Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-02-04

| takes the alarm. Men accustomed to look
upon the accumulation of houses and a
ores as the worthy object Of private asnbi-
ton, as it is the sarest basis of power
| dear to all, cannot understand why they
should be limited in the qualification of a
darling desire.
Honest prejudice is always entitled to a
respectful answer. The burden OF proof
| is also upon the innovation. The isnova-
for and the preludices which resists 1t,
must both be brought for judgment, 10
the tribunal Of impartial reason and II
this case must be Judged by those natural
principles Of justice and right which le-
ultimately flow from a consideration OF
the relation ordained by nature. between
the earth and the race which Inhabit
1T.
The earth was given, by the Creator,
for the residence and subsistence of the
race which he placed upon II. 1t was
given for the use and occupation of each
generation, to hold as a trust, first for It's
own support, and next, for the benefit of
posterity. From this original gift, flows
the right to all individual appropriation OF
the soil. What was given TO the race,
was given proportionabiy to each lndlvid-
ual of the race. When the right of man
| kind generally to use, occupy and till the
surface of the earth IS proved, the right
| of each individual to use occupy and TIL
| a proportional part, is also proved. The
right Of property is not IN the substance
of the thing - right which attaches on
/ ~ to the actual results of manual indus
/ try-but to the use alone. The right to
as much soil as is necessary to life and
health and the supply of his natural wants
! is inherent to every individual, natural
| and indefeasible. Civil Society, speak
! ing through the law, ordains only the
manner IN which this right shall be exer-
csed and enjoyed. Any of its ordlnan
| ces which deny or destroy Il, are naces-
sarily unjust
The same law-the law Of Nature
which secures to each Inc lvldual the
right to use as much of the soil as is nee
essary for the supply of his natural wants
forbids him to extend his dominons to
In , injury Of any other The rights Of
all are perfectly equal, and no one can
possibly have a right TO destroy or dunn
Ish the rights of another. There must be
then, some natural limit TO the right of
acquiring dominion ovel land. Were all
other individuals upon the face Of the
earth. TO join 10 conveyance of their IL
tie, to a single person, 1t would bind the
next one born upon the earth By the
very act of his birth, he would be entitled
to as much Of the soil thus monopoIzed,
as is necessary for his comfortable subsis-
tence. If he has right to be at all, he
has right to this. He is under no obi
ration to pay this landlord of the Globe
for the privilege of living. So with re-
card to anv less monopoly. No man, or
body of men, by virtue of any title deeds
whatever, has right 10 such a monopoly
Of the soil, as viii interfere with the right
of each individual, by his own honest IN
/ dustry and without money and without
price, to secure MS livelihood. The right
/ to land Is as sacred as the right to any
other ofthe Elements of Nature; to deny
it. or destroy it, would be not less absurd
and wrong, than to deprive man of AR
! to breathe and water to drink. To take
away from him, the land, without which
| he cannot live, would be DO less a crime,
than to hold his head under the receiver
of an au-pump, while you exhaust the
atmosphere, Tile Declaration of indie
pendence declares, that all men have an
| inalienable hight to life Ii this means
hanv thing at all, 1t means that he has q
ri Int to all the means of living, wbe Their
thly be air, earth, or water. 1t Is the
business of Society, IN It's protection Of
nr;yate rights and the public order, to de-
fine ana declare this limit by law. The
actual amount, in quantity, which each
NAV rightfulIy hold, will vary with the
variation of population. As IT increases,
the quantity of land being fixed, the share
Of each will diminish. That II Will never
decrease we must depend on the wise laws
of Providence 10 prevent.
A safe and convenient rule for the law
to follow, would be 10 limit individual
proprietorship in tllable lands to the ex-
tent of the individuals power of cuItisa-
ton, with such necessary exceptions as
NAV plainly manifest themselves. When
ever we find vast tracts OF fertile land ly-
inc in all the waste of their native wilder
: ness, while huge armies of laborers are
struggling with each other III fatal com
petition In crowded cities, hunting FOL
work and finding none, we may be sure
the principles OF nature have been VIOLA
ted BY the arran geu,ents OF man.
Ii Is to be borne in mind, that any Law
: oF land limitation that may be passed
will be prospective IN its operation In
tercsts which may have grown up unde
the protection of present social order. arr
2 not to be diSreearded- Good faith forbid
4 this But future accumuiationS are 10 D