as if they were viewed with contempt. Their minds, thus broken down, are fitted for degrading vices. Their manners as well as their dress are negleeted and become gross and vulgar. In this depressed and suffering state, even those, whose former lives have been free from excess, are tempted to fly for relief to pleasures, which render them more miserable; and as their sufferings increase, they become sullen and irritable; they murmur against God; they look with envy on the rich, who seem to them to be surfeited with enjoyments, which they are never permitted to taste; and by these feelings, they are gradually prepared for fraud and rapine, and those bolder crimes at which humanity shudders. Such is the degradation which poverty often produces. I am far, very far from saying, that these effects are universal. There are poor families, whose neat rooms, and decent attire, and becoming manners, and grateful content ment impart to a benevolent mind inexpressibly more delight, than the costly furniture, the splendid ornaments, and the sumptu ous tables of the rich. But I fear the general influence of poverty is debasing, and in this view it is an evil which should excite at once dread and com passion

From the views now given of poverty, we see that no labor should be spared to prevent its approach, or to remove it where it is already endured. The prevention of poverty should be one of the great

objects of philanthropy. Some will say, that this is impossible; that poverty is the infliction of God; that it visits us in storms, in sickness, in fire, in war, in calamities which we cannot avert. It is true, these calamities bring with them poverty-But it is also true, and a very sad truth, that were not these calamities aided by the neglect, improvidence, and vices of men, they would produce incalculably less poverty than we now witness.

The principal causes of poverty are to be found in the human character, and of course, this evil will be diminished in proportion, as the human character is improved.-In the first place, habits of sloth, irregularity, and inattention to business lead many to this wretched state. By these habits men forfeit confidence, lose employment, are driven to the necessity of contracting debts which they cannot pay, and debt leads to a prison, to disgrace, to want.

Extravagance is another cause of frequent poverty. By this, sometimes the rich, and much more frequently the laboring classes are reduced to indigence. The past prosperity of this country has diffused extravagant habits of living, through all classes of the community. The earnings of the laborer are too often spent on luxuries of the table and of dress, to which he has no claim. Some among us regard the superfluities of life as necessaries, and even borrow money to purchase them. Yet these people, who might have been re

spectable by economy, tell you in sickness and old age, that the hand of God has made them poor.

Habits of dissoluteness, game ing, and association with licentious companions, lead others to poverty. These habits are fatal to many young men, who, instead of spending their leisure in innocent relaxation and virtuous society, waste it in scenes of riot and crime, where they dissipate their earnings, impair their health, make shipwreck of their principles, and lose at once the capacity and relish for that vigorous exertion, by which an honest subsistence is to be obtained.

The principal cause of poverty remains to be mentioned-I mean intemperance, that crying sin of our land. Ask a great part of the poor how they became so, and if their tongues refuse to tell the truth, you may read it in their bloated or haggard countenances. They became poor in those haunts of intemperance, which law has licensed, law has opened in every street of our metropolis, and in every place of resort through our country. There they forgot their wives, their children, their own souls, and sunk into brutes. Drinking unstrung their nerves, wore down their frames, destroy ed their reputation, dissipated their earnings, and a single fit of sickness has made them dependent on charity.

When by these causes poverty has been produced, it has an awful tendency to extend and perpetuate itself. The children of

such poor families too often inherit the vices and miseries of their parents. From children, brought up in filth, seeing con. stantly the worst examples, hearng licentious and profane conversation, abandoned to ignor ance and idleness, or if employ ed, only employed to beg in the streets, to extort money by false hoods, to practise a thousand frauds; from such children, what can you expect but lives of sloth and guilt, leading to poverty more abject if possible, than that to which they were born.―This is the most affecting circumstance attending poverty produ ced by vice. If the parents only suffered, our compassion would be diminished; but who can think without an aching heart of the child, nursed at the breast of an intemperate mother, subjected to the tyranny and blows of an irritable, intoxicated father, and at length cast out upon the worid without oue moral or religious principle, or one honest method of acquiring subsistence.

These remarks have been offered on the causes of poverty, that it may be seen and felt, that poverty is an evil, which may in a considerable degree be prevented. Its principal source is not the providence of God, but the improvidence and corruption of man. It will of course be diminished by every successful ef fort to purify society, and espe cially by improving the moral and religious condition of the laboring orders of the community. A more important object cannot be proposed by philanthropy. Each man should feel, that he

may do something towards banishing poverty and its woes. For this end, let him steadily exert his influence to discourage sloth, Mte emperance, extravagance and dissipation, and to promote industry, sobriety, economy, habits of order and self command, and that honorable independence of mind, which disdains to receive from bounty what it can obtain by its own exertions. Contributions to this moral improvement of society are of more value than contributions of wealth. By these, and these alone, we may carry comfort, health and cheerfulness, into dwellings, which now repel us by their filth and misery.

It is not however possible that by these or any efforts, poverty will be wholly banished from the earth. Do what we will, some will be reduced by their vices, and some by the hand of God. To this last class, who are impoverished by events beyond their control, we owe a tender sympathy and liberal aid. If possible, we should place them in a condition which will enable them again to support themselves., Dependence is a wretched and debasing state, and when a poor man is disposed to rise above it, we should, if possible, give him the means by one great act of bounty, instead of dispensing alms in trifling sums, which, hardly supporting him, accustom him to lean on charity. Where this is impracticable, we should relieve the virtuous poor in methods which tend least to degrade them. We should treat them with tenderness and reVol. IV. No. 4.

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spect, and help them to maintain a just respect for themselves. We should enable them to appear with decency in the streets and in the house of God, and by furnishing a degree of occupation, should save them from the dangers of idleness, and from the humiliating consciousness of a wholly useless and dependent life.

With respect to that class of poor, who are reduced to want by vice, our duty is much more difficult. Because guilty, they must not be abandoned; but relief must be communicated with a cautious and sparing hand, so as to afford no encouragement to improvidence; and it should seldom or never be given in the form of money, for this would furnish fuel to their worst vices. Christian benevolence should spare no effort to awaken moral and religious feeling, a fear of God,

a

sense of their degradation and danger, and a strong purpose of amendment and virtue in the breasts of this most miserable portion of our race. All of them are not hardened beyond hope. Some have fallen through inconsideration. Some have received early impressions of piety, which vice has not wholly erased. Some have abandoned them. selves to an evil course through despondence; and tenderness and encouragement may recal them to an industrious, sober and upright life.

One other mode of benefiting the poorer classes of society remains to be mentioned. Attention should be given to the education of their children. The

condition of the children of the vicious poor has been adverted to, in the course of this essay. Helpless! beings what heart, which has human feeling, does not bleed for them! Living in filth, breathing an atmosphere which is loaded with the fumes of intemperance, left to wander in the streets without restraint, never perhaps hearing the name of God, but when it is profaned, what misery awaits them! Even the children of the virtuous poor are sometimes of necessity neg lected. Should not the disciples of that Saviour, who took little children into his arms and blessed them, be solicitous to provide some shelter and protection for this exposed and tender age? One excellent method of saving from destruction the ehildren of the poor, is to open schools for them, under the care of prudent and well-principled teachers. In this way they are taken from the streets, are accustomed to restraint, are taught the decencies of life, and receive

Sir,

instruction, which though it may seem limited, yet serves to quicken their minds, aids their future occupations, and may be a foundation of great future improvement. The mode of teaching introduced into England by Mr. Lancaster, and which is now extended to many thousands of poor children at a wonderfully small expense, might be very advantageously applied in this country. The more that we are conversant with the poor, the deeper will be our conviction, that their children deserve our first attention. The parents, advanced in life, have formed a character, which cannot easily be changed. But the child, untainted by bad habits, and open to new impressions, may be moulded, may be improved. What better work can benevolence perform, than to rescue the neglected child from degradation and misery, to train it to a useful and holy life, and thus to direct it to a blessed immortality.