The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-11-26

stituent Assembly OF 1S4S. invokcs IL to excuse
tho tolerant attitude which she afterward
maintained toward tho conspirator who profit
cd by tho crime OF the I'd OF Dcccmbcr2 In other
words. universal suffrage is q t'iing deserving
Of no respect when it acts freely and fcarcssy.
and Expresses the deliberate convictions of n
people as II did In 1S4S. but Ia suddenly invest
ed with an awful sanctity when IL expresses
nothing but terrorism and corruption. as was
the case with tho farcical appeals to the coun-
try made by Louis Bonapartc on Dec. 20 and
q. 1851. and again on Nov. u and %. 1864.
or tho tremendous instruction which con-
vuised Paris for four days tJuno 20 -26. 1SiS)
we hear almost nothing in these letters. al
though We cannot doubt that George Sand
must have been well informed concerning tho
purposes Of this movement, 80 far. at least, as
they wore socialistic. and not Bonapartist.
But we can find not n word upon tho subject
until three months after the event. and even
then the writer's views are expressed with ex
treme caution. You ask me-" she says on
Sept "a. 1913. whether it was socialism that
fought in June at Paris. I believe it was,
although mono of my friends among tho
workingmen thought 1t their duty to take
part in that frghtful struggle. was here at
Nohaut ut tho time. and saw nothing with my
own eyes; can therefore judge only by induc-
ton. think. however. that oil shades of So
ciah I'M must have joined in tho combat. but
do not think that socialism started or directed
the movement l doubt whether il would havo
dominated and regulated the movement had
the insurgents triumphcd. There were.
imagine. all sorts of disappointments and
despairs in that commotion. and consequently
all kinds of fantastic purposes. Louis Bona
parties election by the side of Raspais should
explain TO you in some measure the complica-
tions OF those davs Of june"
.t.,f, ,l,.,,
n rising far more formidable and resolute than
any of those which before or since have proved
successful. throw George Sand into a despair
from which her political principles and aspira-
tons never recovered. 1t will be long" she
writes. before the people will triumph by
lighting. The property owning middle class
has been too profoundly terrified. 1t imagines
that we wish to strip it Of everything, money
and life. and 1t Ands support in the majority of
tho people. which also trembles for the shadow
OF property it owns or dreams Of I be-
lieve the question has been deferred
because 1t WAS wrongly stated on both
sides" Thereupon George Sand proceeds
to give her notion OF tho limitations
within which Socialist doctrines might with
advantage BIO applied. There are, to my
thinking. two kinds of property-individua
property and social property. The middle
class refuse to recognize any but the first: on
the other hand certain Socialists, driven to
extremes by that monstrous Reputation OF
social ownership. will acknowledge only the
second The truth is. however. that the moro
communities civiiize and perfect themselves.
the more they enlarge the common fund in or
der to offer counterpoise to tho abuses and
excesses OF individual ownership. But there
ought To be- also a limitto the extension OF the
property held in common otherwise individual
liberty and the safety Of the family would he
sacrificed" She goes on TO point out that in
her Judgment. tho Ducerc Ministry had a
truly sociaiistic idea in the best sense of the
word. when they sought to give tho State
monopoly Of railroads and Of fire insurance.
These measures" says George Sand " were
perfectly logical and should have been ex-
t"nded in proportion as society reapcd the
profit Of them. Thus everything that has to
do with avenues of communication with roads
canals and those kinds of wealth which by
their nature arc common to everybody. as well
as the great financial measures which relate to
mortgages. or which tend to make money
chcap-all this would have been organized on
socialstic principles in course of time. provid-
ed the mass OF the people had been well dis
posed to such Innovations. But such was not
tho case. because the truth had been
transcribed by socialistic schools. which
went NO far to rob the individ-
ual OF his house. his field his gar
den his coat. and even his wife. II was
fear. n fenr at once pusilannous and frantic.
which took possession OF the middle class
Then. too. the Spectators who under the last
monarchy. POSSESSED themselves OF those
sources and materials Of wealth which should
riGhtfully be enjoyed in common lit is in this
sense that Prudhomme was justified in saying
that property is theft are reluctant to give
back to the community the privileges and fran
chises which essentially appcrtain to tho com
mon domain. IL these spectators could do
what was done under the fcudai systcm-own
bridges roads. rivers, and even human beings
they would doom it perfectly legitimate SO
little do thcy make of tho distinction between
mine and thine in dealing with the community"
About the same date George Sand makes
known her complete encouragement to the
Italian patriot. Joseph Mazzini. Your situa-
ton lat Milanl is more logical and clearer than
our own though ut bottom il comprises the
same elements. You have the foreigner in
front OF you. and the crimes conn mi tted by the
foreigner are Ineligible like the struggle of
the false against the true But we who re-
gained everything in February and who are
letting everything be lost we who cut each |
others throats without lending helping hand |
to anybody. We present 10 tho world an I'M |
heard OF spectacle.
The middle class are getting tho upper |
hand. you will say. ana it is quite natural that
,2otism should become the order OF the day |
But why does the middle class get the upper |
hand when the people is sovereign. and when |
The instrument OF its sovereignty, universal |
suffrage. Is still intact? We must open our |
ayes at last. and the sight Of tho truth is fright
'ul. Tho majority of the French people is |
blind. crodulous, ignorant, ungrateful. ill |
latured stupid; it has in short. the vices OF |
he middle class. white lacking its resources.
There is. to be sure. sublime minority in the
Industrial towns and the great centres without
my tie OF relationship to tho people Of the rural
districts. and destined for long period to be
rushed by the majority. which is bought and
sold by the middle class. In it's womb this
minority bears the reoplo OF tho future: it Is
he veritabie martyr OF humanity. But beside
and around it the mass Of the people includ-
ng even those who fight with the socastic
minority OH certain occasions. is monarchical.
We who beheld the days OF June havo hitherto
that the faubourgs Of Paris had COM
'atcl for tho right TO work. No doubt all did
10 nstinctvely, but here are these new cleo