第12章

and，finding the consequences just described to be the result of all his strenuous exertions for the improvement and happiness of his fellow creatures，it is not surprising that he became disposed to retire from the cares of the establishment.He accordingly sold it to some English merchants and manufacturers；

one of whom，under the circumstances just narrated，undertook the management of the concern，and fixed his residence in the midst of the population.This individual had been previously in the management of large establishments，employing a number of workpeople，in the neighbourhood of Manchester，and，in every case，by the steady application of certain general principles，he succeeded in reforming the habits of those under his care，and who always，among their associates in similar employment，appeared conspicuous for their good conduct.With this previous success in remodelling English character，but ignorant of the local ideas，manners，and customs，of those now committed to his management，the stranger commenced his task.

At that time the lower classes of Scotland，like those of other countries，had strong prejudices against strangers having any authority over them，and particularly against the English，few of whom had then settled in Scotland，and not one in the neighbourhood of the scenes under deion.It is also well known that even the Scotch peasantry and working classes possess the habit of making observations and reasoning thereon with great acuteness；and in the present case those employed naturally concluded that the new purchasers intended merely to make the utmost profit by the establishment，from the abuses of which many of themselves were then deriving support.The persons employed at these works were therefore strongly prejudiced against the new director of the establishment prejudiced，because he was a stranger，and from England -because he succeeded Mr Dale，under whose proprietorship they acted almost as they liked because his religious creed was not theirs -and because they concluded that the works would be governed by new laws and regulations，calculated to squeeze，as they often termed it，the greatest sum of gain out of their labour.

In consequence，from the day he arrived amongst them every means which ingenuity could devise was set to work to counteract the plan which he attempted to introduce；and for two years it was a regular attack and defence of prejudices and malpractices between the manager and the population of the place，without the former being able to make much progress，or to convince the latter of the sincerity of his good intentions for their welfare.

He，however，did not lose his patience，his temper，or his confidence in the certain success of the principles on which he founded his conduct.

These principles ultimately prevailed：the population could not continue to resist a firm well-directed kindness，administering justice to all.They therefore slowly and cautiously began to give him some portion of their confidence；

and as this increased，he was enabled more and more to develop his plans for their amelioration.It may with truth be said，that at this period they possessed almost all the vices and very few of the virtues of a social community.Theft and the receipt of stolen goods was their trade，idleness and drunkenness their habit，falsehood and deception their garb，dissensions，civil and religious，their daily practice；they united only in a zealous systematic opposition to their employers.

Here then was a fair field on which to try the efficacy in practice of principles supposed capable of altering any characters.The manager formed his plans accordingly.He spent some time in finding out the full extent of the evil against which he had to contend，and in tracing the true causes which had produced and were continuing those effects.He found that all was distrust，disorder，and disunion；and he wished to introduce confidence，regularity，and harmony.He therefore began to bring forward his various expedients to withdraw the unfavourable circumstances by which they had hitherto been surrounded，and to replace them by others calculated to produce a more happy result.

He soon discovered that theft was extended through almost all the ramifications of the community，and the receipt of stolen goods through all the country around.To remedy this evil，not one legal punishment was inflicted，not one individual imprisoned，even for an hour；but checks and other regulations of prevention were introduced；a short plain explanation of the immediate benefits they would derive from a different conduct was inculcated by those instructed for the purpose，who had the best powers of reasoning among themselves.They were at the same time instructed how to direct their industry in legal and useful occupations，by which，without danger or disgrace，they could really earn more than they had previously obtained by dishonest practices.Thus the difficulty of committing the crime was increased，the detection afterwards rendered more easy，the habit of honest industry formed，and the pleasure of good conduct experienced.

Drunkenness was attacked in the same manner；it was discountenanced on every occasion by those who had charge of any department：its destructive and pernicious effects were frequently stated by his own more prudent comrades，at the proper moment when the individual was soberly suffering from the effects of his previous excess；pot-and public-houses were gradually removed from the immediate vicinity of their dwellings；the health and comfort of temperance were made familiar to them；by degrees drunkenness disappeared，and many who were habitual bacchanalians are now conspicuous for undeviating sobriety.

Falsehood and deception met with a similar fate：they were held in disgrace；their practical evils were shortly explained；