The　nineteenth　century　is；　in　my　eyes；　a　genesic　era；　in　which　new　principles　are　elaborated；　but　in　which　nothing　that　is　written　shall　endure。　　That　is　the　reason；　in　my　opinion；　why；　among　so　many　men　of　talent；　France　to…day　counts　not　one　great　writer。　　In　a　society　like　ours；　to　seek　for　literary　glory　seems　to　me　an　anachronism。　　Of　what　use　is　it　to　invoke　an　ancient　sibyl　when　a　muse　is　on　the　eve　of　birth？　　Pitiable　actors　in　a　tragedy　nearing　its　end；　that　which　it　behooves　us　to　do　is　to　precipitate　the　catastrophe。　　The　most　deserving　among　us　is　he　who　plays　best　this　part。　　Well；　I　no　longer　aspire　to　this　sad　success！
  〃Why　should　I　not　confess　it；　gentlemen？　　I　have　aspired　to　your　suffrages　and　sought　the　title　of　your　pensioner；　hating　all　which　exists　and　full　of　projects　for　its　destruction；　I　shall　finish　this　investigation　in　a　spirit　of　calm　and　philosophical　resignation。　　I　have　derived　more　peace　from　the　knowledge　of　the　truth；　than　anger　from　the　feeling　of　oppression；　and　the　most　precious　fruit　that　I　could　wish　to　gather　from　this　memoir　would　be　the　inspiration　of　my　readers　with　that　tranquillity　of　soul　which　arises　from　the　clear　perception　of　evil　and　its　cause；　and　which　is　much　more　powerful　than　passion　and　enthusiasm。　　My　hatred　of　privilege　and　human　authority　was　unbounded；　perhaps　at　times　I　have　been　guilty；　in　my　indignation；　of　confounding　persons　and　things；　at　present　I　can　only　despise　and　complain；　to　cease　to　hate　I　only　needed　to　know。
  〃It　is　for　you　now；　gentlemen；　whose　mission　and　character　are　the　proclamation　of　the　truth；　it　is　for　you　to　instruct　the　people；　and　to　tell　them　for　what　they　ought　to　hope　and　what　they　ought　to　fear。　　The　people；　incapable　as　yet　of　sound　judgment　as　to　what　is　best　for　them；　applaud　indiscriminately　the　most　opposite　ideas；　provided　that　in　them　they　get　a　taste　of　flattery：　to　them　the　laws　of　thought　are　like　the　confines　of　the　possible；　to…day　they　can　no　more　distinguish　between　a　savant　and　a　sophist；　than　formerly　they　could　tell　a　physician　from　a　sorcerer。　　‘Inconsiderately　accepting；　gathering　together；　and　accumulating　everything　that　is　new；　regarding　all　reports　as　true　and　indubitable；　at　the　breath　or　ring　of　novelty　they　assemble　like　bees　at　the　sound　of　a　basin。'＇1＇
  ＇1＇　Charron；　on　〃Wisdom；〃　Chapter　xviii。
  〃May　you；　gentlemen；　desire　equality　as　I　myself　desire　it；　may　you；　for　the　eternal　happiness　of　our　country；　become　its　propagators　and　its　heralds；　may　I　be　the　last　of　your　pensioners！　　Of　all　the　wishes　that　I　can　frame；　that；　gentlemen；　is　the　most　worthy　of　you　and　the　most　honorable　for　me。
  〃I　am；　with　the　profoundest　respect　and　the　most　earnest　gratitude；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Your　pensioner；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃P。　J。　PROUDHON。〃
  Two　months　after　the　receipt　of　this　letter；　the　Academy；　in　its　debate　of　August　24th；　replied　to　the　address　of　its　pensioner　by　a　note；　the　text　of　which　I　give　below：
  〃A　member　calls　the　attention　of　the　Academy　to　a　pamphlet；　published　last　June　by　the　titulary　of　the　Suard　pension；　entitled；　〃What　is　property？〃　and　dedicated　by　the　author　to　the　Academy。　　He　is　of　the　opinion　that　the　society　owes　it　to　justice；　to　example；　and　to　its　own　dignity；　to　publicly　disavow　all　responsibility　for　the　anti…social　doctrines　contained　in　this　publication。　　In　consequence　he　demands：
  〃1。　　That　the　Academy　disavow　and　condemn；　in　the　most　formal　manner；　the　work　of　the　Suard　pensioner；　as　having　been　published　without　its　assent；　and　as　attributing　to　it　opinions　diametrically　opposed　to　the　principles　of　each　of　its　members；
  〃2。　　That　the　pensioner　be　charged；　in　case　he　should　publish　a　second　edition　of　his　book；　to　omit　the　dedication；
  〃3。　　That　this　judgment　of　the　Academy　be　placed　upon　the　records。
  〃These　three　propositions；　put　to　vote；　are　adopted。〃
  After　this　ludicrous　decree；　which　its　authors　thought　to　render　powerful　by　giving　it　the　form　of　a　contradiction；　I　can　only　beg　the　reader　not　to　measure　the　intelligence　of　my　compatriots　by　that　of　our　Academy。
  While　my　patrons　in　the　social　and　political　sciences　were　fulminating　anathemas　against　my　brochure；　a　man；　who　was　a　stranger　to　Franche…Comte；　who　did　not　know　me；　who　might　even　have　regarded　himself　as　personally　attacked　by　the　too　sharp　judgment　which　I　had　passed　upon　the　economists；　a　publicist　as　learned　as　he　was　modest；　loved　by　the　people　whose　sorrows　he　felt；　honored　by　the　power　which　he　sought　to　enlighten　without　flattering　or　disgracing　it；　M。　Blanquimember　of　the　Institute；　professor　of　political　economy；　defender　of　propertytook　up　my　defence　before　his　associates　and　before　the　ministry；　and　saved　me　from　the　blows　of　a　justice　which　is　always　blind；　because　it　is　always　ignorant。
  It　seems　to　me　that　the　reader　will　peruse　with　pleasure　the　letter　which　M。　Blanqui　did　me　the　honor　to　write　to　me　upon　the　publication　of　my　second　memoir；　a　letter　as　honorable　to　its　author　as　it　is　flattering　to　him　to　whom　it　is　addressed。
  〃PARIS；　May　1；　1841。
  〃MONSIEUR；I　hasten　to　thank　you　for　forwarding　to　me　your　second　memoir　upon　property。　　I　have　read　it　with　all　the　interest　that　an　acquaintance　with　the　first　would　naturally　inspire。　　I　am　very　glad　that　you　have　modified　somewhat　the　rudeness　of　form　which　gave　to　a　work　of　such　gravity　the　manner　and　appearance　of　a　pamphlet；　for　you　quite　frightened　me；　sir；　and　your　talent　was　needed　to　reassure　me　in　regard　to　your　intentions。　　One　does　not　expend　so　much　real　knowledge　with　the　purpose　of　inflaming　his　country。　　This　proposition；　now　coming　into　noticePROPERTY　IS　ROBBERY！was　of　a　nature　to　repel　from　your　book　even　those　serious　minds　who　do　not　judge　by　appearances；　had　you　persisted　in　maintaining　it　in　its　rude　simplicity。　　But　if　you　have　softened　the　form；　you　are　none　the　less　faithful　to　the　ground…work　of　your　doctrines；　and　although　you　have　done　me　the　honor　to　give　me　a　share　in　this　perilous　teaching；　I　cannot　accept　a　partnership　which；　as　far　as　talent　goes；　would　surely　be　a　credit　to　me；　but　which　would　compromise　me　in　all　other　respects。
  〃I　agree　with　you　in　one　thing　only；　namely；　that　all　kinds　of　property　get　too　frequently　abused　in　this　world。　　But　I　do　not　reason　from　the　abuse　to　the　abolition；an　heroic　remedy　too　much　like　death；　which　cures　all　evils。　　I　will　go　farther：　I　will　confess　that；　of　all　abuses；　the　most　hateful　to　me　are　those　of　property；　but　once　more；　there　is　a　remedy　for　this　evil　without　violating　it；　all　the　more　without　destroying　it。　　If　the　present　laws　allow　abuse；　we　can　reconstruct　them。　　Our　civil　code　is　not　the　Koran；　it　is　not　wrong　to　examine　it。　　Change；　then；　the　laws　which　govern　the　use　of　property；　but　be　sparing　of　anathemas；　for；　logically；　where　is　the　honest　man　whose　hands　are　entirely　clean？　　Do　you　think　that　one　can　be　a　robber　without　knowing　it；　without　wishing　it；　without　suspecting　it？　　Do　you　not　admit　that　society　in　its　present　state；　like　every　man；　has　in　its　constitution　all　kinds　of　virtues　and　vices　inherited　from　our　ancestors？　　Is　property；　then；　in　your　eyes　a　thing　so　simple　and　so　abstract　that　you　can　re…knead　and　equalize　it；　if　I　may　so　speak；　in　your　metaphysical　mill？　　One　who　has　said　as　many　excellent　and　practical　things　as　occur　in　these　two　beautiful　and　paradoxical　improvisations　of　yours　cannot　be　a　pure　and　unwavering　utopist。　　You　are　too　well　acquainted　with　the　economical　and　academical　phraseology　to　play　with　the　hard　words　of　revolutions。　　I　believe；　then；　that　you　have　handled　property　as　Rousseau；　eighty　years　ago；　handled　letters；　with　a　magnificent　and　poetical　display　of　wit　and　knowledge。　　Such；　at　least；　is　my　opinion。
  〃That　is　what　I　said　to　the　Institute　at　the　time　when　I　presented　my　report　upon　your　book。　　I　knew　that　they　wished　to　proceed　against　you　in　the　courts；　you　perhaps　do　not　know　by　how　narrow　a　chance　I　succeeded　in　preventing　them。＇1＇　　What　chagrin　I　should　always　have　felt；　if　the　king's　counsel；　that　is　to　say；　the　intellectual　executioner；　had　followed　in　my　very　tracks　to　attack　your　book　and　annoy　your　person！　　I　actually　passed　two　terrible　nights；　and　I　succeeded　in　restraining　the　secular　arm　only　by　showing　that　your　book　was　an　academical　dissertation；　and　not　the　manifesto　of　an　incendiary。　　Your　style　is　too　lofty　ever　to　be　of　service　to　the　madmen　who　in　discussing　the　gravest　questions　of　our　social　order；　use　paving…stones　as　their　weapons。　　But　see　to　it；　sir；　that　ere　long　they　do　not　come；　in　spite　of　you；　to　seek　for　ammunition　in　this　formidable　arsenal；　and　that　your　vigorous　metaphysics　falls　not　into　the　hands　of　some　sophist　of　the　market…place；　who　might　discuss　the　question　in　the　presence　of　a　starving　audience：　we　should　have　pillage　for　conclusion　and　peroration。
  ＇1＇　M。　Vivien；　Minister　of　Justice；　before　commencing　proceedings　against　the　〃Memoir　upon　Property；〃　asked　the　opinion　of　M。　Blanqui；　and　it　was　on　the　strength　of　the　observations　of　this　honorable　academician　that　he　spared　a　book　　which　had　already　excited　the　indignation　of　the　magistrates。　　M。　Viv