what is property-第100节

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Christs；　and　false　Christs　might　be　forced　to　understand　and　agree　with　each　other。

Again；　every　reformer　is　a　magician；　or　at　least　desires　to　become　one。　　Thus　Moses；　Jesus　Christ；　and　the　apostles；　proved　their　mission　by　miracles。　　Mahomet　ridiculed　miracles　after　having　endeavored　to　perform　them。　　Fourier；　more　cunning；　promises　us　wonders　when　the　globe　shall　be　covered　with　phalansteries。　　For　myself；　I　have　as　great　a　horror　of　miracles　as　of　authorities；　and　aim　only　at　logic。　　That　is　why　I　continually　search　after　the　criterion　of　certainty。　　I　work　for　the　reformation　of　ideas。　　Little　matters　it　that　they　find　me　dry　and　austere。　　I　mean　to　conquer　by　a　bold　struggle；　or　die　in　the　attempt；　and　whoever　shall　come　to　the　defence　of　property；　I　swear　that　I　will　force　him　to　argue　like　M。　Considerant；　or　philosophize　like　M。　Troplong。

Finally；and　it　is　here　that　I　differ　most　from　my　compeers；I　do　not　believe　it　necessary；　in　order　to　reach　equality；　to　turn　every　thing　topsy…turvy。　　To　maintain　that　nothing　but　an　overturn　can　lead　to　reform　is；　in　my　judgment；　to　construct　a　syllogism；　and　to　look　for　the　truth　in　the　regions　of　the　unknown。　　Now；　I　am　for　generalization；　induction；　and　progress。　　I　regard　general　disappropriation　as　impossible：　attacked　from　that　point；　the　problem　of　universal　association　seems　to　me　insolvable。　　Property　is　like　the　dragon　which　Hercules　killed：　to　destroy　it；　it　must　be　taken；　not　by　the　head；　but　by　the　tail；that　is；　by　profit　and　interest。

I　stop。　　I　have　said　enough　to　satisfy　any　one　who　can　read　and　understand。　　The　surest　way　by　which　the　government　can　baffle　intrigues　and　break　up　parties　is　to　take　possession　of　science；　and　point　out　to　the　nation；　at　an　already　appreciable　distance；　the　rising　oriflamme　of　equality；　to　say　to　those　politicians　of　the　tribune　and　the　press；　for　whose　fruitless　quarrels　we　pay　so　dearly；　〃You　are　rushing　forward；　blind　as　you　are；　to　the　abolition　of　property；　but　the　government　marches　with　its　eyes　open。　　You　hasten　the　future　by　unprincipled　and　insincere　controversy；　but　the　government；　which　knows　this　future；　leads　you　thither　by　a　happy　and　peaceful　transition。　　The　present　generation　will　not　pass　away　before　France；　the　guide　and　model　of　civilized　nations；　has　regained　her　rank　and　legitimate　influence。〃

But；　alas！　the　government　itself；who　shall　enlighten　it？　　Who　can　induce　it　to　accept　this　doctrine　of　equality；　whose　terrible　but　decisive　formula　the　most　generous　minds　hardly　dare　to　acknowledge？　。　。　。　　I　feel　my　whole　being　tremble　when　I　think　that　the　testimony　of　three　menyes；　of　three　men　who　make　it　their　business　to　teach　and　definewould　suffice　to　give　full　play　to　public　opinion；　to　change　beliefs；　and　to　fix　destinies。　　Will　not　the　three　men　be　found？　。　。　。

May　we　hope；　or　not？　　What　must　we　think　of　those　who　govern　us？　　In　the　world　of　sorrow　in　which　the　proletaire　moves；　and　where　nothing　is　known　of　the　intentions　of　power；　it　must　be　said　that　despair　prevails。　　But　you；　sir；you；　who　by　function　belong　to　the　official　world；　you；　in　whom　the　people　recognize　one　of　their　noblest　friends；　and　property　its　most　prudent　adversary；　what　say　you　of　our　deputies；　our　ministers；　our　king？　　Do　you　believe　that　the　authorities　are　friendly　to　us？　　Then　let　the　government　declare　its　position；　let　it　print　its　profession　of　faith　in　equality；　and　I　am　dumb。　　Otherwise；　I　shall　continue　the　war；　and　the　more　obstinacy　and　malice　is　shown；　the　oftener　will　I　redouble　my　energy　and　audacity。　　I　have　said　before；　and　I　repeat　it；I　have　sworn；　not　on　the　dagger　and　the　death's…head；　amid　the　horrors　of　a　catacomb；　and　in　the　presence　of　men　besmeared　with　blood；　but　I　have　sworn　on　my　conscience　to　pursue　property；　to　grant　it　neither　peace　nor　truce；　until　I　see　it　everywhere　execrated。　　I　have　not　yet　published　half　the　things　that　I　have　to　say　concerning　the　right　of　domain；　nor　the　best　things。　　Let　the　knights　of　property；　if　there　are　any　who　fight　otherwise　than　by　retreating；　be　prepared　every　day　for　a　new　demonstration　and　accusation；　let　them　enter　the　arena　armed　with　reason　and　knowledge；　not　wrapped　up　in　sophisms；　for　justice　will　be　done。


〃To　become　enlightened；　we　must　have　liberty。　　That　alone　suffices；　but　it　must　be　the　liberty　to　use　the　reason　in　regard　to　all　public　matters。


〃And　yet　we　hear　on　every　hand　authorities　of　all　kinds　and　degrees　crying：　　‘Do　not　reason！'


〃If　a　distinction　is　wanted；　here　is　one：

〃The　PUBLIC　use　of　the　reason　always　should　be　free；　but　the　PRIVATE　use　ought　always　to　be　rigidly　restricted。　　By　public　use；　I　mean　the　scientific；　literary　use；　by　private；　that　which　may　be　taken　advantage　of　by　civil　officials　and　public　functionaries。　　Since　the　governmental　machinery　must　be　kept　in　motion；　in　order　to　preserve　unity　and　attain　our　object；　we　must　not　reason；　we　must　obey。　　But　the　same　individual　who　is　bound；　from　this　point　of　view；　to　passive　obedience；　has　the　right　to　speak　in　his　capacity　of　citizen　and　scholar。　　He　can　make　an　appeal　to　the　public；　submit　to　it　his　observations　on　events　which　occur　around　him　and　in　the　ranks　above　him；　taking　care；　however；　to　avoid　offences　which　are　punishable。

〃Reason；　then；　as　much　as　you　like；　only；　obey。〃Kant：　　Fragment　on　the　Liberty　of　Thought　and　of　the　Press。　　Tissot's　Translation。


These　words　of　the　great　philosopher　outline　for　me　my　duty。　　I　have　delayed　the　reprint　of　the　work　entitled　〃What　is　Property？〃　in　order　that　I　might　lift　the　discussion　to　the　philosophical　height　from　which　ridiculous　clamor　has　dragged　it　down；　and　that；　by　a　new　presentation　of　the　question；　I　might　dissipate　the　fears　of　good　citizens。　　I　now　reenter　upon　the　public　use　of　my　reason；　and　give　truth　full　swing。　　The　second　edition　of　the　First　Memoir　on　Property　will　immediately　follow　the　publication　of　this　letter。　　Before　issuing　any　thing　further；　I　shall　await　the　observations　of　my　critics；　and　the　co…operation　of　the　friends　of　the　people　and　of　equality。

Hitherto；　I　have　spoken　in　my　own　name；　and　on　my　own　personal　responsibility。　　It　was　my　duty。　　I　was　endeavoring　to　call　attention　to　principles　which　antiquity　could　not　discover；　because　it　knew　nothing　of　the　science　which　reveals　them；　political　economy。　　I　have；　then；　testified　as　to　FACTS；　in　short；　I　have　been　a　WITNESS。　　Now　my　role　changes。　　It　remains　for　me　to　deduce　the　practical　consequences　of　the　facts　proclaimed。　　The　position　of　PUBLIC　PROSECUTOR　is　the　only　one　which　I　am　henceforth　fitted　to　fill；　and　I　shall　sum　up　the　case　in　the　name　of　the　PEOPLE。

I　am；　sir；　with　all　the　consideration　that　I　owe　to　your　talent　and　your　character；

　　　　　　　　　　Your　very　humble　and　most　obedient　servant；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　P。　J。　PROUDHON；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Pensioner　of　the　Academy　of　Besancon。


P。S。　　During　the　session　of　April　2；　the　Chamber　of　Deputies　rejected；　by　a　very　large　majority；　the　literary…property　bill；　BECAUSE　IT　DID　NOT　UNDERSTAND　IT。　　Nevertheless；　literary　property　is　only　a　special　form　of　the　right　of　property；　which　everybody　claims　to　understand。　　Let　us　hope　that　this　legislative　precedent　will　not　be　fruitless　for　the　cause　of　equality。　　The　consequence　of　the　vote　of　the　Chamber　is　the　abolition　of　capitalistic　property；property　incomprehensible；　contradictory；　impossible；　and　absurd。





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