To come to the details:—­Those who sign the programme say, “We desire the immediate abolition of those taxes which affect the absolute necessaries of life, as salt, liquors, &c., &c.

“The reform of the tax on landed property, customs, and patents.

“Gratuitous justice—­that is, the simplification of its forms, and reduction of its expenses,” (This, no doubt, has reference to stamps.)

Thus, the tax on landed property, customs, patents, stamps, salt, liquors, postage, all are included.  These gentlemen have found out the secret of giving an excessive activity to the gentle hand of Government, while they entirely paralyse its rough hand.

Well, I ask the impartial reader, is it not childishness, and more than that, dangerous childishness?  Is it not inevitable that we shall have revolution after revolution, if there is a determination never to stop till this contradiction is realised:—­“To give nothing to Government and to receive much from it?”

If the Montagnards were to come into power, would they not become the victims of the means which they employed to take possession of it?

Citizens!  In all times, two political systems have been in existence, and each may be maintained by good reasons.  According to one of them, Government ought to do much, but then it ought to take much.  According to the other, this twofold activity ought to be little felt.  We have to choose between these two systems.  But as regards the third system, which partakes of both the others, and which consists in exacting everything from Government, without giving it anything, it is chimerical, absurd, childish, contradictory, and dangerous.  Those who parade it, for the sake of the pleasure of accusing all Governments of weakness, and thus exposing them to your attacks, are only flattering and deceiving you, while they are deceiving themselves.

For ourselves, we consider that Government is and ought to be nothing whatever but common force organized, not to be an instrument of oppression and mutual plunder among citizens; but, on the contrary, to secure to every one his own, and to cause justice and security to reign.

What Is Money?

“Hateful money! hateful money!” cried F——­, the economist, despairingly, as he came from the Committee of Finance, where a project of paper money had just been discussed.

“What’s the matter?” said I.  “What is the meaning of this sudden dislike to the most extolled of all the divinities of this world?”

F. Hateful money! hateful money!

B. You alarm me.  I hear peace, liberty, and life cried down, and Brutus went so far even as to say, “Virtue! thou art but a name!” But what can have happened?

F. Hateful money! hateful money!

B. Come, come, exercise a little philosophy.  What has happened to you?  Has Croesus been affecting you?  Has Mondor been playing you false? or has Zoilus been libelling you in the papers?