IV. Icuriuns. — This community was the offspring of the dreams of £tienne Cabet,who was born in Dijon, France, in 1788. Cabct was educated for the bar, but became a politician and writer. He was a leader of the Carbonari, a member of the French Legislature, wrote a history of the French Revolution of July, was condemned to two years' imprisonment, but fled to Lon- don, where he wrote the Voyage to Icaria. In this book he described a communistic Utopia, and in 1848 set sail, with a number of persons, for Texas, where he started an actual Icaria. Sixty-nine persons formed the advance-guard, which was attacked by yellow fever, and disorganized by the time Cabet arrived in the next year. They went to Nauvoo, 111., and were established in that deserted JMormon town. May, 1850. They num- bered here, at one time, not less than 1500 persons, and labored and planted with success ; but Cabet developed a dictatorial spirit, which produced a split in the socie- ty. He and some of his followers went to St. Louis, where he died in 1856. Shortly after, the Illinois colo- ny came to an end, and between fifty and sixty settled upon their Iowa estate, about four miles from Corning, They own at the present time 1936 acres of land; num- ber 65 members and II families, most of whom are French. They live under the constitution prepared by Cabet, which lays down the equality and brotherhood of mankind and the duty of holding all things in com- mon, abolishes servitude and servants, commands mar- riage under penalties, provides for education, and re- quires that the majority shall rule. In practice thej'' elect a president once a year, who is the executive ofli- cer, but whose powers are strictly limited. They have also four directors, who carry on the necessary work and direct the other members. They have no religious observances. Sunday is a day of rest and amusement.
V. Bishop Hill Commune, now extinct, was formed by Swedish pietists, who settled in Henry County, 111., Oc- tober, 1846. Others followed, until, by the simimer of 1848, they numbered 800 persons. At first they were ver}- poor, living in holes in the ground and under sheds ; but by industry and economy they prospered, so that, in 1859, they owned 10,000 acres of land and a town. Their religious life was very simple. Two services were held on Sunday and one each week-night. They dis- couraged amusements as tending to worldliness, and af- ter a while the young people became discontented with the dull community life. It was determined, in the spring of 1860, to divide the property, which was done. Dissensions still continuing, a further division was made, each family receiving its share, and the commune ceased to exist.
VI. Cedar Vale Community is a communistic society
SOCIALISTS
844
SOCINIANISM
near 0<lar Vale. Howanl Co., Kansas, and was beRun in January. \x7l. Its mi'inlH-rs wi-ri- recniitfil Ironi aniniii; two t'ssi-iitially dilViTi'm i'las.s»s of Socialists — itie Hiis- oian Mati-riiili-ts ami Ainorican S|iiritiialists. Tliey niimlHTiMl in lf<74 four males, one female, one cliild ; anil on prol>ation, two males, one female, and one child. They are or;ranized under the name of the I'KOtiKESSiVK CDM.MfMTY, and hold to community of goods and to entire freedom of opinion,
VM, Soriiil Fru'dmii ("iinimiiiiiti/ is a commnnistic society estalilished early in 1«7 I. in C'hestertield County, Va. It has two women, one man, and three lioys as '• full men)lK?rs." with four women and Hve men as " pro- ' bationary memhers," They own a farm of 33H acres, and are attemi)linf; ftencral farminji, sawini;, f;rindinii. etc The memhers are all Americans, They hold to "unity of interests, and political, reliirious, and social freedom ; that every individual shall have ahsolute con- trol of herself or himself." They have no constitution or by-laws; i<;nore man's total depravity, and believe that all who are actuateil by a love of truth anil a desire of pnifrres-s can Ik? governed by love and moral suasion.
.See Holyoake, llUtori/ of Cti-npenilion (1875); Noyes, llittiirij tij' Aiiifrioin SncialLsm (^1870^); .Stein, Der So- ci<i/i,<mM,< mill CiimmtiiiUmnx des lieittiyen Frankreichs (1844), and Ce-ichirhte tier gitcialen Betcet/unrjen in J-'riiiiL-rrir/i (184!t-iil). For information as to societies roeniioned in this article we are largely indebted to Nordhoff. CommunUdc Socielits of the Ciiiled /States (N. Y. 187o>.
Socialists. See .Socialism.
Society, a combination of persons uniting in nfel- loicihip for any |)ur|>ose whatever, and having com- mon objects, principles, and laws. Many such combina- tions have been made of late years for the purpose of promoting ilifferent religious objects, among the ear- liest of which are the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, for the circulation of 15ibles, prayer-books, and tracts, founded in IG'.W; the .Society for the Propa- gation of the (;osi)el in Foreign Parts, for carrying Christianity to the colonies and other dependencies of the British empire, established in 1701 ; and others, most of which will be found under their appropriate heails, as IJini.h: .Socikties, etc. .Since convocations and diocesan synods have fallen into disuse, the dutj' of providing for missions, the circulation of the Script- ures, the preparation and publication of devotional works, and similar objects, have devolved upon volun- tary associations, 'i'hese societies, being formed inde- Itendent of ecclesiastical authority, are necessarily free fr.»m ecclesiastical ride or regulation, and their consti- tution is thus determined by the nature of their object. In the (Jhurch of I'jigland a controversy has arisen in relation to these societies, respecting the necessity of incinlient of the Church having the sanction of their diocesan before joining such associations. The real (jucstion is, whether any such society involves in its constitution or practices a violation of canonical law or estahh-bed discijiline. The matter w.is linaliy left to the judgment of the individual. In the Lnited States Kiich societies are often organized by the an- thoritie<t of the Church they represent, or are endorsed by mveral churches, and thus become their acknowl- edged agency in that direction. Of the latter the .Vmerican Mililc> Society is a notable e.xam(>le.