what is property-第72节

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ly；　that　if　the　suppression　of　custom…houses　involves　the　abolition　of　national　property；　it　involves　also；　as　a　consequence；　the　abolition　of　individual　property？

In　fact；　if　we　suppress　the　custom…houses；　the　alliance　of　the　nations　is　declared　by　that　very　act；　their　solidarity　is　recognized；　and　their　equality　proclaimed。　　If　we　suppress　the　custom…houses；　the　principle　of　association　will　not　be　slow　in　reaching　from　the　State　to　the　province；　from　the　province　to　the　city；　and　from　the　city　to　the　workshop。　　But；　then；　what　becomes　of　the　privileges　of　authors　and　artists？　　Of　what　use　are　the　patents　for　invention；　imagination；　amelioration；　and　improvement？　　When　our　deputies　write　a　law　of　literary　property　by　the　side　of　a　law　which　opens　a　large　breach　in　the　custom…　house　they　contradict　themselves；　indeed；　and　pull　down　with　one　hand　what　they　build　up　with　the　other。　　Without　the　custom…　house。　　literary　property　does　not　exist；　and　the　hopes　of　our　starving　authors　are　frustrated。　　For；　certainly　you　do　not　expect；　with　the　good　man　Fourier；　that　literary　property　will　exercise　itself　in　China　to　the　profit　of　a　French　writer；　and　that　an　ode　of　Lamartine；　sold　by　privilege　all　over　the　world；　will　bring　in　millions　to　its　author！　　The　poet's　work　is　peculiar　to　the　climate　in　which　he　lives；　every　where　else　the　reproduction　of　his　works；　having　no　market　value；　should　be　frank　and　free。　　But　what！　will　it　be　necessary　for　nations　to　put　themselves　under　mutual　surveillance　for　the　sake　of　verses；　statues；　and　elixirs？　　We　shall　always　have；　then；　an　excise；　a　city…toll；　rights　of　entrance　and　transit；　custom…houses　finally；　and　then；　as　a　reaction　against　privilege；　smuggling。

Smuggling！　　That　word　reminds　me　of　one　of　the　most　horrible　forms　of　property。　　〃Smuggling；〃　you　have　said；　sir；＇1＇　〃is　an　offence　of　political　creation；　it　is　the　exercise　of　natural　liberty；　defined　as　a　crime　in　certain　cases　by　the　will　of　the　sovereign。　　The　smuggler　is　a　gallant　man；a　man　of　spirit；　who　gaily　busies　himself　in　procuring　for　his　neighbor；　at　a　very　low　price；　a　jewel；　a　shawl；　or　any　other　object　of　necessity　or　luxury；　which　domestic　monopoly　renders　excessively　dear。〃　　Then；　to　a　very　poetical　monograph　of　the　smuggler；　you　add　this　dismal　conclusion；that　the　smuggler　belongs　to　the　family　of　Mandrin；　and　that　the　galleys　should　be　his　home！

＇1＇　Lecture　of　Jan。　　15；　1841。




But；　sir；　you　have　not　called　attention　to　the　horrible　exploitation　which　is　carried　on　in　this　way　in　the　name　of　property。

It　is　said；and　I　give　this　report　only　as　an　hypothesis　and　an　illustration；　for　I　do　not　believe　it；it　is　said　that　the　present　minister　of　finances　owes　his　fortune　to　smuggling。　　M。　Humann；　of　Strasbourg；　sent　out　of　France；　it　is　said；　enormous　quantities　of　sugar；　for　which　he　received　the　bounty　on　exportation　promised　by　the　State；　then；　smuggling　this　sugar　back　again；　he　exported　it　anew；　receiving　the　bounty　on　exportation　a　second　time；　and　so　on。　　Notice；　sir；　that　I　do　not　state　this　as　a　fact；　I　give　it　only　as　it　is　told；　not　endorsing　or　even　believing　it。　　My　sole　design　is　to　fix　the　idea　in　the　mind　by　an　example。　　If　I　believed　that　a　minister　had　committed　such　a　crime；　that　is；　if　I　had　personal　and　authentic　knowledge　that　he　had；　I　would　denounce　M。　Humann；　the　minister　of　finances；　to　the　Chamber　of　Deputies；　and　would　loudly　demand　his　expulsion　from　the　ministry。

But　that　which　is　undoubtedly　false　of　M。　Humann　is　true　of　many　others；　as　rich　and　no　less　honorable　than　he。　　Smuggling；　organized　on　a　large　scale　by　the　eaters　of　human　flesh；　is　carried　on　to　the　profit　of　a　few　pashas　at　the　risk　and　peril　of　their　imprudent　victims。　　The　inactive　proprietor　offers　his　merchandise　for　sale；　the　actual　smuggler　risks　his　liberty；　his　honor；　and　his　life。　　If　success　crowns　the　enterprise；　the　courageous　servant　gets　paid　for　his　journey；　the　profit　goes　to　the　coward。　　If　fortune　or　treachery　delivers　the　instrument　of　this　execrable　traffic　into　the　hands　of　the　custom…house　officer；　the　master…smuggler　suffers　a　loss　which　a　more　fortunate　voyage　will　soon　repair。　　The　agent；　pronounced　a　scoundrel；　is　thrown　into　prison　in　company　with　robbers；　while　his　glorious　patron；　a　juror；　elector；　deputy；　or　minister；　makes　laws　concerning　expropriation；　monopoly；　and　custom…houses！

I　promised；　at　the　beginning　of　this　letter；　that　no　attack　on　property　should　escape　my　pen；　my　only　object　being　to　justify　myself　before　the　public　by　a　general　recrimination。　　But　I　could　not　refrain　from　branding　so　odious　a　mode　of　exploitation；　and　I　trust　that　this　short　digression　will　be　pardoned。　　Property　does　not　avenge；　I　hope；　the　injuries　which　smuggling　suffers。

The　conspiracy　against　property　is　general；　it　is　flagrant；　it　takes　possession　of　all　minds；　and　inspires　all　our　laws；　it　lies　at　the　bottom　of　all　theories。　　Here　the　proletaire　pursues　property　in　the　street；　there　the　legislator　lays　an　interdict　upon　it；　now；　a　professor　of　political　economy　or　of　industrial　legislation；＇1＇　paid　to　defend　it；　undermines　it　with　redoubled　blows；　at　anothertime；　an　academy　calls　it　in　question；＇2＇　or　inquires　as　to　the　progress　of　its　demolition。＇3＇　　To…day　there　is　not　an　idea；　not　an　opinion；　not　a　sect；　which　does　not　dream　of　muzzling　property。　　None　confess　it；　because　none　are　yet　conscious　of　it；　there　are　too　few　minds　capable　of　grasping　spontaneously　this　ensemble　of　causes　and　effects；　of　principles　and　consequences；　by　which　I　try　to　demonstrate　the　approaching　disappearance　of　property；　on　the　other　hand；　the　ideas　that　are　generally　formed　of　this　right　are　too　divergent　and　too　loosely　determined　to　allow　an　admission；　so　soon；　of　the　contrary　theory。　　Thus；　in　the　middle　and　lower　ranks　of　literature　and　philosophy；　no　less　than　among　the　common　people；　it　is　thought　that；　when　property　is　abolished；　no　one　will　be　able　to　enjoy　the　fruit　of　his　labor；　that　no　one　will　have　any　thing　peculiar　to　himself；　and　that　tyrannical　communism　will　be　established　on　the　ruins　of　family　and　liberty！chimeras；　which　are　to　support　for　a　little　while　longer　the　cause　of　privilege。

＇1＇　　MM。　Blanqui　and　Wolowski。

＇2＇　　Subject　proposed　by　the　Fourth　Class　of　the　Institute；　the　Academy　of　Moral　and　Political　Sciences：　　〃What　would　be　the　effect　upon　the　working…class　of　the　organization　of　labor；　according　to　the　modern　ideas　of　association？〃

＇3＇　　Subject　proposed　by　the　Academy　of　Besancon：　　〃The　economical　and　moral　consequences　in　France；　up　to　the　present　time；　and　those　which　seem　likely　to　appear　in　future；　of　the　law　concerning　the　equal　division　of　hereditary　property　between　the　children。〃





But；　before　determining　precisely　the　idea　of　property；　before　seeking　amid　the　contradictions　of　systems　for　the　common　element　which　must　form　the　basis　of　the　new　right；　let　us　cast　a　rapid　glance　at　the　changes　which；　at　the　various　periods　of　history；　property　has　undergone。　　The　political　forms　of　nations　are　the　expression　of　their　beliefs。　　The　mobility　of　these　forms；　their　modification　and　their　destruction；　are　solemn　experiences　which　show　us　the　value　of　ideas；　and　gradually　eliminate　from　the　infinite　variety　of　customs　the　absolute；　eternal；　and　immutable　truth。　　Now；　we　shall　see　that　every　political　institution　tends；　necessarily；　and　on　pain　of　death；　to　equalize　conditions；　that　every　where　and　always　equality　of　fortunes　（like　equality　of　rights）　has　been　the　social　aim；　whether　the　plebeian　classes　have　endeavored　to　rise　to　political　power　by　means　of　property；　or　whetherrulers　alreadythey　have　used　political　power　to　overthrow　property。　　We　shall　see；　in　short；　by　the　progress　of　society；　that　the　consummation　of　justice　lies　in　the　extinction　of　individual　domain。

For　the　sake　of　brevity；　I　will　disregard　the　testimony　of　ecclesiastical　history　and　Christian　theology：　this　subject　deserves　a　separate　treatise；　and　I　propose　hereafter　to　return　to　it。　　Moses　and　Jesus　Christ　proscribed；　under　the　names　of　usury　and　inequality；＇1＇　all　sorts　of　profit　and　increase。　　The　church　itself；　in　its　purest　teachings；　has　always　condemned　property；　and　when　I　attacked；　not　only　the　authority　of　the　church；　but　also　its　infidelity　to　justice；　I　did　it　to　the　glory　of　religion。　　I　wanted　to　provoke　a　peremptory　reply；　and　to　pave　the　way　for　Christianity's　triumph；　in　spite　of　the　innumerable　attacks　of　which　it　is　at　present　the　object。　　I　hoped　that　an　apologist　would　arise　forthwith；　and；　taking　his　stand　upon　the　Scriptures；　the　Fathers；　the　canons；　and　the　councils　and　constitutions　of　the　Popes；　would　demonstrate　that　the　church　always　has　maintained　the　doctrine　of　equality；　and　would　attribute　to　temporary　necessity　the　contradictions　of　its　discipline。　　Such　a　labor　would　serve　the　cause　of　religion　as　well　as　that　of　equality。　　We　must　know；　sooner　or　later；　whether　Christianity　is　to　be　regenerated　in　the　church　or　out　of　it；　and　whether　this　church　accepts　the　reproaches　cast　upon　it　of　hatred　to　liberty　and　antipathy　to　progress。　　Until　then　we　will　suspend　judgment；　and　content　ourselves　with　placing　before　the　clergy　the　teachings　of　history。

＇1＇　　｛GREE