BELIEVING that the liberty, prosperity, and happiness
of our country have their foundation in the morals of
the people, I have been induced to set forth in the
following pages what I conceive to be a summary of the
most important of their social and political duties; my
aim being to show my fellow countrymen in what way
their conduct, social and political, influences their own
well-being, as well as that of their fellow citizens. I am
aware that much has already been written on the subject
of human duty; but as my views and opinions, on many
points, may probably differ from many, and as truth on
any subject is only arrived at by the conflict and com-
parison of opinions, I hope to serve that cause, at least,
by their publication, however numerous may be my own
errors. For many facts and opinions embodied in the
work I have to acknowledge myself indebted to the
writings of Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, George
Combe, T. Perronet Thompson; as also to the admirable
lectures and works on social science by my esteemed friend
William Ellis.