Principles of Political Economy by John Stuart Mill

Author:John Stuart Mill
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: D. Appleton and Company
Published: 1888-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

As the result of this enquiry into the direct operation and indirect influences of peasant properties, I conceive it to be established, that there is no necessary connexion between this form of landed property and an imperfect state of the arts of production; that it is favourable in quite as many respects as it is unfavourable, to the most effective use of the powers of the soil; that no other existing state of agricultural economy has so beneficial an effect on the industry, the intelligence, the frugality, and prudence of the population, nor tends on the whole so much to discourage an improvident increase of their numbers; and that no existing state, therefore, is on the whole so favourable, both to their moral and their physical welfare. Compared with the English system of cultivation by hired labour, it must be regarded as eminently beneficial to the labouring class.*

* French history strikingly confirms these conclusions. Three times during the course of ages the peasantry have been purchasers of land; and these tiroes immediately preceded the three principal eras of French agricultural prosperity.

u Aux temps les plus mauvais," says the historian Michelet, (Le Penple, Ire

We are not on the present occasion called upon to compare it with the joint ownership of the land by associations of labourers.

partie, cb. 1,) " aux moments de pauvrete universelle, ou le riche meme est pauvre et vend par force, alors le pauvre ae trouve en 6tat d'acheter; nul ac-quereur ne se presentant, le paysan en guenilles arrive avec sa piece d'or, et il acquiert un bout de terre. €es moments de desaatre ou le paysan a pu acquerir la terre a bon march£, ont toujours et6 suivis d'un elan subit de fecondite qu'on ne s'expliquait pas. Vers 1500, par exemple, quand la France epuisee par Louis XI. semble achever sa ruine en Italie, la noblesse qui part est obligee de ven-dre; la terre, passant k de nouvelles mains, refleurit tout-a-coup; on travaille, on batit. Ce beau moment (dans le style de l'histoire monarchique) s'est appele le bon Louis X1L

" D dure peu, malheureusement. La terre est a peine remise en bon 6tat, le fisc fond dessus; les guerres de religion arrivent, qui semblent raser tout jusqu'au sol, miseres horribles, famines atroces ou les meres mangeaient leurs enfants. Qui croirait que le pays se relcve de la ? Eh bien, la guerre finit a peine, de ce champ ravage, de cette chaumiere encore noire et brulee, sort Tepargne du paysan. II achete; en dix ans, la France a change* de face; en vingt ou trente, tous les biens ont double, triple de valeur. Ce moment encore baptise d'un nom royal, s'appelle le bon Henri IV. et le grand Richelieu."

Of the third era it is needless again to speak: it was that of the Revolution.

Whoever would study the reverse of the picture, may compare these historic periods, characterized by the dismemberment of large and the construction of small properties, with the wide-spread national suffering which accompanied, and the

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