History of American SocialismsNoyes, John Humphrey
History
History of American Socialisms
Noyes, John Humphrey
Communism -- United States; Socialism -- United States
Since the war of 1812-15, the line of socialistic excitements lies
parallel with the line of religious Revivals. Each had its two great
leaders, and its two epochs of enthusiasm. Nettleton and Finney were
to Revivals, what Owen and Fourier were to Socialism. Nettleton
prepared the way for Finney, though he was opposed to him, as Owen
prepared the way for Fourier. The enthusiasm in both movements had the
same progression. Nettleton's agitation, like Owen's, was moderate and
somewhat local. Finney, like Fourier, swept the nation as with a
tempest. The Revival periods were a little in advance of those of
Socialism. Nettleton commenced his labors in 1817, while Owen entered
the field in 1824. Finney was at the height of his power in 1831-3,
while Fourier was carrying all before him in 1842-3. Thus the
movements were to a certain extent alternate. Opposed as they were to
each other theologically--one being a movement of Bible men, and the
other of infidels and liberals--they could not be expected to hold
public attention simultaneously. But looking at the whole period from
the end of the war in 1815 to the end of Fourierism after 1846, and
allowing Revivals a little precedence over Socialism, we find the two
lines of excitement parallel, and their phenomena wonderfully similar.
As we have shown that the socialistic movement was national, so, if it
were necessary, we might here show that the Revival movement was
national. There was a time between 1831 and 1834 when the American
people came as near to a surrender of all to the Kingdom of Heaven, as
they came in 1843 to a socialistic revolution. The Millennium seemed
as near in 1831, as Fourier's Age of Harmony seemed in 1843. And the
final effect of Revivals was a hope watching for the morning, which
remains in the life of the nation, side by side, nay identical with,
the great hope of Socialism.
And these movements--Revivalism and Socialism--opposed to each other
as they may seem, and as they have been in the creeds of their
partizans, are closely related in their essential nature and objects,
and manifestly belong together in the scheme of Providence, as they do
in the history of this nation. They are to each other as inner to
outer--as soul to body--as life to its surroundings. The Revivalists
had for their great idea the regeneration of the soul. The great idea
of the Socialists was the regeneration of society, which is the soul's
environment. These ideas belong together, and are the complements of
each other. Neither can be successfully embodied by men whose minds
are not wide enough to accept them both.
In fact these two ideas, which in modern times are so wide apart, were
present together in original Christianity. When the Spirit of truth
pricked three thousand men to the heart and converted them on the day
of Pentecost, its next effect was to resolve them into one family and
introduce Communism of property. Thus the greatest of all Revivals was
also the great inauguration of Socialism.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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