what is property-第29节

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r　that　prescription　and　property　are　two　forms　of　the　same　principle；　but　two　forms　which　serve　to　correct　each　other；　and　ancient　and　modern　jurisprudence　did　not　make　the　least　of　its　blunders　in　pretending　to　reconcile　them。　　Indeed；　if　we　see　in　the　institution　of　property　only　a　desire　to　secure　to　each　individual　his　share　of　the　soil　and　his　right　to　labor；　in　the　distinction　between　naked　property　and　possession　only　an　asylum　for　absentees；　orphans；　and　all　who　do　not　know；　or　cannot　maintain；　their　rights；　in　prescription　only　a　means；　either　of　defence　against　unjust　pretensions　and　encroachments；　or　of　settlement　of　the　differences　caused　by　the　removal　of　possessors；we　shall　recognize　in　these　various　forms　of　human　justice　the　spontaneous　efforts　of　the　mind　to　come　to　the　aid　of　the　social　instinct；　we　shall　see　in　this　protection　of　all　rights　the　sentiment　of　equality；　a　constant　levelling　tendency。　　And；　looking　deeper；　we　shall　find　in　the　very　exaggeration　of　these　principles　the　confirmation　of　our　doctrine；　because；　if　equality　of　conditions　and　universal　association　are　not　soon　realized；　it　will　be　owing　to　the　obstacle　thrown　for　the　time　in　the　way　of　the　common　sense　of　the　people　by　the　stupidity　of　legislators　and　judges；　and　also　to　the　fact　that；　while　society　in　its　original　state　was　illuminated　with　a　flash　of　truth；　the　early　speculations　of　its　leaders　could　bring　forth　nothing　but　darkness。

After　the　first　covenants；　after　the　first　draughts　of　laws　and　constitutions；　which　were　the　expression　of　man's　primary　needs；　the　legislator's　duty　was　to　reform　the　errors　of　legislation；　to　complete　that　which　was　defective；　to　harmonize；　by　superior　definitions；　those　things　which　seemed　to　conflict。　　Instead　of　that；　they　halted　at　the　literal　meaning　of　the　laws；　content　to　play　the　subordinate　part　of　commentators　and　scholiasts。　　Taking　the　inspirations　of　the　human　mind；　at　that　time　necessarily　weak　and　faulty；　for　axioms　of　eternal　and　unquestionable　truth；influenced　by　public　opinion；　enslaved　by　the　popular　religion；they　have　invariably　started　with　the　principle　（following　in　this　respect　the　example　of　the　theologians）　that　that　is　infallibly　true　which　has　been　admitted　by　all　persons；　in　all　places；　and　at　all　times_quod　ab　omnibus；　quod　ubique；　quod　semper；_　as　if　a　general　but　spontaneous　opinion　was　any　thing　more　than　an　indication　of　the　truth。　　Let　us　not　be　deceived：　the　opinion　of　all　nations　may　serve　to　authenticate　the　perception　of　a　fact；　the　vague　sentiment　of　a　law；　it　can　teach　us　nothing　about　either　fact　or　law。　　The　consent　of　mankind　is　an　indication　of　Nature；　not；　as　Cicero　says；　a　law　of　Nature。　　Under　the　indication　is　hidden　the　truth；　which　faith　can　believe；　but　only　thought　can　know。　　Such　has　been　the　constant　progress　of　the　human　mind　in　regard　to　physical　phenomena　and　the　creations　of　genius：　how　can　it　be　otherwise　with　the　facts　of　conscience　and　the　rules　of　human　conduct？

％　4。LaborThat　Labor　Has　No　Inherent　Power　to　Appropriate　Natural　Wealth。


We　shall　show　by　the　maxims　of　political　economy　and　law；　that　is；　by　the　authorities　recognized　by　property；

1。　That　labor　has　no　inherent　power　to　appropriate　natural　wealth。

2。　That；　if　we　admit　that　labor　has　this　power；　we　are　led　directly　to　equality　of　property；whatever　the　kind　of　labor；　however　scarce　the　product；　or　unequal　the　ability　of　the　laborers。

3。　That；　in　the　order　of　justice；　labor　DESTROYS　property。

Following　the　example　of　our　opponents；　and　that　we　may　leave　no　obstacles　in　the　path；　let　us　examine　the　question　in　the　strongest　possible　light。

M。　Ch。　Comte　says；　in　his　〃Treatise　on　Property：〃


〃France；　considered　as　a　nation；　has　a　territory　which　is　her　own。〃


France；　as　an　individuality；　possesses　a　territory　which　she　cultivates；　it　is　not　her　property。　　Nations　are　related　to　each　other　as　individuals　are：　they　are　commoners　and　workers；　it　is　an　abuse　of　language　to　call　them　proprietors。　　The　right　of　use　and　abuse　belongs　no　more　to　nations　than　to　men；　and　the　time　will　come　when　a　war　waged　for　the　purpose　of　checking　a　nation　in　its　abuse　of　the　soil　will　be　regarded　as　a　holy　war。

Thus；　M。　Ch。　Comtewho　undertakes　to　explain　how　property　comes　into　existence；　and　who　starts　with　the　supposition　that　a　nation　is　a　proprietorfalls　into　that　error　known　as　BEGGING　THE　QUESTION；　a　mistake　which　vitiates　his　whole　argument。

If　the　reader　thinks　it　is　pushing　logic　too　far　to　question　a　nation's　right　of　property　in　the　territory　which　it　possesses；　I　will　simply　remind　him　of　the　fact　that　at　all　ages　the　results　of　the　fictitious　right　of　national　property　have　been　pretensions　to　suzerainty；　tributes；　monarchical　privileges；　statute…labor；　quotas　of　men　and　money；　supplies　of　merchandise；　&c。；　ending　finally　in　refusals　to　pay　taxes；　insurrections；　wars；　and　depopulations。


〃Scattered　through　this　territory　are　extended　tracts　of　land；　which　have　not　been　converted　into　individual　property。　　These　lands；　which　consist　mainly　of　forests；　belong　to　the　whole　population；　and　the　government；　which　receives　the　revenues；　uses　or　ought　to　use　them　in　the　interest　of　all。〃

OUGHT　TO　USE　is　well　said：　a　lie　is　avoided　thereby。

〃Let　them　be　offered　for　sale。　。　。　。〃


Why　offered　for　sale？　　Who　has　a　right　to　sell　them？　　Even　were　the　nation　proprietor；　can　the　generation　of　to…day　dispossess　the　generation　of　to…morrow？　　The　nation；　in　its　function　of　usufructuary；　possesses　them；　the　government　rules；　superintends；　and　protects　them。　　If　it　also　granted　lands；　it　could　grant　only　their　use；　it　has　no　right　to　sell　them　or　transfer　them　in　any　way　whatever。　　Not　being　a　proprietor；　how　can　it　transmit　property？


〃Suppose　some　industrious　man　buys　a　portion；　a　large　swamp　for　example。　　This　would　be　no　usurpation；　since　the　public　would　receive　the　exact　value　through　the　hands　of　the　government；　and　would　be　as　rich　after　the　sale　as　before。〃


How　ridiculous！　　What！　because　a　prodigal；　imprudent；　incompetent　official　sells　the　State's　possessions；　while　I；　a　ward　of　the　State；I　who　have　neither　an　advisory　nor　a　deliberative　voice　in　the　State　councils；while　I　am　allowed　to　make　no　opposition　to　the　sale；　this　sale　is　right　and　legal！　　The　guardians　of　the　nation　waste　its　substance；　and　it　has　no　redress！　　I　have　received；　you　tell　me；　through　the　hands　of　the　government　my　share　of　the　proceeds　of　the　sale：　but；　in　the　first　place；　I　did　not　wish　to　sell；　and；　had　I　wished　to；　I　could　not　have　sold。　　I　had　not　the　right。　　And　then　I　do　not　see　that　I　am　benefited　by　the　sale。　　My　guardians　have　dressed　up　some　soldiers；　repaired　an　old　fortress；　erected　in　their　pride　some　costly　but　worthless　monument；then　they　have　exploded　some　fireworks　and　set　up　a　greased　pole！　　What　does　all　that　amount　to　in　comparison　with　my　loss？

The　purchaser　draws　boundaries；　fences　himself　in；　and　says；　〃This　is　mine；　each　one　by　himself；　each　one　for　himself。〃　　Here；　then；　is　a　piece　of　land　upon　which；　henceforth；　no　one　has　a　right　to　step；　save　the　proprietor　and　his　friends；　which　can　benefit　nobody；　save　the　proprietor　and　his　servants。　　Let　these　sales　multiply；　and　soon　the　peoplewho　have　been　neither　able　nor　willing　to　sell；　and　who　have　received　none　of　the　proceeds　of　the　salewill　have　nowhere　to　rest；　no　place　of　shelter；　no　ground　to　till。　　They　will　die　of　hunger　at　the　proprietor's　door；　on　the　edge　of　that　property　which　was　their　birthright；　and　the　proprietor；　watching　them　die；　will　exclaim；　〃　So　perish　idlers　and　vagrants！〃

To　reconcile　us　to　the　proprietor's　usurpation；　M。　Ch。　Comte　assumes　the　lands　to　be　of　little　value　at　the　time　of　sale。


〃The　importance　of　these　usurpations　should　not　be　exaggerated：　they　should　be　measured　by　the　number　of　men　which　the　occupied　land　would　support；　and　by　the　means　which　it　would　furnish　them。

It　is　evident；　for　instance；　that　if　a　piece　of　land　which　is　worth　to…day　one　thousand　francs　was　worth　only　five　centimes　when　it　was　usurped；　we　really　lose　only　the　value　of　five　centimes。　　A　square　league　of　earth　would　be　hardly　sufficient　to　support　a　savage　in　distress；　to…day　it　supplies　one　thousand　persons　with　the　means　of　existence。　　Nine　hundred　and　ninety…　nine　parts　of　this　land　is　the　legitimate　property　of　the　possessors；　only　one…thousandth　of　the　value　has　been　usurped。〃


A　peasant　admitted　one　day；　at　confession；　that　he　had　destroyed　a　document　which　declared　him　a　debtor　to　the　amount　of　three　hundred　francs。　　Said　the　father　confessor；　〃You　must　return　these　three　hundred　francs。〃　　〃No；〃　replied　the　peasant；　〃I　will　return　a　penny　to　pay　for　the　paper。〃

M。　Ch。　Comte's　logic　resembles　this　peasant's　honesty。　　The　soil　has　not　only　an　integrant　and　actual　value；　it　has　also　a　potential　value；a　value　of　the　future；which　depends　on　our　ability　to　make　it　valuable；　and　to　employ　it　in　our　work。　　Destroy　a　bill　of　exchange；　a　promissory　note；　an　annuity　deed；as　a　paper　you　destroy　almost　no　value　at　all；　but　with　this　paper　you　destroy　your　title；　and；　in　losing　your　title；　you　deprive　yourself　of　your　goods。　　Destroy　the　land；　or；　what　is　the　same　thing；　sell　it；you　not