The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-04-04
The Feudal System.

Roman Empire benefit mankind In
generals To a certain extent,
it did: for it gave to the people
new start; it was another change
in the evolution of the human
race, leading to true state OF
civilization.
AS the Romans lost their pos
sessions, they were Of course
seized upon by the conquerOrs.
Nations, who had been held sub
ject to Rome, came back into
possession of there own, but any
thing like uniform settlement
did not take place for a great mum
Der of years. Nations fought
against nations and internal wars
and rebelliOns occurred between
different factions in almost every
country.
At last, after many years, IA
system slowly developed itself.
1t was known az the "FeudaI
System. The leaders of men, in
the different conflicts, that is Of
course the successful ones, as
sumed control of large tracts of
land, claiming the ownership
thereof by right of force.
In many instances, they gave
to themselves the titles to the
land which they held; and in after
years, these titles were ratified by
the rulers of the nations in which
such lands were situated. The
King also used the power of crea-
ting mobiles and giving to them
large grants of land at any time it
suited his fancy. When the prin-
ciple land holders of England sub
mitted to the yoke of military
tenure and surrendered their lands
into the hands Of the Congueror
at the council of Sarum, feudality,
the previous existence or nOn-ex-
istence of which has been sub
ject of much discussion, was for
mally recognized, and it hence
forth became fundamental max
i'm in the law of real property, that
"the king is The universal lord
and original proprietor of all the
lands in his kingdom, and that no
man doth or can possess any part
of it, but what has mediately or
Immediately been derived as a
gift from him, to be held upon
feudal services" Blackstone Vol
ii page 81 Keris edition J This
maxim, though, as Blackstone re
marks, it was even at first little
more than q fiction, was not pecu
liar to England, but prevailed
wherever the feudal system Oh
tanned, and still forms what may
be called the starting point in all
feudal tenures of land.
As all land was therefore vested
in the king, the lord held his
lands on condition of certain SER
vices which he was to perform,
the most important of which was
to assist the king with soldiers
and means in times of foreign
wars. Apart from the duties to
which he was thus bound, he was
not only free man, but his posi-
ton was that almost of an indie.
pendent sovereign within his own
small dominiOns. If his holding
was at all an extensive one he
lived In fortified castle, not only
for purposes Of defence. but to en-
able him to pursue that life of ra
pine which in lawless times was
not considered inconsistent with
honesty and personal worth.
These large land owners would
not of course descend to manual
labor,--for they knew full well
that if they owned the land,
from which all things must come,
THEY WOULD UNDOUBTED
LIZ OWN THE PEOPLE WHO
WORKED THAT LAND.
The Feudal System, then, only
differed from the Slavery System
which preceded it. in the method
in which the laborer was owned
The Slave did not sell his labor to
the slave owner. The Slave,
along with his labor, was sold
once for all to his owner. He was
a commodity which passed from
the hand of one owner to that Of
another. He, himself, was a COM