what is property-第21章

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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　bearn；　drive　his　cattle　to　pasture；　sow　a　corner　of　a　field；　and　bake　his　bread　by　his　own　fireside。

But；　no；　each　one　cannot　do　these　things。　　I　hear　it　proclaimed　on　all　sides；　〃Glory　to　labor　and　industry！　to　each　according　to　his　capacity；　to　each　capacity　according　to　its　results！〃　　And　I　see　three…fourths　of　the　human　race　again　despoiled；　the　labor　of　a　few　being　a　scourge　to　the　labor　of　the　rest。


〃The　problem　is　solved；〃　exclaims　M。　Hennequin。　　〃Property；　the　daughter　of　labor；　can　be　enjoyed　at　present　and　in　the　future　only　under　the　protection　of　the　laws。　　It　has　its　origin　in　natural　law；　it　derives　its　power　from　civil　law；　and　from　the　union　of　these　two　ideas；　LABOR　and　PROTECTION；　positive　legislation　results。〃　。　。　。


Ah！　THE　PROBLEM　IS　SOLVED！　PROPERTY　IS　THE　DAUGHTER　OF　LABOR！　　What；　then；　is　the　right　of　accession；　and　the　right　of　succession；　and　the　right　of　donation；　&c。；　if　not　the　right　to　become　a　proprietor　by　simple　occupancy？　　What　are　your　laws　concerning　the　age　of　majority；　emancipation；　guardianship；　and　interdiction；　if　not　the　various　conditions　by　which　he　who　is　already　a　laborer　gains　or　loses　the　right　of　occupancy；　that　is；　property？

Being　unable；　at　this　time；　to　enter　upon　a　detailed　discussion　of　the　Code；　I　shall　content　myself　with　examining　the　three　arguments　oftenest　resorted　to　in　support　of　property。　　1。　APPROPRIATION；　or　the　formation　of　property　by　possession；　2。　THE　CONSENT　OF　MANKIND；　3。　PRESCRIPTION。　　I　shall　then　inquire　into　the　effects　of　labor　upon　the　relative　condition　of　the　laborers　and　upon　property。

％　1。The　Land　cannot　be　Appropriated。


〃It　would　seem　that　lands　capable　of　cultivation　ought　to　be　regarded　as　natural　wealth；　since　they　are　not　of　human　creation；　but　Nature's　gratuitous　gift　to　man；　but　inasmuch　as　this　wealth　is　not　fugitive；　like　the　air　and　water；inasmuch　as　a　field　is　a　fixed　and　limited　space　which　certain　men　have　been　able　to　appropriate；　to　the　exclusion　of　all　others　who　in　their　turn　have　consented　to　this　appropriation；the　land；　which　was　a　natural　and　gratuitous　gift；　has　become　social　wealth；　for　the　use　of　which　we　ought　to　pay。〃SAY：　　POLITICAL　ECONOMY。


Was　I　wrong　in　saying；　at　the　beginning　of　this　chapter；　that　the　economists　are　the　very　worst　authorities　in　matters　of　legislation　and　philosophy？　　It　is　the　FATHER　of　this　class　of　men　who　clearly　states　the　question；　How　can　the　supplies　of　Nature；　the　wealth　created　by　Providence；　become　private　property？　and　who　replies　by　so　gross　an　equivocation　that　we　scarcely　know　which　the　author　lacks；　sense　or　honesty。　　What；　I　ask；　has　the　fixed　and　solid　nature　of　the　earth　to　do　with　the　right　of　appropriation？　　I　can　understand　that　a　thing　LIMITED　and　STATIONARY；　like　the　land；　offers　greater　chances　for　appropriation　than　the　water　or　the　sunshine；　that　it　is　easier　to　exercise　the　right　of　domain　over　the　soil　than　over　the　atmosphere：　but　we　are　not　dealing　with　the　difficulty　of　the　thing；　and　Say　confounds　the　right　with　the　possibility。　　We　do　not　ask　why　the　earth　has　been　appropriated　to　a　greater　extent　than　the　sea　and　the　air；　we　want　to　know　by　what　right　man　has　appropriated　wealth　WHICH　HE　DID　NOT　CREATE；　AND　WHICH　NATURE　GAVE　TO　HIM　GRATUITOUSLY。

Say；　then；　did　not　solve　the　question　which　he　asked。　　But　if　he　had　solved　it；　if　the　explanation　which　he　has　given　us　were　as　satisfactory　as　it　is　illogical；　we　should　know　no　better　than　before　who　has　a　right　to　exact　payment　for　the　use　of　the　soil；　of　this　wealth　which　is　not　man's　handiwork。　　Who　is　entitled　to　the　rent　of　the　land？　　The　producer　of　the　land；　without　doubt。　　Who　made　the　land？　　God。　　Then；　proprietor；　retire！

But　the　creator　of　the　land　does　not　sell　it：　he　gives　it；　and；　in　giving　it；　he　is　no　respecter　of　persons。　　Why；　then；　are　some　of　his　children　regarded　as　legitimate；　while　others　are　treated　as　bastards？　　If　the　equality　of　shares　was　an　original　right；　why　is　the　inequality　of　conditions　a　posthumous　right？

Say　gives　us　to　understand　that　if　the　air　and　the　water　were　not　of　a　FUGITIVE　nature；　they　would　have　been　appropriated。　　Let　me　observe　in　passing　that　this　is　more　than　an　hypothesis；　it　is　a　reality。　　Men　have　appropriated　the　air　and　the　water；　I　will　not　say　as　often　as　they　could；　but　as　often　as　they　have　been　allowed　to。

The　Portuguese；　having　discovered　the　route　to　India　by　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　pretended　to　have　the　sole　right　to　that　route；　and　Grotius；　consulted　in　regard　to　this　matter　by　the　Dutch　who　refused　to　recognize　this　right；　wrote　expressly　for　this　occasion　his　treatise　on　the　〃Freedom　of　the　Seas；〃　to　prove　that　the　sea　is　not　liable　to　appropriation。

The　right　to　hunt　and　fish　used　always　to　be　confined　to　lords　and　proprietors；　to…day　it　is　leased　by　the　government　and　communes　to　whoever　can　pay　the　license…fee　and　the　rent。　　To　regulate　hunting　and　fishing　is　an　excellent　idea；　but　to　make　it　a　subject　of　sale　is　to　create　a　monopoly　of　air　and　water。

What　is　a　passport？　　A　universal　recommendation　of　the　traveller's　person；　a　certificate　of　security　for　himself　and　his　property。　　The　treasury；　whose　nature　it　is　to　spoil　the　best　things；　has　made　the　passport　a　means　of　espionage　and　a　tax。　　Is　not　this　a　sale　of　the　right　to　travel？

Finally；　it　is　permissible　neither　to　draw　water　from　a　spring　situated　in　another's　grounds　without　the　permission　of　the　proprietor；　because　by　the　right　of　accession　the　spring　belongs　to　the　possessor　of　the　soil；　if　there　is　no　other　claim；　nor　to　pass　a　day　on　his　premises　without　paying　a　tax；　nor　to　look　at　a　court；　a　garden；　or　an　orchard；　without　the　consent　of　the　proprietor；　nor　to　stroll　in　a　park　or　an　enclosure　against　the　owner's　will：　every　one　is　allowed　to　shut　himself　up　and　to　fence　himself　in。　　All　these　prohibitions　are　so　many　positive　interdictions；　not　only　of　the　land；　but　of　the　air　and　water。　　We　who　belong　to　the　proletaire　class：　property　excommunicates　us！　　_Terra；　et　aqua；　et　aere；　et　igne　interdicti　sumus_。

Men　could　not　appropriate　the　most　fixed　of　all　the　elements　without　appropriating　the　three　others；　since；　by　French　and　Roman　law；