Part 16 (1/2)

It is soleue: _Thou shalt not steal_

When practiced by one individual on another, it is called robbery, and leads to the prison; when practiced alory

Why this difference? It is worth while to search for the cause It will reveal to us an irresistible power, public opinion, which, like the atmosphere, envelopes us so completely that we do not notice it

Rousseau never said a truer thing than this: ”A great deal of philosophy is needed to understand the facts which are very near to us”

The robber, for the reason that he acts alone, has public opinion against him He terrifies all who are about him Yet, if he has companions, he pluin to notice the power of public opinion, for the approbation of his band serves to obliterate all consciousness of his turpitude, and even to make him proud of it The warrior lives in a different at the vanquished He does not feel its influence But the opinion of those by whom he is surrounded approves his acts and sustains him He and his comrades are vividly conscious of the common interest which unites theers, needs to sti, to those who have enlarged the frontiers, and gathered the spoils of war, are given honors, reputation, glory Poets sing their exploits Fair woarlands for them And such is the power of public opinion that it separates the idea of injustice from spoliation, and even rids the despoiler of the consciousness of his wrong-doing

The public opinion which reacts againstthe conquered and not a people), has very little influence But it is not entirely powerless It gains in strength as nations coether and understand one another better

Thus, it can be seen that the study of languages and the free co about the supremacy of an opinion opposed to this sort of spoliation

Unfortunately, it often happens that the nations adjacent to a plundering people are themselves spoilers when opportunity offers, and hence are imbued with the same prejudices

Then there is only one remedy--time It is necessary that nations learn by harsh experience the enor each other

You say there is another restraint--moral influences But moral influences have for their object the increase of virtuous actions How can they restrain these acts of spoliation when these very acts are raised by public opinion to the level of the highest virtues? Is there a ion? Has there ever been a religion more favorable to peace or more universally received than Christianity? And yet what has been witnessed during eighteen centuries?

Men have gone out to battle, not ion

A conquering nation does not alage offensive war Its soldiers are obliged to protect the hearthstones, the property, the families, the independence and liberty of their native land At such a tirandeur The flag, blessed by the ministers of the God of Peace, represents all that is sacred on earth; the people rally to it as the living ie of their country and their honor; the warlike virtues are exalted above all others When the danger is over, the opinion reeance which confounds itself with patriotis from capital to capital It seeressor

It is the fear of this punishress of philosophy, which keeps arms in the arsenals, for it cannot be denied that those people who are most advanced in civilization make war, and bother themselves very little with justice when they have no reprisals to fear

Witness the Hiion has been impotent, if philosophy is powerless, hoar to cease?

Political economy demonstrates that even if the victors alone are considered, war is always begun in the interest of the few, and at the expense of the many All that is needed, then, is that the ht of public opinion, which is yet divided, would then be cast entirely on the side of peace

Forcible spoliation also takes another for in order to rob him, they take possession of the man himself, deprive him of his freedom, and force him to work They do not say to him, ”If you will do this for me, I will do that for you,”

but they say to him, ”You take all the troubles; we all the enjoyments”

This is slavery

Now it is important to inquire whether it is not in the nature of uncontrolled power always to abuse itself

For my part I have no doubt of it, and should as soon expect to see the power that could arrest a stone in falling proceed from the stone itself, as to trust force within any defined limits

I should like to be shown a country where slavery has been abolished by the voluntary action of theexaious sentietic activity of self-interest

This may seem sad to some modern schools which seek the refor the nature of man

In the Antilles the masters, from father to son, have, since slavery was established, professed the Christian religion Many times a day they repeat these words: ”All hbor as thyself; in this are the law and the prophets fulfilled” Yet they hold slaves, and nothing seeitimate or natural Do modern reformers hope that their moral creed will ever be as universally accepted, as popular, as authoritative, or as often on all lips as the Gospel? If _that_ has not passed froreat barrier of self-interest, how can they hope that their system ork this miracle?

Well, then, is slavery invulnerable? No; self-interest, which founded it, will one day destroy it, provided the special interests which have created it do not stifle those general interests which tend to overthrow it

Another truth deressive, and slave labor stationary Hence the triumph of the first over the second is inevitable What has becoo by the blacks?

Free labor, applied to the production of sugar, is constantly causing a reduction in the price Slave property is beco proportionately less valuable to the master Slavery will soon die out in Aislation Accordingly we see to-day the orous efforts to maintain these lahich are the pillars of the edifice