluities.
He saw with singular clearness that "every degree of luxury hath 
some connection with evil." Thus it is to an excess of fatigue, to an 
"increase of labor beyond that which our Heavenly Father intends," 
that he attributes the undue use of spirituous liquors amung the 
poor. He held "that if such as had great estates generally li\'ed in 
that plainness and humility which belong to a Christian life, and 
laid much easier rents and interests on their lands and moneys, and 
thus led the way to a right use of things, so great a number of 
people might be employed in things useful, that labor both for men 
and other creatures would need to be no more than an agreeable 
employ, and divers branches of business, which serve chiefly to please

the natural inclinations of our minds, and which at present seem 
necessary to circulate that wealth which some gather, might, in this 
way of pure wisdom, be discontinued" t-an idea which is expanded 
in Section IV. of the following pamphlet. He carried his principles 
into even the smallest details of life. He did not feel easy to drink 
from vessels of silver at the house of a friend. He stipulated in his 
last illness that no medicines should be given that come "through 
defiled channels or oppressive hands." Believing that the dyeing of 
garments injured the material and led to uncleanliness, he gradually 
adopted a costume of" natural " colored garments ; yet he suffered 
much from the fear of ridicule, especially as light-coloured hats were 
coming into fashion at the time, and his motives might therefore be 
misunderstood! There is wonderful pathos in his simple account of 

these and other of his practices ; and l here is much practical sense in 
his longing that "people might come into cleanness of spirit, cleanness 
of person, and cleanness about their houses and garments." t 


The following extracts constitute about one half of the pamphlet.§
Omissions are, in every case, indicated. 


Section I. 

WEALTH desired for its own sake obstructs the increase of virtue, 
and large possessions in the hands of selfish men have a bad 
tendency, for by their means too small a number of p~ople are employed 
in useful things, and some of them are necesst.tated to labor 
too hard while others would want business to earn thetr bread, were 
not employments invented which, baYing no real usefulness, serve 

only to please the vain mind. 

• 
"Remarks on Sundry Subjects." 
t "Journal," eighth month, 1761. 
t "Journal," 13th, ninth month, 1772 (the date of the last entry). 
§ Publi hed with" The Journal of John Woolman, with an Introduction by John 

G. Whittier." London : Headley Brothers, I+ Bishopsgate Without, E.C. 

4 

RESULTS OF HIGH RE!\'TS. 

Rents on lands are often so high that persons of but small substance 
are straitened in taking farms, and while tenants are healthy 
and prosperous in business, they often find occasion to labor harder 
than was intended by our gracious Creator. Oxen and horses are 
often seen at work when, through heat and too much labor, their 
eyes and the motions of their bodies manifest that they are 
oppressed. Their loads in wagons are frequently so heaYy that when 
weary with hauling them far, their drivers find occasion in going up 
hiils or through mire, to get them forward by whipping. Many poor 
people are so thronged in their business that it is difficult for them 
to provide shelter for their cattle against the storms. These things 
are common when in health, but through sickness and inability 
to labor, through loss of cattle, and miscarriage in business, many 
are so straitened that much of their increase goes to pay rent, and 
they have not wherewith to buy what they require. 

Hence one poor woman, in providing for her family and attending 
the sick, does as much business as would for the time be suitable 
employment for two or three ; and honest persons are often 
straitened to give their children suitable learning. The money 
which the wealthy receive from the poor, who do more than a 
proper share of business in raising it, is frequently paid to other 
poor people for doing business which is foreign to the true use of 
things. 

"UNIVERSAL LovE" AS AGAINST LAws A:-JD CusToMs. 

Men who have large estates and li,·e in the spirit of charity; who 
carefully inspect the circumstance of those who occupy their estates, 
and, regardless of the customs of the times, regulate their demands 
agree:1bly to universal love, being righteous on principle, do good to 
the poor without placing it to an act of bounty. Their example in 
avoiding superftuities tends to excite moderation in others ; their 
uprightness in not exacting what the laws and customs would 
support them in tends to open the channel to moderate labor in 
useful affairs, and to discourage those branches of business which 
have not their foundation in true wisdom. 

Section II. 

Gon's OwNERSHIP. 

The Creator of the earth is the owner of it. He gave us beingthereon, and our nature requires nourishment from the produce of 
it. He is kind and merciful to his creatures ; and while they live 
answerably to the design of their creation, they are so far entitled to 
convenient subsistence that we may not justly deprive them of it. 

MAN'S TENURE. 

By the agreements and contracts of our predecessors, and by our 
own doings, some enjoy a much greater share of this world than 
others ; and while those possessions are faithfully improved for the 


good of the ~hole, it agrees with equity ; but he who, with a view 
to self-ex~l.tatwn, causeth some to labor immoderately, and with the 
profits ansmg therefrom employs others in the luxuries of life, acts 
contrary to the gracious designs of Him who is the owner of the 
earth ; nor can any possessions, either acquired or derived from 
ancestors, justify such conduct. Goodness remains to be goodness, 
and the direction of pure wisdom is obligatory on all reasonable 

creatures. 

No CoNTRACT JusTIFIES OPPRESSION, 

Though the poor occupy our estates by a bargain, to which theyin their poor circumstances agree, and we may ask even less 
than a punctual fulfilling of their agreement, yet if our views are to 
lay up riches, or to live in conformity to customs which have not 
their foundation in the truth, and our demands are such as require 
from them greater toil or application to business than is consistent 
with pure love, we invade their rights as inhabitants of a world of 
which a good and gracious God is the proprietor, and under whom 

we are tenants. 

Were all superftuities and the desire of outward greatness laid 

aside, and the right use of things universally attended to, such a 

number of people might be employed in things useful as that 

moderate labor with the blessing of Heaven would answer all good 

purposes, and a sufficient number would have time to attend to the 

proper affairs of civil society. 

Section III. 

GREAT EsTATEs ARE A TRusT. 

Section IV, 

Our blessed Redeemer, in directing us how to conduct ourselves 
one towards another, appeals to our own feelings : " Whatsoever yewould that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." 

How THE PooR LivE. 

Now when some who have never experienced hard labor themselve~ 
live in fulness on the labor of others, there is often a danger 
of their not having a right feeling of the laborer's condition, and of 
being thereby disqualified to judge candidly in their case, not knowing 
what they themselves would desire, were they to labor hard 
from one year to another to raise the nec~ssar~es of life and pay .high 
rent besides. It is good for those who hve m fulness to cultivate 
tenderness of heart and to improve every opportunity of beingacquainted with the hardships and fatigues of those who labor for 
their living ; and thus to think seriously with themselves, Am I 
influenced by true charity in fixi~g all my demands? Have I. no 
desire to support myself in expensive customs, because my acquamtances 
live in such customs? 


6 

THE GoLDEN RuLE. 

If a wealthy man, on serious reflection, finds a witness in his own 
conscience that he indulges himself in some expensive customs which 
might be omitted consistently with the true design 9f living, and 
which, were he to change places with those who occupy his estate, 
he would desire to be discontinued by them ; whoever is thus 
awakened will necessarily find the injunction binding : " Do ye even 
so to them." Divine love imposeth no rigorous or unreasonable 
commands, but graciously points out the spirit of brotherhood and 
the way to happiness, in attaining which it is necessary that we 
relinquish all that is selfish. 

Section V. 

"As OTHERS SEE Us." 

Let us reflect on the condition of a poor innocent man, on whom 
the rich man, from a desire after wealth and luxuries lays heavyburdens ; when this laborer looks over the cause of his heavy toil 
and considers that it is laid on him to support that which hath no 
foundation in pure wisdom, we may well suppose that an uneasiness 
ariseth in his mind towards one who might without any inconvenience 
deal more favorably with him. When he considers that byhis industry his fellow-creature is benefited and sees that this 
wealthy man is not satisfied with being supported in a plain way,
but to gratify a desire of conforming to wrong customs increaseth to 
an extreme the tabors of those who occupy his estate, we may 
reasonably judge that he will think himself unkindly used. When 
he considers that the proceedings of the wealthy are agreeable to 
the customs of the times, and sees no means of redress in this world, 
how will the sighings of this innocent person ascend to the throne 
of that great and good Being who created all, and who hath a 
constant care over his creatures ! He who toils year after year to 
furnish others with wealth and superfiuities, until by overmuch 
labor he is wearied and oppressed, understands the meaning of that 
language, " Ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers

in the land of Egypt." 

Many at this day who know not the heart of a stranger indulge

themselves in ways of life which occasion more labor than Infinite 

Goodness intends for man, and yet compassionate the distresses of 

such as come directly under their observation; were these to change

circumstances awhile with their laborers, were they to pass regularly 

through the means of knowing the heart of a stranger and come to 

a feeling knowledge of the straits and hardships which many poor 

innocent people pass through in obscure life ; were these who now 

fare sumptuously every day to act the other part of the scene until 

seven times had passed over them and return again to their former 

.states, 


7 


THE GoLDEN RuLE ONcE MoRE. 

I believe many of them would embrace a less expensive life, and 
would lighten the heavy burdens of some who now labor out of their 
sight, _and who pass through straits with which they are but little 
acquamted. To see their fellow creatures under difficulties to which 
they are in no degree accessory tends to awaken tenderness in the 
minds of all reasonable peol?le ; but if we consider the condition of 
those who are depressed in answering our demands, who Jabor for us 
out of our sight while we pass our time in fulness, and consider also 
that much less than we demand would supply us with things reallyuseful, what heart will not relent, or what reasonable man can 
refrain from mitigating that grief of which he himself is the cause, 
when he may do so without inconvenience ? 

Section VI, 

Too MucH LABOR A CAusE oF THE CHAVING FOR STRONG DRINK, 

Section VII. 

ACCUMULATION OF WEALTH FOR OUR CHILDREN. 

If by our wealth we make our children great, without a full 
persuasion that we could not bestow it better, and thus give them 
power to deal hardly with others more virtuous than they, it can 
after death give us no more satisfaction than if by this treasure we 
had raised others above our own, and had given them power to 
oppress them. 

Section VIII. 

CHRIST's TEACHING. 

The greater part of the necessaries of life are so far perishable 
that each generation bath occasion to labor for them ; and when we 
look towards a succeeding age with a mind influenced by universal 
love, instead of endeavouring to exempt some from those cares 
which necessarily relate to this life, and to give them power to 
oppress others, we desire that they may all be the Lord's children 
and live in that humility and order becoming his family. Our 
hearts, being thus opened and enlarged, will feel content with a 
state of things as foreign to luxury and grandeur as that which our 
Redeemer laid down as a pattern. 

For, as he lived in perfect plainness and simplicity, the greatestin his family cannot by virtue of his station claim a right to live in 
worldly grandeur without contradicting him who said, "It is enough 
for the disciple to be as his Master." 

THE TvRA::--r~v OF SELFISHNESS, 

Tyranny as applied to a man riseth up and soon has an end ; 
but if we consider the numerous oppressions in many states, and the 


8 

calamities occasioned by contending nations in various countries and 
ages of the world, and remember that selfishness hath been the 
original cause of them all ; if we consider that those who are unredeemed 
from this selfish spirit not only afflict others but are 
.afflicted themselves, and have no real quietness in this life nor in 
futurity, but, according to the sayings of Christ, have their portion 
" where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched " ; 

CAUSING UNREST: 

if we consider the havoc that is made in this age, and how numbers 
of people are hurried on, striving to collect treasure to please that 
mind which wanders from perfect resignedness, and in that wisdom 
which is foolishness with God are perverting the true use of things, 
laboring as in the fire, contending with one another even unto 
blood, and exerting their power to support ways of living foreign to 
the life of one wholly crucified to the world ; 

AND WASTE OF LABOR. 

if we consider what great numbers of people are employed in preparing 
implements of war, and the labor and toil of armies set apartfor protecting their respective territories from invasion, and the extensive 
miseries which attend their engagements; while they who till 
the land and are employed in other useful things in supporting not 
only themselves but those employed in military affairs, and also those 
who own the soil, have great hardships to encounter through too much 
labor ; while others in several kingdoms, are busied in fetching men 
to help to labor from distant parts of the world, to spend the 
remainder of their lives in the uncomfortable condition of slaves, and 
that self is the bottom of these proceedings ;


THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. 

amidst all this confusion, and these scenes of sorrow and distress, 
can we remember that we are the disciples of the Prince of Peace, 
and the example of humility and plainness which he set for us, 
without feeling an earnest desire to be disentangled from everythingconnected with selfish customs in food, in raiment, in houses and in 
all things else? That being of Christ's family, and walking as he 
walked, we may stand in that uprightness wherein man was first 
made, and have no fellowship with those inventions which men in 
their fallen wisdom have sought out. 

Section IX. 

The way of carrying on wars common in the world is so far 

distinguishable from the purity of Christ's religion that many

scruple to join in them. Those who are so redeemed from the love 

of the world as to possess nothing in a selfish spirit have their "life 

hid with Christ in God," and he preserves them in resignedness, 

even in times of commotion. 

As they possess nothing but what pertains to his family, anxious 

thoughts about wealth or dominion have little or nothing in them 


9 

on which to work ; and they learn conteutment in being disposed of 
according to His will who, being omnipotent and always mindful of 
his children, causeth all things to work for their goud ; but when 
that spirit works which loves riches, and in its working gatherswealth and cleaves to customs which have their root in self-pleasing, 
whatever name it bath it still desires to defend the treasures thus 
gotten. 

CoNNECTION BETWEEN WEALTH AND WAR. 

This is like a chain in which the end of one link encloseth the end 
of another. The rising up of a desire to obtain wealth is the 
beginning ; this desire being cherished, moves to action ; and riches 
thus gotten please self; and while self has a life in them it desires to 
have them defended. Wealth is attended with power, by which 
bargains and proceedings contrary to universal righteousness a.re 
supported ; and hence oppression carried on with worldly policy and 
order, clothes itself with the name of justice and becomes like a seed 
of discord in the soul. And as a spirit which wanders from the 
pure habitation prevails, so the seeds of war swell and sprout and 
grow and become strong until much fruit is ripened. Then cometh 
the harvest spoken of by the prophet, which " is. a heap in the dayof grief and desperate sorrowsn Oh that we who declare against 
wars, and acknowledge our trust to be in God only, may walk in the 
light, and therein examine our foundation and motives in holding 
great estates ! May we look upon our treasures, the furniture of our 
houses and our garments, and try whether the seeds of war have 
nourishment in these our possessions. Holding treasures in the self-
pleasing spirit is a strong plant, the fruit whereof ripens fast. A dayof outward distress is coming, and Divine love calls to prepareagainst it. 

Section X. 

THE EARTH ONLY A CoNDITIONAL GrFT. 

"The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's ; but the earth 
hath he given to the children of men." As servants of God our 
land or estates we hold under him as his gifts ; and in applying the 
profits it is our duty to act consistently with the designs ot our 
Benefactor. Imperfect men may give from motives of misguidedaffection, but perfect wisdom and goodness gives agreeably to his own 
nature ; nor is this gift absolute, but conditional, for us to occupy 
as dutiful children and not otherwise ; for He alone is the true 
proprietor. "The world," saith He, " is mine, and the fulness 
thereof." 

THE TRUE ]UBILEE. 

The inspired lawgiver directed that such of the Israelites as sold 
their inheritance should sell it for a term only, and that they or 
their children should again enjoy it in the year of jubilee, settled on 
every fiftieth year. " The land shall not be sold forever, for the 
land is mine, saith the Lord, for ye are strangers and sojourners with 


10 

me." Thi was designed to prevent the rich from oppressing the 
poor by too much engrossing the land ; and our bles ed Redeemer 
said : "Till heaven and earth pa s, one jot or one tittle shall in no 
wi~e pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." 

When Di \'ine love takes place in the hearts of any people, and 
they steadily act in a principle of univers:~l righteou ness, then the 
true intent of the law is fulfilled, thougl: their outward modes of 
proceeding may be v:~riou ; but when men are posse sed by that 
spirit hinted at by the prophet, and, looking over their wealth, say 
in their hearts, "IIa\·e we not taken to us horns by our own 
strength?" they deviate from the Divine law, and do not count 
their pos es iom so strictly God's nor the weak and poor entitled to 
so much of the increase thereof, but that they may indulge their 
de ires in conforming to worldly pomp. 

THE LusT FOR LAND. 

Thus when hou e is joined to house and field laid to field, until there 
is no place, and the poor are thereby traitened, though this is done 
by bargain and purcha e, yet so far a · it stands distinguished from 
univer al love, o far that woe predicted by the prophet will accompany 
their proceedings. A He who first founded the earth was 
then the true proprietor of it, so he still remains, and though he 
hath given it to the children of men, so that multitudes of people 
have had their su tenance from it while they continued here, yet he 
hath never alienated it, but his right is a good as at first; nor can any 
apply the increa e of their possession contrary to uni\·ersal love, nor 
oppressing others without being justly chargeable with usurpation. 
dispose of lands in a way which they know tends to exalt some by 

Section XI. 

THE ExPAl\'SION OF THE EMPIRE: TREATME:\'T OF NATIVE RACES. 

Section XII. 

vVhile our minds are preposses ed in favor of customs distinguishable 
from perfect purity, we are in danger of not attending 
with singleness to that light which opens to our view the nature 
of universal righteou ness. 

THE DIVISION OF LABOR. 

In the afTairs of a thickly-settled country are variety of useful 
employments besides tilling the earLh ; so that for some men to have 
more land than is necessary to build upon and to answer the occasions 
of their families may consist with brotherhood ; and from the 
various gifts which God hath bestowed on tho e employed in husbandry, 
tor some to possess and occupy much more than others may 
likewise so con ist ; but when any, on the strength of their possessions, 
demand such rent or interest as necessitates their tenants to a 
closer application to business than our merciful Father designed for 


l J 

us, it puts the wheels of perfect brotherhood out of order, and leads 
to employments the promoting of which belongs not to the familyof Christ, whose example in all points being a pattern of wisdom, 
the plainness and simplicity of his outward appearance may well make 
us ashamed to adorn our bodies with costly array or treasure upwealth by the least oppression. 

RIGHT AND "RIGHTS." 

Though by claims grounded on prior possession great itlequality 
appears among men ; yet the instructions of the Great Proprietorof the earth are necessary to be attended to in all our proceedings as 
possessors or claimers of the soil. " The steps of a good m:m are 
ordered of the Lord,'' and those who are thus guided and whose 
hearts are enlarged in his love give directions concerning their possessions 
agreeably thereto ; and that claim which stands on universal 
righteousness is a good right ; but the continuance of that rightdepends on properly applying the profits thereof. The word "right''
commonly relates to our possessions. We say, a right of propriety to 
such a division of a province, or a clear, indisputable right to the 
land within certain bounds. Thus this word is continued as a 
remembrancer of the original intent of dividing the land by boundaries, 
and implies that it was equitably or rightly divided, that is, 
divided according to righteousness. In this-that is, in equity and 
righteousness-consists the strength of our claim. If we trace an 
unrighteous claim and find gifts or grants proved by sufficient seals 
and witnesses it gives not the claimant a right ; for that which is 
opposite to righteousness is wrong ; and the nature of it must be 
changed before it can be right. 

AN UTOPIA. 

Suppose twenty free men, professed followers of Christ, discovered 
an island, and that they with their wives, independent of all 
others, took possession of it and, di\·iding it equally, made improvements 
and multiplied ; suppose these first possessors, being generallyinfluenced by true love, did with paternal regard look over the increasing 
condition of the inhabitants, and, near the end of their 
lives, gave such directions concerning their respective possessions as 
best suited the convenience of the whole and tended to preserve love 
and harmony ; and that their successors in the continued increase of 
people generally followed their pious example and pursued means the 
most effectual to keep oppression out of their island ; but that one 
of these first settlers, from a fond attachment to one of his numerous 
sons, no more deserving than the rest, gives the chief of his lands 
to him, and by an instrument sufficiently witnessed stronglyexpressed his mind and will ;-

TwENTIETH PART OF UToPIA UNDER A LANDLORD: 

suppose this son, being landlord to his brethren and nephews,
demands such a portion of the fruits of the earth as may supplyhimself, his family and some others, and that these others thus 
supplied out of his store are employed in adorning his building with 

~· 

V

:> • 

m 

v. 
... 

0 


12 

curious engravings and paintings, preparing carriages to -ride in, 
vessels for his house, delicious meats, fine wrought apparet and 
furniture, all suiting that distinction lately arisen between him and 
the other inhabitants ; 

RESULT-IN Pouncs; 

and that, having the absolute disposal of these numerous improvements, 
his power so increaseth that in all conferences relative to the 
public affairs of the island, these plain, honest men, who are zealous 
for equitable establishments, find great difficulty in proceeding 
agreeably to their righteous inclinations-suppose this son, from a 
fondness to one of his children, joined with a desire to continue this 
grandeur under his own name, confirms the chief of his possessions 
to him, and thus for many ages there is one great landlord over near 
a twentieth part of this island, 

I~ RrsE OF A "PREDATORY" CLASS. 

and the rest are poor oppressed people, to some of whom, from the 
manner of their education, joined with a notion of the greatness 
of their predecessors, labor is disagreeable ; who, therefore, by artful 
applications to the weakness, unguardedness, and corruptions of 
others in striving to get a living out of them, increase the difficulties 
among them, while the inhabitants of other parts, who guard againstoppression and with one consent train up their children in frugality 
and useful labor, live more harmoniously ;


" Quo WARRANTO ? 11 

if we trace the claims of the ninth or tenth of these great landlords 
down to the first possessor and find the claim supported throughout 
by instruments strongly drawn and witnessed, after all we could not 
admit a bt::lief into our hearts that he had a right to so great a portion 
of land after such a numerous increase of inhabitants. 

The first possessor of that twentieth part held no more, we 

suppose, than an equitable portion ; but when the Lord, who first 

gave these twenty men possession of this island unknown to all 

others, gave being to numerous people who inhabited the twentieth 

part, whose natures required the fruits thereof for their sustenance, 

this great claimer of the soil could not have a right to the whole to 

dispose of it in gratifying his irregular desires ; but they, as 

creatures of the Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth, had 

a right to part of what this great claimer held, though they had no 

instruments to confirm their right. 

CoNCLUSION. 

Thu; oppression in the extreme appears terrible ; but oppression in 

more refined appearances remains to be oppression, and when the 

smallest degree of it is cherished it grows stronger and more 

extensive. 

To labor for a perfect redemption from this spirit of oppression is 

the great business of the whole family of Christ Jesus in this world.