The community was composed of a heterogeneous mass, collected together by public advertisement, which may be divided into three classes.  The first class was composed of a number of well-educated persons, who occupied their time in eating and drinking—­dressing and promenading—­attending balls, and improving the habits of society; and they may be termed the aristocracy of this Utopian republic.  The second class was composed of practical co-operators, who were well inclined to work, but who had no share, or voice, in the management of affairs.  The third and last class was a body of theoretical philosophers—­Stoics, Platonics, Pythagoreans, Epicureans, Peripatetics, and Cynics, who amused themselves in striking out plans—­exposing the errors of those in operation—­caricaturing—­and turning the whole proceedings into ridicule.

The second class, disliking the species of co-operation afforded them by the first class, naturally became dissatisfied with their inactivity—­and the third class laughed at them both.  Matters were in this state for some time, until Mr. Owen found the funds were completely exhausted.  He then stated that the community should divide; and that he would furnish land, and all necessary materials, for operations, to such of them as wished to form a community apart from the original establishment.  This intimation was enough.  The first class, with few exceptions, retired, followed by part of both the others, and all exclaiming against Mr. Owen’s conduct.  A person named Taylor, who had entered into a distillery speculation with one of Mr. Owen’s sons, seized this opportunity to get the control of part of the property.  Mr. Owen became embarrassed.  Harmony was on the point of being sold by the sheriff—­discord prevailed, and co-operation ceased.

Of the many private and public charges brought against Mr. Owen, I shall only notice one.  It is said that he invited people to throw up their establishments in other parts of America, and come to Harmony, conscious at the same time that the community could not succeed, and, indeed, not caring much about its success, having ultimately in view the increase of the value of his purchase, by collecting a number of persons together, and thus making a town—­a common speculation in America.  Whether these were his intentions or not, it is impossible for any man to assert or deny; but the fact is no less true, that such has been the result, and that the purchase has been increased in value by the failure of the community, so that ultimately he is not likely to lose anything by the experiment.  As to Mr. Owen’s statements in public, “that he had been informed that the people of America were capable of governing themselves, and that he tried the experiment, and found they were not so,”—­and that “the place having been purchased, it was necessary to get persons to occupy it.”  These constitute but an imperfect excuse for having induced the separation of families, caused many thriving