Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1891-09-05
fcrminatino, ono set of planss ana male.

terminating Ouc ooU u PAesASo eAA~. s.sO
ing the soil bear another set in their
place, you have constituted yourself
lord of this soil for all succeeding time.
''Oh, those natural products which
destroyed were of little or no use:
whereas caused the earth TO bring
forth things good for food-things that
help to give life and happiness.
''Still, you have not shown why such
a process makes the portion of earth yon |
have SO modified yours. What is it that |
YOU have done? You have turned over |
the soil to n few inches in depth with Q
spade or pillow; you have scattered
over this prepared surface a few seeds; |
and you have gathered the fruits which |
the sum- rain and air helped the soil to |
produce Just tell me, if you please, |
by what magic have these acts made yoa
sole owner of that vast mass of matter,
having for its base the surface Of your
estate. and for its apex the center OF
the globe, all of which, it appears, 20"
would monopolize to yourself and your
descendants forever"
s.Wcll, if it isn't mine, whose is it? I
have dispossessed nobody. When
| crossed the Mississippi yonder. found
nothing but the silent woods II some
| one else had settled here and made this
clearing he would have had as good
right to the location as ] have. have
done nothing but what any other per-
son was at liberty to do had he come be-
fore me. While they were unreclaimcd.
these lands belonged to all men-as
much to one as to anothcr-and they
are now mine simply because ! was the
first to discover and improve them
"You say truly. when You say that
| while they were unreclailncd these
lands belonged to all men,. And II is
my duty to tell Won that they belong 10
all men still; and that Your improve
ments,' as you call them. can not vlt,ate
the claim of all men. You may pillow
and harrow. and sow and reap; you
NAV turn over the soil as often you
like: but all your manipulations vii!
fail to make that soil yours. which was
not yours to begin with. Let me put a
case. Suppose now that in the course
of your wanderings You come upon an
empty house, which in spite of its dilap-
idated state takes your fancy; suppose
that with the intention of making it
your abode Won expend much time and
trouble in repairing it-that you paint
and paper and yvhitew wash and at con-
siderable cost bring it into habita BILE
state Suppose. further, that on some
fatal Gay a stranger is announced, who
turns out to be the heir to whom tins
house has been bcqueathed, and that
this profcsscd heir is prepared with all
the necessary proofs of his identity;
what becomes of your Improvements?
Do thev give YOU a valid title to the
house? DO they quash the title OF the
original claimant?'
| No"
Neither then do your pioneering
operations give you valid title to this
J. y, hn la
of its original claimauts-the human
race. The world is Gods bequest to
mankind. All men are joint heirs to
it: Won among the number. And be-
cause YOU have taken up your residence
, on q certain part of it, and have sub
ducd cultivated, bcautified that part
improved it as you say-you are not.
, therefore, warranted in appropriating
| it as entirely private property. At
| least. if you do so, yon may at any mo
nent be justly expelled by the lawful
: owner-Society.
e Well but surely you would not eject
=. me without making some recompense
4 for the great additional value have
j., given to this tract by reducing wha'
6 was wilderness into fertile fields. Yor
!, wouid not turn me adrift and deprive
y me of all the benefits of those years o.
I
h its present state
II "Of course not: just as in the case OF
r., the house. YOU would have an equita biz
J. title to compensation from the proprie
@ tor for repairs and new fittings, so the
= community can not justly take posses
u sion of this estate, without paying fo
+ all that you have done to it. This extr;
e worth which your labor has impaired
;. to it is fairly yours: and although yo'
have without leave, busted yourself il
\, lettering what belongs to the commu
= n;tv vet no doubt the community viii
q duly discharge your claim. But admit
:, ting this is quite a different thin,
IS from recognizing your right to the lam
4 itself 1t may be true that you are en-
.. titled to compensation for the improve
y, rnents this incIosure has received a
10 your hands; and at the same time
n may be equally true that no act. form
- proceeding ceremony can make thl
n Enclosure your private property
r TO BE CONTINUED.