what is property-第25节

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For　that　reason；　every　institution　and　every　law　based　on　property　will　perish。


〃It　is　a　boon　as　precious　as　liberty。〃


For　the　rich　proprietor。


〃In　fact；　the　cause　of　the　cultivation　of　the　habitable　earth。〃

If　the　cultivator　ceased　to　be　a　tenant；　would　the　land　be　worse　cared　for？


〃The　guarantee　and　the　morality　of　labor。〃


Under　the　regime　of　property；　labor　is　not　a　condition；　but　a　privilege。


〃The　application　of　justice。〃


What　is　justice　without　equality　of　fortunes？　　A　balance　with　false　weights。


〃All　morality；〃


A　famished　stomach　knows　no　morality；


〃All　public　order；〃


Certainly；　the　preservation　of　property；

〃Rest　on　the　right　of　property。〃＇1＇

＇1　Giraud；　〃Investigations　into　the　Right　of　Property　among　the　Romans。〃





Corner…stone　of　all　which　is；　stumbling…block　of　all　which　ought　to　be；such　is　property。


To　sum　up　and　conclude：

Not　only　does　occupation　lead　to　equality；　it　PREVENTS　property。　　For；　since　every　man；　from　the　fact　of　his　existence；　has　the　right　of　occupation；　and；　in　order　to　live；　must　have　material　for　cultivation　on　which　he　may　labor；　and　since；　on　the　other　hand；　the　number　of　occupants　varies　continually　with　the　births　and　deaths；it　follows　that　the　quantity　of　material　which　each　laborer　may　claim　varies　with　the　number　of　occupants；　consequently；　that　occupation　is　always　subordinate　to　population。　　Finally；　that；　inasmuch　as　possession；　in　right；　can　never　remain　fixed；　it　is　impossible；　in　fact；　that　it　can　ever　become　property。

Every　occupant　is；　then；　necessarily　a　possessor　or　usufructuary；a　function　which　excludes　proprietorship。　　Now；　this　is　the　right　of　the　usufructuary：　he　is　responsible　for　the　thing　entrusted　to　him；　he　must　use　it　in　conformity　with　general　utility；　with　a　view　to　its　preservation　and　development；　he　has　no　power　to　transform　it；　to　diminish　it；　or　to　change　its　nature；　he　cannot　so　divide　the　usufruct　that　another　shall　perform　the　labor　while　he　receives　the　product。　　In　a　word；　the　usufructuary　is　under　the　supervision　of　society；　submitted　to　the　condition　of　labor　and　the　law　of　equality。

Thus　is　annihilated　the　Roman　definition　of　propertyTHE　RIGHT　OF　USE　AND　ABUSEan　immorality　born　of　violence；　the　most　monstrous　pretension　that　the　civil　laws　ever　sanctioned。　　Man　receives　his　usufruct　from　the　hands　of　society；　which　alone　is　the　permanent　possessor。　　The　individual　passes　away；　society　is　deathless。

What　a　profound　disgust　fills　my　soul　while　discussing　such　simple　truths　！　Do　we　doubt　these　things　to…day？　　Will　it　be　necessary　to　again　take　arms　for　their　triumph？　　And　can　force；　in　default　of　reason；　alone　introduce　them　into　our　laws？

ALL　HAVE　AN　EQUAL　RIGHT　OF　OCCUPANCY。

THE　AMOUNT　OCCUPIED　BEING　MEASURED；　NOT　BY　THE　WILL；　BUT　BY　THE　VARIABLE　CONDITIONS　OF　SPACE　AND　NUMBER；　PROPERTY　CANNOT　EXIST。

This　no　code　has　ever　expressed；　this　no　constitution　can　admit！　　These　are　axioms　which　the　civil　law　and　the　law　of　nations　deny！　。　。　。　。　。

But　I　hear　the　exclamations　of　the　partisans　of　another　system：　　〃Labor；　labor！　that　is　the　basis　of　property！〃

Reader；　do　not　be　deceived。　　This　new　basis　of　property　is　worse　than　the　first；　and　I　shall　soon　have　to　ask　your　pardon　for　having　demonstrated　things　clearer；　and　refuted　pretensions　more　unjust；　than　any　which　we　have　yet　considered。



CHAPTER　III。　LABOR　AS　THE　EFFICIENT　CAUSE　OF　THE　DOMAIN　OF　PROPERTY。

Nearly　all　the　modern　writers　on　jurisprudence；　taking　their　cue　from　the　economists；　have　abandoned　the　theory　of　first　occupancy　as　a　too　dangerous　one；　and　have　adopted　that　which　regards　property　as　born　of　labor。　　In　this　they　are　deluded；　they　reason　in　a　circle。　　To　labor　it　is　necessary　to　occupy；　says　M。　Cousin。

Consequently；　I　have　added　in　my　turn；　all　having　an　equal　right　of　occupancy；　to　labor　it　is　necessary　to　submit　to　equality。　　〃The　rich；〃　exclaims　Jean　Jacques；　〃have　the　arrogance　to　say；　‘I　built　this　wall；　I　earned　this　land　by　my　labor。'　　Who　set　you　the　tasks？　we　may　reply；　and　by　what　right　do　you　demand　payment　from　us　for　labor　which　we　did　not　impose　upon　you？〃　　All　sophistry　falls　to　the　ground　in　the　presence　of　this　argument。

But　the　partisans　of　labor　do　not　see　that　their　system　is　an　absolute　contradiction　of　the　Code；　all　the　articles　and　provisions　of　which　suppose　property　to　be　based　upon　the　fact　of　first　occupancy。　　If　labor；　through　the　appropriation　which　results　from　it；　alone　gives　birth　to　property；　the　Civil　Code　lies；　the　charter　is　a　falsehood；　our　whole　social　system　is　a　violation　of　right。　　To　this　conclusion　shall　we　come；　at　the　end　of　the　discussion　which　is　to　occupy　our　attention　in　this　chapter　and　the　following　one；　both　as　to　the　right　of　labor　and　the　fact　of　property。　　We　shall　see；　on　the　one　hand；　our　legislation　in　opposition　to　itself；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　our　new　jurisprudence　in　opposition　both　to　its　own　principle　and　to　our　legislation。

I　have　asserted　that　the　system　which　bases　property　upon　labor　implies；　no　less　than　that　which　bases　it　upon　occupation；　the　equality　of　fortunes；　and　the　reader　must　be　impatient　to　learn　how　I　propose　to　deduce　this　law　of　equality　from　the　inequality　of　skill　and　faculties：　directly　his　curiosity　shall　be　satisfied。　　But　it　is　proper　that　I　should　call　his　attention　for　a　moment　to　this　remarkable　feature　of　the　process；　to　wit；　the　substitution　of　labor　for　occupation　as　the　principle　of　property；　and　that　I　should　pass　rapidly　in　review　some　of　the　prejudices　to　which　proprietors　are　accustomed　to　appeal；　which　legislation　has　sanctioned；　and　which　the　system　of　labor　completely　overthrows。

Reader；　were　you　ever　present　at　the　examination　of　a　criminal？　　Have　you　watched　his　tricks；　his　turns；　his　evasions；　his　distinctions；　his　equivocations？　　Beaten；　all　his　assertions　overthrown；　pursued　like　a　fallow　deer　by　the　in　exorable　judge；　tracked　from　hypothesis　to　hypothesis；he　makes　a　statement；　he　corrects　it；　retracts　it；　contradicts　it；　he　exhausts　all　the　tricks　of　dialectics；　more　subtle；　more　ingenious　a　thousand　times　than　he　who　invented　the　seventy…two　forms　of　the　syllogism。　　So　acts　the　proprietor　when　called　upon　to　defend　his　right。　　At　first　he　refuses　to　reply；　he　exclaims；　he　threatens；　he　defies；　then；　forced　to　accept　the　discussion；　he　arms　himself　with　chicanery；　he　surrounds　himself　with　formidable　artillery；　crossing　his　fire；　opposing　one　by　one　and　all　together　occupation；　possession；　limitation；　covenants；　immemorial　custom；　and　universal　consent。　　Conquered　on　this　ground；　the　proprietor；　like　a　wounded　boar；　turns　on　his　pursuers。　　〃I　have　done　more　than　occupy；〃　he　cries　with　terrible　emotion；　〃I　have　labored；　produced；　improved；　transformed；　CREATED。　　This　house；　these　fields；　these　trees　are　the　work　of　my　hands；　I　changed　these　brambles　into　a　vineyard；　and　this　bush　into　a　fig…tree；　and　to…day　I　reap　the　harvest　of　my　labors。　　I　have　enriched　the　soil　with　my　sweat；　I　have　paid　those　men　who；　had　they　not　had　the　work　which　I　gave　them；　would　have　died　of　hunger。　　No　one　shared　with　me　the　trouble　and　expense；　no　one　shall　share　with　me　the　benefits。〃

You　have　labored；　proprietor！　why　then　do　you　speak　of　original　occupancy？　　What；　were　you　not　sure　of　your　right；　or　did　you　hope　to　deceive　men；　and　make　justice　an　illusion？　　Make　haste；　then；　to　acquaint　us　with　your　mode　of　defence；　for　the　judgment　will　be　final；　and　you　know　it　to　be　a　question　of　restitution。

You　have　labored！　but　what　is　there　in　common　between　the　labor　which　duty　compels　you　to　perform；　and　the　appropriation　of　things　in　which　there　is　a　common　interest？　　Do　you　not　know　that　domain　over　the　soil；　like　that　over　air　and　light；　cannot　be　lost　by　prescription？

You　have　labored！　have　you　never　made　others　labor？　　Why；　then；　have　they　lost　in　laboring　for　you　what　you　have　gained　in　not　laboring　for　them？

You　have　labored！　very　well；　but　let　us　see　the　results　of　your　labor。　　We　will　count；　weigh；　and　measure　them。　　It　will　be　the　judgment　of　Balthasar；　for　I　swear　by　balance；　level；　and　square；　that　if　you　have　appropriated　another's　labor　in　any　way　whatsoever；　you　shall　restore　it　every　stroke。

Thus；　the　principle　of　occupation　is　abandoned；　no　longer　is　it　said；　〃The　land　belongs　to　him　who　first　gets　possession　of　it。　　Property；　forced　into　its　first　intrenchment；　repudiates　its　old　adage；　justice；　ashamed；　retracts　her　maxims；　and　sorrow　lowers　her　bandage　over　her　blushing　cheeks。　　And　it　was　but　yesterday　that　this　progress　in　social　philosophy　began：　fifty　centuries　required　for　the　extirpation　of　a　lie！　　During　this　lamentable　period；　how　many　usurpations　have　been　sanctioned；　how　many　invasions　glorified；　how　many　conquests　celebrated！　　The　absent　dispossessed；　the　poor　banished；　the　hungry　excluded　by　wealth；　which　is　so　ready　and　bold　in　action！　　Jealousies　and　wars；　incendiarism　and　bloodshed；　among　the　nations！　　But　henceforth；　thanks　to　the　age　and　its　spirit；　it　is　to　be　admitted　that　the　earth　is　not　a　prize　to　be　won　in　a　race；　in　the　absence　of　any　other　obstacle；　there　is　a　place　for　everybody　under　the　sun。　　Each　one　may　harness　his　goat　to　the　bear