Part 38 (1/2)

Can you possibly conceive of an exchange between an oppressor and one oppressed, unless the equivalence of the services is altered, or unless, as a consequence, law, justice, and the rights of property have been violated?

What do you really want? Answer frankly

You are not willing that trade should be free!

You desire, then, that it shall not be free? You desire, then, that trade shall be carried on under the influence of oppression? For if it is not carried on under the influence of oppression, it will be carried on under the influence of liberty, and that is what you do not desire

Admit, then, that it is law and justice which embarrass you; that that which troubles you is property--not your own, to be sure, but another's You are altogether unwilling to allow others to freely dispose of their own property (the essential condition of ownershi+p); but you well understand how to dispose of your own--and of theirs

And, accordingly, you ask the political econoe this mass of absurdities and monstrosities in a definite and well-ordered system; to establish, in accordance with your practice, the theory of spoliation

But they will never do it; for, in their eyes, spoliation is a principle of hatred and disorder, and the most particularly odious foral form_

And here, Mr Benoit d' Azy, I take you to task You areto sacrifice your interests and your fortune This you constantly declare Recently, in the General Council, you said: ”If the rich had only to abandon their wealth to make the people rich we should all be ready to do it” [Hear, hear It is true] And yesterday, in the National asseive to the workingive all I possess to realize this blessing

Unfortunately, it is ih it pains you that the sacrifice is so useless that it should not be made, and you exclaim, with Basile, ”Money! money! I detest it--but I will keep it,” assuredly no one will question a generosity so retentive, however barren It is a virtue which loves to envelop itself in a veil of ative

As for you, you will lose no opportunity to proclaim it in the ears of all France froislatif_

But no one desires you to abandon your fortune, and I admit that it would not solve the social probleenerous, but cannot I only venture to ask that you will be just Keep your fortune, but permit me also to keep mine Respect my property as I respect yours Is this too bold a request on my part?

Suppose we lived in a country under a free trade _regime_, where every one could dispose of his property and his labor at pleasure Does this make your hair stand? Reassure yourself, this is only an hypothesis

One would then be as free as the other There would, indeed, be a law in the code, but this law, iuarantee it, and it would take effect only e sought to oppress each other There would be officers of the law, istrates and police; but they would only execute the law Under such a state of affairs, suppose that you owned an iron foundry, and that I was a hatter I should need iron for my business Naturally I should seek to solve this problem: ”How shall I best procure the iron necessary for my business with the least possible a e, I should discover that the best thing for ian ould givethe owner of an iron foundry, and considering ed to _coly, take your sword and pistols, and, ar your numerous retinue, proceed to the frontier, and, at themy trade, you cry out to me: ”Stop that, or I will blow your brains out!” ”But, my lord, I am in need of iron” ”I have it to sell”

”But, sir, you ask too ood sir, I also havecheaper iron” ”Well, we shall see who shall decide between your reasons and mine! Soldiers, advance!”

In short, you forbid the entry of the Belgian iron, and prevent the export of s which we have supposed (that is, under a _regime_ of liberty), you cannot deny that that would be, on your part, manifestly an act of oppression and spoliation

Accordingly, I should resort to the law, the overnment They would intervene You would be tried, condemned, and justly punished

But this circuht idea You would say to yourself: ”I have been very siive myself so much trouble

What! place myself in a position where I rade ive myself the character of a robber, and render myself liable to the laws of the country! And all this in order to compel a miserable hatter to come to my foundry to buy iron at my price! What if I should istrate, of the public authorities, et them to perform the odious act on the frontier which I was about to doprospect, you secure a noe of a law conceived in the following terms:

SECTION 1 There shall be a tax levied upon everybody (but especially upon that cursed hat-maker)

SEC 2 The proceeds of this tax shall be applied to the payuard the frontier in the interest of iron-founders

SEC 3 It shall be their duty to prevent the exchange of hats or other articles of ians for iron