SAINT SIMO'NIANS. Claude Ilenri, Count de S. Simon, of the ancient family of that name, born in 1760, was engaged during the greater part of his life in a series of unsuccessful commercial enter prises, a traveller, and in the early por tion of his life a soldier in America ; but having dissipated a considerable fortune, and been unable to draw the attention of the public to a variety of schemes, po litical and social, which lie was constantly publishing, he attempted suicide in 1620; he lived, however, a few years longer, and died in 1825, leaving his papers and projects to Olinde Rodriguez. St. Si views of society and the destiny of man kind are contained in a variety of works, and especially in a short treatise entitled the Nouveau Chyistianismc, published after his death by Rodriguez. This book does not contain any scheme for the foundation of a new religion, such as his disciples afterwards invented. It is a diatribe against, both the Catholic and ' Protestant sects for their neglect of the main principle of Christianity, the elevation of the lower classes of society ; and inveighs against " l'exploitation de l'homme par l'homme," the existing system of individual industry, under which capitalist and laborer have oppo site interests and no common object. The principle of association, and just division of the fruits of common labor between the members of society, he imagined to be the true remedy for its present evils.
After his death these ideas were caught up by a number of disciples, and formed into something resembling a system. The new association, or St. Simonian family, was chiefly framed by Rodri guez, Bazar, Thierry, Chevalier, and other men of talent. After the revolu tion of July, 1830, it rose rapidly into notoriety, from the sympathy between the notions which it promulgated and those entertained by many of the repub lican party. In 1831, the society had about 3000 members, a newspaper (the Globe,) and large funds. The views of the St. Simonian family were all directed to the abolition of rank and property in society, and the establishment of associa tion, (such as the followers of Mr. Owen have denominated es-operative,) of which all the members should work in common and divide the fruits of their labor. But with these notions, common to many other social reformers, they united the doctrine, that the division of the goods of the community. should he in due pro portion to the merits or capacity of the recipient. Society was to be governed by a hierarchy, consisting of -a sopretne pontiff, apostles, disciples of the first, second, and third order. On the 22,1 Jan., 1832, the family was dispersed by the government.