, 1869-06-27
sOPHIsMS or THE PROTECTIVE
POLICY.
lrun,lGttt fur 7hf EA,ea 1'1txs. from tie FreNe
ofN ~ Ealtsdf

lrunslster Jr 7hs CA,eu '1bsa< from the French
4y ~. EaatiaL
spoLAT1oN AND lAW.'
r. TN Psrt<e.io.t.ts n ths Gensrut Cooae n xr''-
nftettrsk-
GxsT1xnxr: Le: Us for lew moments inter
change puodta11a and friendly opinions.
You ARE not willing mat political economy
ahorld beIiey~ and teach free trade.
THIS Is - though you rcte to say. I'VE
are not willing that political economy
should oocupy itself With society, exchange,
vafue, Law, turucc, property. We scoSn.ze ohiy
sre ps.nc'ples-opr'csaona ma spoNaton"
Can ron pn.sihsy conceive Of political -,omy
w,thoos society. Or Of eoc3cty r. ex-
chang. Or Of exchange without 4 Eel-> Z Ea3ae
between the twp articles, q the Two services e1-
changed: Can you possibly conceive the neA Of
salae, except as The fe5uM Of the yext consent Of
The eIrhangeca? Can 5ou conceive OF one pro-
duct being toorth another, II, IN the baltes, one
ri the parties Is nott5s Is II poaz1ble fot you 70
concise Of the tree c'ssens Of Two parties With
not libertys can !ou pozslhly conceive that one
1T tie contracting PARTIES IL deprived OF his ubes-
u unless he ts oppressed by the other7 Can you
possibly oozce,Fs Of an exchnnge Dctween 1n op-
pressoE End one oppressed, unIess the equivalence
OF the services is altered or unless, Is con.e-
qucnce, Law, Justice, aud tne rights Of properly
have been violated:
Whist do you really want? Answer frankly.
fon xre not willing that trade should be free!
fou de8lre, t1en, that It shhl not be free7 You
desire, then, that trade xha1 be carried On under
the sndufnce q oppression For II 1t ls not car
F'ed on under the Influence Of oppression, It would
bc c1171ed OF under the influence OF liberty, and
flat Is what you do not desire. :.
Admit then, that it Ia law and justice which
emta1Tass yoa; that tina. ~htch rro2hlea yoa 1a
rrorerT-uot yoCr own, TO be sure, bat anofh-
era You are altogether unwilling to allow oth-
CTS TO Freely dispose OF theit own property tine
essential condition @: ownership; hut you well
understand bow to dispose Of your owp-snd Of
1selrR-
And, accordingly, 5oa SEX the political ecqno-
1nlSiH u arrange this mass OF AbapstitIes and
taous:7os.ncs IN { tenEi:e and xcu-osue1ed sys-
teiD; 10 establish, Ia accordance with your prar-
1,ee, the theory OF soo1.atton.
But they VIII never DO II: for, In their eyea,
spol,atioa Is principle pf ha:red ana disorder,
AI.d the moal Particularly odioQa form which II
e1o assume il &he koai tor7x. o.
And herr, NJ. Denolt d Azy. I take you to task
Ion are moderate, Impartial and Rene1ons You
Arr willing to saerince .your lnteses1s sud
your fortune Tcls goa constantly dcclarr.
RccentiJ, in the Geneal Council
tpu shid: '+lf the rich haa only to abandon
their wealth 10 make sne people rch We sbon,d Eli
1t ready 10 DO it, laear, hear. 1t Is upe-l
And yesterlAy, In the National Assembly, you
said: ''1f believed that It was In my power TO
give 70 the work1n4meu ali tbs work they need, l
would give ali possess to tral4ze this blessing
Unfortunately, It is Impossible
Although Inc ueeeasuess OF Tie s8crsnce ttyes
sou great pain not TO perform II, and to exclalm;
with B4Efie, "AoneJ! money! detest it-but
will Keep u !" assuredly uo one vii question gen.
etpSstT 30 sese1tive, however barren. ltisa v1r-
TIE which cTes TO envelope ttself In veil Of mod
eRyY especially when II ls purely Intent and mega
1!7s- As for you, you xlll loBs no Opportunity 10
proclaim 1t II she OF oil France from the tn
SFf NAL
But no one desires you to abandon Jurf fortune,
and aduit that It would not solve the, soctal
problem.
Ton wish to be generoua, but cannot only
venture to 2sk tl.nt you VIII be Just Keer your
fortune, bnt permit me also to keep mi1e. Re-
epe1t my properly sa ! respect ycu~a. Ii this TOO
bold request On my part!
Suppose we uSsd IL 3 ca-4ptJy under \ free
t-ade rryf11e where every could dispoae OF his
property and hls labor at pleasure Doez Tits
nAAe Eour hair E,and! Reasslte yourself, THIS ts
ouir M hypothests.
Ono would then be AZ nee as the other. There
would, INDEED. be law Ia the code, hut this laE,
Impartial and lust, would not Infringe our
hnert5 but would guarantee II, ind It wonld take
eject only when We sought to oppreAs each other.
Theru would be oneer1 OF the Law, magistrates
and police; t1t they wonl1 only cxecpte tie iAH,
Tndcr such ; A.ate Of aHairn, suppose that you
owned IN Eon foundry. and that mas Il halter.
"+~~NA>e 4AANA N++9*Al9o*
saouid seek 10 eolge this problem; @Ilow
Ehzu best procure the iron necessary
for my buGness with the least pesai-
hle amount Of labor7" Consldertr8 my
Situation, and my meana Of knowledge. should
discover that the hess thing for to do would be
TO make hats and beu ,uem to Belgian who
would gtre ne Iron IN exchange,
But you. ts.ng the cvner Of an lrun foundry,
and cons:iestpz my case, would say to yourself:
e. sasu ~ oolgrd to eosnFsl that fellow to come
to my shup."
Ton, accordingly. take yo1r sword and pistols,
and, :stnin9 your numerous retinuc, proceed to
the frontier, and 1t the 1nomen, am engaged In
rlaftng ny trade, you cry ont TO me: :" Stop thai
or viii blow yonr bral1s outI" "But, my lord,
an IN me- Of lron-'' IL havc 1t to seuu "But
sir. Jou ask too much for IL ~ "I have my reasons
for tha- ''Bnt. my good s's, also have my res
sons for pscfefring Cheaper hou-'' "WelL We
EEAu sec who shdl decide bet~ cen yonr reasons
and nlnc: Soldiers, ndvanre."
In short, you forbid the entry o! the Belgian
t1or. and Prevent r1e e1por, OF ny hats. !
Under the condition nt things which ne have !
supposed that is, under regime OF liberty, you
cannot deny thet that Tuuld be, on your part. |
antftstly al act Of OPPRESSION and snoliaton,
Accordingly. should resort TO the Law, the
n.agtatrate and the po7 cs Of the government
They 1ould intervene You would ie tiled, con-
deunea snd Justly punished
But this circumstance would suggest to YOU 9 |
fright tdea- Fou Houfl say to youEsetl; HI |
have hten very s:1npt 10 gre 1uyseI 30 much !
srnnhe. What. place myself In posl,ion where
! must Kill rome one, Of be kii1cdi degrade mr.
cell! pat MY dou1estics under arna! Incur heavy |
expenses: give mybtlf the character OF q rubber,
and truder myael t.ANe to the Laws OF the coun- /
try: And al fhts IN order 10 compel = mlsersble !
hstier 70 cou1c to ny foundry 70 buy iron =, ny
price What II suEId Inase Ee interest Of the ar.
Of tbe magistrate, o: the public authorities, my IT,
7 ktk.l
nd!nus as. ~ tho frontier which was about to
Do myself:
E=ch7n1ed by this pleasing proGpet :, you secure
4 nomination to the Chambers, aud obtain the
raxsasr nj law conceived IN the following |
ttrma-
Artielt l. There shall be tA1 levied upon en-
e,bedy {onr especially upon that cursed hst-
maker,
Astiak 2 Tic proceeds Of this TAX shall be ap-
piled 70 the payment of TO guard the frontier
! a the lnteres. OF ironIonnueEs.
1rste3e 3 ]. shnlt be their d1ty 10 prevent the
exchange OF hats or other articles OF merchandise
y 1th the Belgtans for irou-
Arfak / Tho AlaistAxs Of the government TIE
Iru-eruttnz Attorneys ta1lets, customs ot1ce,s
aae oil otle.at1 arc entrusted With the execution
cl thls lAx.
ADMIT III, that in this form robbery would be
f.r mot1 lncsstve more agreeable and less peril
pus than pEde- the arrangements which roo had
RE AfEt 4EEEs sn14ueQ ApQQ+ &1WlL l12l !" yOu u |
would ones v'sy pleasant prospect 'Tou could
most nrsuredly laugh IN yorz sleeve. for would
then haze saddlt1 all tie expenses upon me. r.,
But at1Im thai you would have introduced into !
*t,c1tty F1c1oas principle, Z principle OF immoral
itx OF Disorder Of hatred and Of inceasant reToln
tious; that you would hase prepared the1HaJ for
ai the various schemes Of Foed1iiSu anu coH- |
s1urtEn- .
You, doubtless, tsad mr. hypothesis rery bold
one. Wen, then, ct NJ ress7ae the Gaze / con-
4et1 for the sake ot the Demonstration
6appose thai nm y lxbore9 sDN you an Hon-
founder.
It would be I great advantage to mo 10 buy
Latrtets cheap, a1t even to get them for nothing.
ANA know 1ha4 there are hatehets and ssws IN
5otr es1ab.i5nUeDt Accordingly. without my
ce1euuuy, enter yo1r warehouse md sctfs evcsJ-
thing thxt can 12J ny hAnds npon-f 49,.
Hut In the exercise Of ur1es1umAte right OF self-
defence yoa 1t Gst resist toree with 1orr": st3er
v ards inrokirg the power Of the Law, the nagts-
t.aic and the coilstabes yoo throw me tnto pz!son
-shd you do well. ...
uu. no! Tue thought Suggests itsclf 70 ne that
have been ycI5 awkward IN tnfs tustnen- When |
= person wisne1 to eIIos the property OF other
IHopie he WILL unlesl he IL fool acx N aEzosdanes
with the Law, And not etot0sson of II Coass-
I:e..ts. Just q yo7 have tasdt yourself pro:ec-
Iohihf, will uAlc myself soci4llst- Since you |
have lsld cl4!u 10 Ihe r1ah 10 profit elAlm the
1tJhG 10 labsr. or to tie instrumental Of lsl,or
Fog The rest read my Louis Blanc IN prison,
and know ~ heart ills doc.1lne: " In order to
G:senthral themselves lie common people have !
ett Of tools to work Withs II, IL DE !
1.cu.'. and l2un. II one Admi.s that,
frna In hat !