y　seeming　to　be　industrial　feudality；　being　no　longer　a　principle　of　exclusion　and　encroachment；　but　only　a　privilege　of　division；　would　not　be　slow；　thanks　to　the　intellectual　and　political　emancipation　of　the　proletariat；　in　passing　into　absolute　equality；as　absolute　at　least　as　any　thing　can　be　on　this　earth。
  I　omit；　for　the　sake　of　brevity；　the　numerous　considerations　which　the　professor　adduces　in　support　of　what　he　calls；　too　modestly　in　my　opinion；　his　Utopia。　　They　would　serve　only　to　prove　beyond　all　question　that；　of　all　the　charlatans　of　radicalism　who　fatigue　the　public　ear；　no　one　approaches；　for　depth　and　clearness　of　thought；　the　audacious　M。　Blanqui。
  3。　NATIONAL　WORKSHOPS　SHOULD　BE　IN　OPERATION　ONLY　DURING　PERIODS　OF　STAGNATION　IN　ORDINARY　INDUSTRIES；　AT　SUCH　TIMES　THEY　SHOULD　BE　OPENED　AS　VAST　OUTLETS　TO　THE　FLOOD　OF　THE　LABORING　POPULATION。
  But；　sir；　the　stoppage　of　private　industry　is　the　result　of　over…　production；　and　insufficient　markets。　　If；　then；　production　continues　in　the　national　workshops；　how　will　the　crisis　be　terminated？　　Undoubtedly；　by　the　general　depreciation　of　merchandise；　and；　in　the　last　analysis；　by　the　conversion　of　private　workshops　into　national　workshops。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　government　will　need　capital　with　which　to　pay　its　workmen；　now；　how　will　this　capital　be　obtained？　　By　taxation。　　And　upon　what　will　the　tax　be　levied？　　Upon　property。　　Then　you　will　have　proprietary　industry　sustaining　against　itself；　and　at　its　own　expense；　another　industry　with　which　it　cannot　compete。　　What；　think　you；　will　become；　in　this　fatal　circle；　of　the　possibility　of　profit；in　a　word；　of　property？
  Thank　Heaven！　equality　of　conditions　is　taught　in　the　public　schools；　let　us　fear　revolutions　no　longer。　　The　most　implacable　enemy　of　property　could　not；　if　he　wished　to　destroy　it；　go　to　work　in　a　wiser　and　more　effective　way。　　Courage；　then；　ministers；　deputies；　economists！　make　haste　to　seize　this　glorious　initiative；　let　the　watchwords　of　equality；　uttered　from　the　heights　of　science　and　power；　be　repeated　in　the　midst　of　the　people；　let　them　thrill　the　breasts　of　the　proletaires；　and　carry　dismay　into　the　ranks　of　the　last　representatives　of　privilege！
  The　tendency　of　society　in　favor　of　compelling　proprietors　to　support　national　workshops　and　public　manufactories　is　so　strong　that　for　several　years；　under　the　name　of　ELECTORAL　REFORM；　it　has　been　exclusively　the　question　of　the　day。　　What　is；　after　all；　this　electoral　reform　which　the　people　grasp　at；　as　if　it　were　a　bait；　and　which　so　many　ambitious　persons　either　call　for　or　denounce？　　It　is　the　acknowledgment　of　the　right　of　the　masses　to　a　voice　in　the　assessment　of　taxes；　and　the　making　of　the　laws；　which　laws；　aiming　always　at　the　protection　of　material　interests；　affect；　in　a　greater　or　less　degree；　all　questions　of　taxation　or　wages。　　Now　the　people；　instructed　long　since　by　their　journals；　their　dramas；＇1＇　and　their　songs；＇2＇　know　to…day　that　taxation；　to　be　equitably　divided；　must　be　graduated；　and　must　be　borne　mainly　by　the　rich；that　it　must　be　levied　upon　luxuries；　&c。　　And　be　sure　that　the　people；　once　in　the　majority　in　the　Chamber；　will　not　fail　to　apply　these　lessons。　　Already　we　have　a　minister　of　public　works。　　National　workshops　will　follow；　and　soon；　as　a　consequence；　the　excess　of　the　proprietor's　revenue　over　the　workingman's　wages　will　be　swallowed　up　in　the　coffers　of　the　laborers　of　the　State。　　Do　you　not　see　that　in　this　way　property　is　gradually　reduced；　as　nobility　was　formerly；　to　a　nominal　title；　to　a　distinction　purely　honorary　in　its　nature？
  ＇1＇　　In　〃Mazaniello；〃　the　Neapolitan　fisherman　demands；　amid　the　applause　of　the　galleries；　that　a　tax　be　levied　upon　luxuries。
  ＇2＇　_Seme　le　champ；　proletaire；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　C'est　l　l'oisif　　qui　recoltera_。
  Either　the　electoral　reform　will　fail　to　accomplish　that　which　is　hoped　from　it；　and　will　disappoint　its　innumerable　partisans；　or　else　it　will　inevitably　result　in　a　transformation　of　the　absolute　right　under　which　we　live　into　a　right　of　possession；　that　is；　that　while；　at　present；　property　makes　the　elector；　after　this　reform　is　accomplished；　the　citizen；　the　producer　will　be　the　possessor。＇1＇　　Consequently；　the　radicals　are　right　in　saying　that　the　electoral　reform　is　in　their　eyes　only　a　means；　but；　when　they　are　silent　as　to　the　end；　they　show　either　profound　ignorance；　or　useless　dissimulation。　　There　should　be　no　secrets　or　reservations　from　peoples　and　powers。　　He　disgraces　himself　and　fails　in　respect　for　his　fellows；　who；　in　publishing　his　opinions；　employs　evasion　and　cunning。　　Before　the　people　act；　they　need　to　know　the　whole　truth。　　Unhappy　he　who　shall　dare　to　trifle　with　them！　　For　the　people　are　credulous；　but　they　are　strong。　　Let　us　tell　them；　then；　that　this　reform　which　is　proposed　is　only　a　means；a　means　often　tried；　and　hitherto　without　effect；but　that　the　logical　object　of　the　electoral　reform　is　equality　of　fortunes；　and　that　this　equality　itself　is　only　a　new　means　having　in　view　the　superior　and　definitive　object　of　the　salvation　of　society；　the　restoration　of　morals　and　religion；　and　the　revival　of　poetry　and　art。
  ＇1＇　　〃In　some　countries；　the　enjoyment　of　certain　political　rights　depends　upon　the　amount　of　property。　　But；　in　these　same　countries；　property　is　expressive；　rather　than　attributive；　of　the　qualifications　necessary　to　the　exercise　of　these　rights。　　It　is　rather　a　conjectural　proof　than　the　cause　of　these　qualifications。〃Rossi：　Treatise　on　Penal　Law。
  This　assertion　of　M。　Rossi　is　not　borne　out　by　history。　　Property　is　the　cause　of　the　electoral　right；　not　as　a　PRESUMPTION　OF　CAPACITY；an　idea　which　never　prevailed　until　lately；　and　which　is　extremely　absurd；but　as　a　GUARANTEE　OF　DEVOTION　TO　THE　ESTABLISHED　ORDER。　　The　electoral　body　is　a　league　of　those　interested　in　the　maintenance　of　property；　against　those　not　interested。　　There　are　thousands　of　documents；　even　official　documents；　to　prove　this；　if　necessary。　　For　the　rest；　the　present　system　is　only　a　continuation　of　the　municipal　system；　which；　in　the　middle　ages；　sprang　up　in　connection　with　feudalism；an　oppressive；　mischief…making　system；　full　of　petty　passions　and　base　intrigues。
  It　would　be　an　abuse　of　the　reader's　patience　to　insist　further　upon　the　tendency　of　our　time　towards　equality。　　There　are；　moreover；　so　many　people　who　denounce　the　present　age；　that　nothing　is　gained　by　exposing　to　their　view　the　popular；　scientific；　and　representative　tendencies　of　the　nation。
  Prompt　to　recognize　the　accuracy　of　the　inferences　drawn　from　observation；　they　confine　themselves　to　a　general　censure　of　the　facts；　and　an　absolute　denial　of　their　legitimacy。　　〃What　wonder；〃　they　say；　〃that　this　atmosphere　of　equality　intoxicates　us；　considering　all　that　has　been　said　and　done　during　the　past　ten　years！　。　。　。　　Do　you　not　see　that　society　is　dissolving；　that　a　spirit　of　infatuation　is　carrying　us　away？　　All　these　hopes　of　regeneration　are　but　forebodings　of　death；　your　songs　of　triumph　are　like　the　prayers　of　the　departing；　your　trumpet　peals　announce　the　baptism　of　a　dying　man。　　Civilization　is　falling　in　ruin：　_Imus；　imus；　praecipites_！〃
  Such　people　deny　God。　　I　might　content　myself　with　the　reply　that　the　spirit　of　1830　was　the　result　of　the　maintenance　of　the　violated　charter；　that　this　charter　arose　from　the　Revolution　of　'89；　that　'89　implies　the　States…General's　right　of　remonstrance；　and　the　enfranchisement　of　the　communes；　that　the　communes　suppose　feudalism；　which　in　its　turn　supposes　invasion；　Roman　law；　Christianity；　&c。
  But　it　is　necessary　to　look　further。　　We　must　penetrate　to　the　very　heart　of　ancient　institutions；　plunge　into　the　social　depths；　and　uncover　this　indestructible　leaven　of　equality　which　the　God　of　justice　breathed　into　our　souls；　and　which　manifests　itself　in　all　our　works。
  Labor　is　man's　contemporary；　it　is　a　duty；　since　it　is　a　condition　of　existence：　　〃In　the　sweat　of　thy　face　shalt　thou　eat　bread。〃　　It　is　more　than　a　duty；　it　is　a　mission：　　〃God　put　the　man　into　the　garden　to　dress　it。〃　　I　add　that　labor　is　the　cause　and　means　of　equality。
  Cast　away　upon　a　desert　island　two　men：　one　large；　strong；　and　active；　the　other　weak；　timid；　and　domestic。　　The　latter　will　die　of　hunger；　while　the　other；　a　skilful　hunter；　an　expert　fisherman；　and　an　indefatigable　husbandman；　will　overstock　himself　with　provisions。　　What　greater　inequality；　in　this　state　of　Nature　so　dear　to　the　heart　of　Jean　Jacques；　could　be　imagined！　　But　let　these　two　men　meet　and　associate　themselves：　the　second　immediately　attends　to　the　cooking；　takes　charge　of　the　household　affairs；　and　sees　to　the　provisions；　beds；　and　clothes；　provided　the　stronger　does　not　abuse　his　superiority　by　enslaving　and　ill…treating　his　companion；　their　social　condition　will　be　perfectly　equal。　　Thus；　through　exchange　of　services；　the　inequalities　of　Nature　neutralize　each　other；　talents　associate；　and　forces　balance。　　Violence　and　inertia　are　found　only　among　the　poor　and　the　aristocratic。　　And　in　that　lies　the　philosophy　of　political　economy；　the　mystery　of　human　brotherhood。　　_Hic　est　sapientia_。　　Let　us　pass　from　the　hypothetical　state　of　pure　Nature　into