New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-08-22


The land was owned mostly by Nobcmen, and
was entai!ad in few noble families, so that fAe
possession could not pass out Of tier hands.
The night or ownership OF the soil descended
from generation 10 generation TO the eldest men,
bers of these noble families, and the great bulk
OF the population were consequently excluded
from the soil, and had to come to them to buy or
beg The privilege OF working upon it in order to
produce from it the means of supporting them
selves and their families.
Let US look for moment ct the effect of this
exclusive ownership of the soil by a very small
minority, to the exclusion of the vast majority
it is the most gigantic of all monopolies that has
ever existed.
There are in Great Britain, which comprises
England, Wales, and Scotland, about IL, 900, 600
inhabitants. The great majority must live Of
course by agriculture and manufac,ures-proba-
bly, 100000 by agriculture and 100000 by
manufactures In all countries agriculture is the
fundamental source of subsistence, and it is to
the land that the great majority must go to live
The landed property of Great Britain is in the
hands of less than $4,000 families, or supposing
five persons to family, TO 100000 individuals
Mr.. Celquhoun, q distinguished writer upon sta
tistics, estimates the number of persons Of inde-
pendent fortune, in Great Britain, that is of per-
SONS who can live without daily labor, ut only
$4,000, making with their families 100000, and
in this number he includes merchants, bankers,
sc. We may safely conclude that the great
bulk Of the landed property OF Great Britain is in
the hands of less than $4,000 persons.
We see thus on one hand about 100000 Of
persons, or 100000 Of families, that must live
from the SOIL and on the other hand, the soil
owned by $4,000 families which can exclude
the 100000 from it, and say to them, This
soil is ours, you cannot come upon it without our
permission we will grant you the privilege Of
cultivating it upon certain conditions, but if you
DO not choose to fulfil them you can 60 and
starve." This is the language which false
state of things necessarily puts in the mouths OF
those who have the monopoly of the soil in their
hands. And what are the conditions which the
Two millions must fulfil to obtain The privilege OF
working upon the soil, which, it lie evident, God
created for the whole human race, as they arc all
His children2 The conditions are, that they shall
give to the few who own the soil very nearly all
that they can raise from it by perscvefing and un-
rcni'ting toll. except just enough to support ami
NAL existence, and that in very rude and coarse
way.
Free competition among the lO,000000, who
arc excluded from the right to the soil, induces
them 20 bid against each ether to obtain the priv
lltge of working upon it, and the enormous pri.
ces paid for the leased land in England-a price
which nearly crushes ,hc cultivator-is not III.
effect Of direct extoriion and cUpidity the part
of the land owners, but of reductive competition
among the laboFers. combined with the monopoly
of the soil.
How did this monopoly of the soil take place
In the following manner: During the middle
ages the military Ic.ders or chiefs took the sell
by the force OF the SWORD, each as large tract as
he could get or keep they became The nob'es of
the land, the dukes, earls, Sc and entailed their
estates in their families, so that the exclusive
ownership of the soil became fixed in the few
families which had thus fayc;bly and unjustly
usurped the possession Of it.
This monopoly of the soil may take place in
the United States, although it will be effected in
quite another way, but the same result-the ex-
clusion of the mass from the ght to the soil-wi
follow Already in The older States the landed
property is fast going into the hands of the Capt.
talists, Merchants, the Banks, Trust Companies.
sc. and once there, it is rare that the cultivatcr
will be able to accumulate enough to buy the
land.
The enormous profits which Capital and Com
mercc make will enable them to absorb in time
the landed property Of the country; in, fact they
must invest portion Of their profits in it. for
there arc not otherwise outlets for their accumu-
lated capital
In the first periods OF civilization, or during the
middle ages, the soil was monopolized by direct
encroachment-by the Great Barons, who en-
ployed military force and violence in taking it
In the modern age, the soil will be absorbed by
indirect encrodchment, by the Bankers and Mer-
chants, who, with the aid of the immense profits
which they make, will become gradually posses
sors of it, and the cultivators must go and beg of
them the privilege of cutivating the earth they
now do in Europe OF the titled nobility. A
Commercial euQdIlsul IS IislES III tn'e HloueIH
age in the pl4c, of the Military Feudalism which
is sinking.
If the subsistence o: the People is drawn from
the soil, it is very evident that the People must
have the right to cultivate the soil, and enjoy the
products of their labor. Take from them this
right, and you cut short at once their means OF
subsistence and welfare.
Tho Right to the Soil is of hundred fold more
Importance to the People than the Right TO Vote,
and the other rights which the Constitution guar
antees to them it is of all rights, the fundamen-
tai one.
Intelligent and honorable Statesmen should
endesvor to discover the means of securing to
man the Right to the Soil, while at the same Time
individual Right in Property is respected. How
can this be done
Let them seek for the means with the same
energy and industry that they seek for places Of
individual profit and honor, and they will soon
discover Them The problem however is solred !;
the means are discovered; and ii politicians and
statesmen will not interest themselves in this
orcat question. the People should have common