or； your enervated genius will recover unconquerable energy； and your heart； perhaps already withered； will be rejuvenated！ Every thing will wear a different look to your illuminated vision； new sentiments will engender new ideas within you； religion； morality； poetry； art； language will appear before you in nobler and fairer forms； and thenceforth； sure of your faith； and thoughtfully enthusiastic； you will hail the dawn of universal regeneration！
And you； sad victims of an odious law！you； whom a jesting world despoils and outrages！you； whose labor has always been fruitless； and whose rest has been without hope；take courage！ your tears are numbered！ The fathers have sown in affliction； the children shall reap in rejoicings！
O God of liberty！ God of equality！ Thou who didst place in my heart the sentiment of justice； before my reason could comprehend it； hear my ardent prayer！ Thou hast dictated all that I have written； Thou hast shaped my thought； Thou hast directed my studies； Thou hast weaned my mind from curiosity and my heart from attachment； that I might publish Thy truth to the master and the slave。 I have spoken with what force and talent Thou hast given me： it is Thine to finish the work。 Thou knowest whether I seek my welfare or Thy glory； O God of liberty！ Ah！ perish my memory； and let humanity be free！ Let me see from my obscurity the people at last instructed； let noble teachers enlighten them； let generous spirits guide them！ Abridge； if possible； the time of our trial； stifle pride and avarice in equality； annihilate this love of glory which enslaves us； teach these poor children that in the bosom of liberty there are neither heroes nor great men！ Inspire the powerful man； the rich man； him whose name my lips shall never pronounce in Thy presence； with a horror of his crimes； let him be the first to apply for admission to the redeemed society； let the promptness of his repentance be the ground of his forgiveness！ Then； great and small； wise and foolish； rich and poor； will unite in an ineffable fraternity； and； singing in unison a new hymn； will rebuild Thy altar； O God of liberty and equality！
END OF FIRST MEMOIR。
WHAT IS PROPERTY？
SECOND MEMOIR
A LETTER TO M。 BLANQUI。
WHAT IS PROPERTY？
A LETTER TO M。 BLANQUI。
SECOND MEMOIR。
PARIS； April 1； 1841。 MONSIEUR； Before resuming my 〃Inquiries into Government and Property；〃 it is fitting； for the satisfaction of some worthy people； and also in the interest of order； that I should make to you a plain； straightforward explanation。 In a much…governed State； no one would be allowed to attack the external form of the society； and the groundwork of its institutions； until he had established his right to do so；first； by his morality； second； by his capacity； and； third； by the purity of his intentions。 Any one who； wishing to publish a treatise upon the constitution of the country； could not satisfy this threefold condition； would be obliged to procure the endorsement of a responsible patron possessing the requisite qualifications。
But we Frenchmen have the liberty of the press。 This grand rightthe sword of thought； which elevates the virtuous citizen to the rank of legislator； and makes the malicious citizen an agent of discordfrees us from all preliminary responsibility to the law； but it does not release us from our internal obligation to render a public account of our sentiments and thoughts。 I have used； in all its fulness； and concerning an important question； the right which the charter grants us。 I come to…day； sir； to submit my conscience to your judgment； and my feeble insight to your discriminating reason。 You have criticised in a kindly spiritI had almost said with partiality for the writer a work which teaches a doctrine that you thought it your duty to condemn。 〃The Academy of Moral and Political Sciences；〃 said you in your report； 〃can accept the conclusions of the author only as far as it likes。〃 I venture to hope； sir； that； after you have read this letter； if your prudence still restrains you； your fairness will induce you to do me justice。
MEN； EQUAL IN THE DIGNITY OF THEIR PERSONS AND EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW； SHOULD BE EQUAL IN THEIR CONDITIONS；such is the thesis which I maintained and developed in a memoir bearing the title； 〃What is Property？ or； An Inquiry into the Principle of Right and of Government。〃
The idea of social equality； even in individual fortunes； has in all ages besieged； like a vague presentiment； the human imagination。 Poets have sung of it in their hymns； philosophers have dreamed of it in their Utopias； priests teach it； but only for the spiritual world。 The people； governed by it； never have had faith in it； and the civil power is never more disturbed than by the fables of the age of gold and the reign of Astrea。 A year ago； however； this idea received a scientific demonstration； which has not yet been satisfactorily answered； and； permit me to add； never will be。 This demonstration； owing to its slightly impassioned style； its method of reasoning；which was so at variance with that employed by the generally recognized authorities；and the importance and novelty of its conclusions； was of a nature to cause some alarm； and might have been dangerous； had it not beenas you； sir； so well saida sealed letter； so far as the general public was concerned； addressed only to men of intelligence。 I was glad to see that through its metaphysical dress you recognized the wise foresight of the author； and I thank you for it。 May God grant that my intentions； which are wholly peaceful； may never be charged upon me as treasonable！
Like a stone thrown into a mass of serpents； the First Memoir on Property excited intense animosity； and aroused the passions of many。 But； while some wished the author and his work to be publicly denounced； others found in them simply the solution of the fundamental problems of society； a few even basing evil speculations upon the new light which they had obtained。 It was not to be expected that a system of inductions abstractly gathered together； and still more abstractly expressed； would be understood with equal accuracy in its ensemble and in each of its parts。
To find the law of equality； no longer in charity and self… sacrifice （which are not binding in their nature）； but in justice； to base equality of functions upon equality of persons； to determine the absolute principle of exchange； to neutralize the inequality of individual faculties by collective force； to establish an equation between property and robbery； to change the law of succession without destroying the principle； to maintain the human personality in a system of absolute association； and to save liberty from the chains of communism； to synthetize the monarchical and democratic forms of government； to reverse the division of powers； to give the executive power to the nation； and to make legislation a positive； fixed； and absolute science；what a series of paradoxes！ what a string of delusions！ if I may not say； what a chain of truths！ But it is not my purpose here to pass upon the theory of the right of possession。 I discuss no dogmas。 My only object is to justify my views； and to show that； in writing as I did； I not only exercised a right； but performed a duty。
Yes； I have attacked property； and shall attack it again； but； sir； before demanding that I shall make the amende honorable for having obeyed my conscience and spoken the exact truth； condescend； I beg of you； to cast a glance at the events which are happening around us； look at our deputies； our magistrates； our philosophers； our ministers； our professors； and our publicists； examine their methods of dealing with the matter of property； count up with me the restrictions placed upon it every day in the name of the public welfare； measure the breaches already made； estimate those which society thinks of making hereafter； add the ideas concerning property held by all theories in common； interrogate history； and then tell me what will be left； half a century hence； of this old right of property； and； thus perceiving that I have so many accomplices； you will immediately declare me innocent。
What is the law of expropriation on the ground of public utility； which everybody favors； and which is even thought too lenient？＇1＇
＇1＇ In the Chamber of Deputies； during the session of the fifth of January； 1841； M。 Dufaure moved to renew the expropriation bill； on the ground of public utility。
A flagrant violation of the right of property。 Society indemnifies； it is said； the dispossessed proprietor； but does it return to him the traditional associations； the poetic charm； and the family pride which accompany property？ Naboth； and the miller of Sans…Souci； would have protested against French law； as they protested against the caprice of their kings。 〃It is the field of our fathers；〃 they would have cried； 〃and we will not sell it！〃 Among the ancients； the refusal of the individual limited the powers of the State。 The Roman law bowed to the will of the citizen； and an emperorCommodus； if I remember rightlyabandoned the project of enlarging the forum out of respect for the rights of the