labour defended against the claims of capital-第12章

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undiverted　by　the　fastidiousness　of　taste。　By　casting　aside　the
prejudices　which　fetter　the　minds　of　those　who　have　benefited　by
their　degradation；　they　have　everything　to　hope。　On　the　other
hand；　they　are　the　suffers　by　these　prejudices；　and　have
everything　to　dread　from　their　continuance。　Having　no　reason　to
love　those　institutions　which　limit　the　reward　of　labour；
whatever　may　be　its　produce；　to　a　bare　subsistence；　they　will　not
spare　them；　whenever　they　see　the　hollowness　of　the　claims　made
on　their　respect。　As　the　labourers　acquire　knowledge；　the
foundations　of　the　social　edifice　will　be　dug　up　from　the　deep
beds　into　which　they　were　laid　in　times　past；　they　will　be
curiously　handled　and　closely　examined；　and　they　will　not　be
restored　unless　they　were　originally　laid　in　justice；　and　unless
justice　commands　their　preservation。
　　　　　Without　joining　in　any　of　the　commonplace　observations
against　taking　interest；　and　against　usury；　which；　however；
support　my　view　of　capital；　I　have　show　that　it　has　no　just　claim
to　any　share　of　the　labourer's　produce；　and　that　what　it　actually
receives　is　the　cause　of　the　poverty　of　the　labourer。　It　is
impossible　that　the　labourer　should　long　remain　ignorant　of　these
facts；　or　acquiesce　in　this　state　of　things。
　　　　　In　truth；　also；　however　the　matter　may　be　disguised；　the
combinations　among　workmen　to　obtain　higher　wages；　which　are　now
so　general　and　so　much　complained　of；　are　practical　attacks　on
the　claims　of　capital。　The　weight　of　its　chains　are　felt；　though
the　hand　may　not　yet　be　clearly　seen　which　imposes　them。
Gradually　as　the　resistance　increases；　as　laws　are　multiplied　for
the　protection　of　capital；　as　claims　for　higher　wages　shall　be
more　strenuously　and　more　violently　repressed；　the　cause　of　this
oppression　will　be　more　distinctly　seen。　The　contest　now　appears
to　be　between　masters　and　journeymen；　or　between　one　species　of
labour　and　another；　but　it　will　soon　be　displayed　in　its　proper
characters；　and　will　stand　confessed　a　war　of　honest　industry
against　the　idle　profligacy　which　has　so　long　ruled　the　affairs
of　the　political　world　with　undisputed　authority　　which　has；
for　its　own　security；　added　honour　and　political　power　to　wealth；
and　has　conjoined　exclusion　and　disgrace　with　the　poverty　it　has
inflicted　on　the　labourer。　On　the　side　of　the　labourers　there　is
physical　strength；　for　they　are　more　numerous　than　their
opponents。　They　are　also　fast　losing　that　reverence　for　their
opponents　which　was　and　is　the　source　of　their　power；　and　they
are　daily　acquiring　a　moral　strength　which　results　from　a　common
interest　and　a　close　and　intimate　union。
　　　　　The　capitalist　and　labourers　form　the　great　majority　of　the
nation；　so　that　there　is　not　third　power　to　intervene　betwixt
them。　The　must　and　will　decide　the　dispute　of　themselves。　Final
success；　I　would　fain　hope；　must　be　on　the　side　of　justice。　I　am
certain；　however；　that　till　the　triumph　of　labour　be　complete；
till　productive　industry　alone　be　opulent；　and　till　idleness
alone　be　poor；　till　the　admirable　maxim　that　〃he　who　sows　shall
reap〃　be　solidly　established；　till　the　right　of　property　shall　be
founded　on　principles　of　justice；　and　not　on　those　of　slavery；
till　man　shall　be　held　more　in　honour　than　the　clod　be　treads　on；
or　the　machine　he　guides　　there　cannot；　and　there　ought　not　to
be　either　peace　on　earth　or　goodwill　amongst　men。
　　　　　Those　who　of　late　have　shown　themselves　so　ready　to　resist
the　just　claims　of　labour；　who；　under　the　influence　of　interest
and　passion；　have　hurried　into　the　arena　with　their　penal　laws；
and　have　come　forward；　brandishing　their　parchment　statutes；　as
if　they；　poor　beings；　could　whip　mankind　into　patience　and
submission；　when　these　weapons　of　theirs　　these　penal　laws　and
parchment　statutes　　derive　all　their　power；　whether　for　evil　or
for　good；　from　the　sanctity　with　which　we　are　pleased　to　invest
them；　and　as　if　they　also　did　not　know　that　they　are　as　powerless
as　the　meanest　individual　whom　they　are　so　prompt　to　scourge；
except　as　we　are　pleased　to　submit　and　to　honour　them　　they　may
thank　themselves　should　their　haste　and　their　violence　beget　a
corresponding　haste　and　violence　in　others；　and；　should　the
labourers；　who　have　hitherto　shown　themselves　confiding　and
submissive　　losing　that　reverence　by　which　laws　are　invested
with　power；　and　to　which　Government　is　indebted　for　its　existence
　turn　their　attention　from　combining　for　higher　wages；　to
amending　the　state；　and　to　subverting　a　system　which　they　must
now　believe　is　intended　only　to　support　all　the　oppressive
exactions　of　capital。　Ministers　are　undoubtedly；　for　the　moment；
very　popular；　but　it　does　not　require　any　very　enlarged　view　to
predict　that　by　openly　committing　the　Government　during　the　last
session　of　Parliament；　when　the　great　mass　of　the　community　are
able　both　to　scan　the　motives　of　their　conduct　and　its
consequences；　and　zealous　in　doing　it；　to　a　contest　between
capital　and　labour；　taking　the　side　of　idleness　against　industry；
of　weakness　against　strength；　of　oppression　against　justice；　they
are　preparing　more　future　mischief　than　any　ministry　this　country
has　ever　seen。　They　profess　liberal　principles　　and　they　make
laws　to　keep　the　labourer　in　thraldom。　By　their　innovations　they
encourage　inquiry；　and　convince　us　the　system　is　neither　sacred
nor　incapable　of　improvement。　They　have　practically　told　the
labourer　there　is　nothing　deserving　his　reverence；　and　have
excited　his　hostility　both　by　insult　and　oppression。
　　　　　I　do　not　mean；　on　the　present　occasion；　to　point　out　all　the
consequences　which　result　from　this　view　of　capital；　but　there　is
one　so　important　in　a　theoretical　point　of　view；　and　so　well
calculated　to　relieve　the　wise　system　of　the　universe　from　the
opprobrium　which　has　been　cast　upon　it　in　these　latter　times；
that　I　cannot　wholly　pass　it　by。　An　elaborate　theory　has　been
constructed　to　show　that　there　is　a　natural　tendency　in
population　to　increase　faster　than　capital；　or　than　the　means　of
employing　labour。　In　Mr　Mill's　Elements　of　Political　Economy；　a
work　distinguished　by　its　brevity；　several　sections　and　pages　are
devoted　merely　to　announce　this　truth。　If　my　view　of　capital　be
correct；　this；　as　a　theory　of　nature；　falls　at　once　baseless　to
the　ground。　That　the　capitalist　can　control　the　existence　and
number　of　labourers；　that　the　whole　number　of　the　population
depends　altogether　on　him；　I　will　not　deny。　But　put　the
capitalist；　the　oppressive　middleman；　who　eats　up　the　produce　of
labour　and　prevents　the　labourer　from　knowing　on　what　natural
laws　his　existence　and　happiness　depend；　out　of　view　　put　aside
those　social　regulations　by　which　they　who　produce　all　are
allowed　to　own　little　or　nothing　　and　it　is　plain　that　capital；
or　the　power　to　employ　labour；　and　co…exiting　labour　are　one；　and
that　productive　capital　and　skilled　labour　are　also　one；
consequently　capital　and　a　labouring　population　are　precisely
synonymous。
　　　　　In　the　system　of　nature；　mouths　are　united　with　hands　and
with　intelligence；　they　and　not　capital　are　the　agents　of
production；　and；　according　other　rule；　however　it　may　have　been
thwarted　by　the　pretended　wisdom　of　law　makers；　wherever　there　is
a　man　there　also　are　the　means　of　creating　or　producing　him
subsistence。　If　also；　as　I　say；　circulating　capital　is　only
co…existing　labour；　and　fixed　capital　only　skill　labour；　it　must
be　plain　that　all　those　numerous　advantages；　those　benefits　to
civilisation；　those　vast　improvements　in　the　condition　of　the
human　race；　which　have　been　in　general　attributed　to　capital；　are
caused　in　fact　by　labour；　and　by　knowledge　and　skill　informing
and　directing　labour。　Should　it　be　said；　then；　as　perhaps　it　may；
that　unless　there　be　profit；　and　unless　there　be　interest；　there
will　be　no　motives　for　accumulation　and　improvement；　I　answer
that　this　is　a　false　view；　and　arises　from　attributing　to　capital
and　saving　those　effects　which　result　from　labour；　and　that　the
best　means　of　securing　the　progressive　improvement；　both　of
individuals　and　of　nations；　is　to　do　justice；　and　allow　labour　to
possess　and　enjoy　the　whole　of　its　produce。





The　En