St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-06-15
THE FAVORED ELDEST SON.

How the Doctrine Of FrlmogeWiture % Re-
garded BY Dsaereat Nssioes.
Mr.. Cecil claims to be the first writer
who has, 50 to speak, gone all round
the world, and all through history, in
search of primogeniturc. He glances
at the Jews with their habit of attach.
ing a sacred import to the title OF first
born. In classical Greece he finds no
trace of primogeniture. As in ancient
Germany, equal division was the rule.
the Mahometans know nothing OF 1t.
They gave each male twice rs much of
the inheritance rs two females. and
SO stopped by anticipation all nonsense
about women's rights The invading
Teuton grated primogeniture on the
Roman Jurisprudence by using his sys-
tenn Of craftsmanship as the thin end OF
the grating wedge. 1t grew slowly
among us as fcudal measure, but 1t
was long after the Norman conquest
before the descendants of the first-born
obtained q settled priority over an
elder representative of previous gem
Grafton. According to Sir Henry Maine,
it owes its eventful supremacy to the
pitiably low level of social organiza-
ton which characterized the declining
days of the Carlovingian empire. Any
thing was better than chaos. and the
old scramble was carrying affairs into
that domain.
In the seventeenth century Jersey
prayed for a law af entail to stop the
infinite subdivision of its land, and its
prayer was granted. 1.-The children of
the better sort, depending on their par
titions, give not themselves TO
trades" 1t was . mistake, and the
island is now slowly working its way
back to the old state of things. Our
colonies take their own course. in this
as in other matters In Canada pri-
mogeniture has virtually disappeared.
That is to say, it is not enforced by
law, and in practice no one thinks of
making an eldest son. This is exactly
the state ofthings in the United States.
An American enjoys perfect liberty of
bequcst, but he rarely employs it in
bcggaring all his children but one. A
few of the older families have INDUCED
in that luxury, and they have their re-
ward, such as it is, in a hereditary sue
cession of millionaires. But public
opinion is altogether against the prac-
tice, and it is generally understood
that rough coarseness and brutality
must be counteracted At less cost In
Lower Canada equal division is the
rule, without distinction of sex, or
primogeniture. They are not of John
sons way of thinking. IAN ancient es-
tate should always go to males 1t is
mighty foolish to let a stranger have it
because he marries your daughter and
takes your name. As for an estate
newly acquired by trade, you may
give it If you will to the dog Towser,
and let him keep his own name" The
Lower Canadians compel even Towser
to share and share alike with the rest
Of the family.
So, VIGOROUSLY. they 90 in France.
There is an equal distribution among
all the children without distinction of
sex or age. With this, however, rs the
principle, there is an option of leaving
away fraction of the property, and
out of the fund thus created slightly
increasing the share of any child. But
each of the children is quite sure Of
getting a portion, and by that great
principle France stands or falls It is
the chief reason why she stands, though
our authors fail to see it. The general
diffusion, not of wealth. but of means,
is the cornerstone of French pros
perity. Everybody has something. or
the hope of something. None is SO
poor hut he has his prospect of little
inheritance. Hence the enormous
wealth of the community rs q whole.
the facility with which the people. as
distinct from the mere financiers, raise
millions in a single night at the beck
of . government There is nothing
like it elsewhere in the whole world
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