THE END OF OPPRESSION.

I HEAR there is another RIGHTS OF MAN by Spence, that goes far⯑ther than Paine's.

Yet it goes no farther than it ought.

I underſtand it ſuffers no private Property in Land, but gives it all to the Pariſhes.

In ſo doing it does right, the earth was not made for Individuals.

But people of all conditions have been ſo accuſtomed to think that the completion of all earthly felicity conſiſts in the poſſeſſion of Landed Propriety, that it is not likely they will generally be brought to give up the da [...]ling hopes of one time or other poſſeſſing a ſnug Eſtate.

It is true, if there were no injuſtice at⯑tending the ſtate of a Landlord, it is the moſt de⯑ſirable and enviable ſtate in the world, even infinitely more ſo than that of a King, or any Placeman or Penſioner whatſoever.

It is indeed. Every body knows that well. For the Landlord is entirely ſupreme, inde⯑pendent, and arbitrary, in his own Domains, hence the title Lord, and nothing binds him but his own Leaſes, which he for his own intereſt grants. He [4]is in no danger of loſing his revenues, for he pays himſelf in a moſt haughty and lordly manner, with⯑out proceſs, and without hardly condeſcending to aſk. And when his rents are brought to him on the very hour they are due, his Dignity will not permit him to be thankful.

Why, I find you are at leaſt half a Spen⯑ſonian: You underſtand ſomething of the nature of the enemy: and I dare ſay we ſhall not differ much in opinion.

I have heard, read, and ſeen enough of their oppreſſions to make me wiſh them at an end, if poſſible.

Whether it be poſſible we ſhall ſee by and by. But for the reaſons beforementioned, unleſs it be neceſſary that there ſhould be in a State Free⯑men and Slaves, lordly Men, and mean Men, Land⯑lords cannot be ſuffered.

But moſt people believe it would be unjuſt to deprive Landed Men of their Property, as many of them have purchaſed their Eſtates.

Landed Property always was originally acquired, either by conqueſt or encroachment on the common Property of Mankind. And as thoſe public Robbers did never ſhew any degree of conſcience or moderation in their uſurpations, it cannot be ex⯑pected that the multitudes thus diſinherited and enſlaved for ages, ſhould in the day of reclamation, through an effeminate and fooliſh tenderneſs, ne⯑glect the precious opportunity of recovering at once the whole of their Rights.

But I am ſpeaking of the ſeeming hard⯑ſhips of depriving modern Purchaſers of their Pro⯑perty.

Thoſe modern Purchaſers are not ignorant of the manner in which Landed Property was ori⯑ginally obtained, neither are they ſorry for it, nor for any other impoſition by which they can get [5]Revenue. And every one knows that buying ſtolen Goods is as bad as ſtealing.

You are entirely right. The conduct of our rich Men is not ſuch as to create much reſpect for their Property. The whole of their ſtudy is to create Monopolies and to raiſe Rents and Revenues; and, like the Grave, their endleſs cry is, Give! Give!

And what was originally obtained by the Sword, they determine to detain by the Sword. Are not they and their Minions now in Arms under the name of Yeomanry, Volunteers &c.? And what means the inveterate War commenced by the Ariſ⯑tocracy of the World againſt France? They know that Mankind once enlightened will not brook their lordlineſs, nor be content with their Rights by piece-meal; therefore they exert every nerve to prevent light from ſpreading, and the union of the People.

Indeed there cannot be any thing ſaid for them. They exhibit to us too plainly all the pro⯑perties and practices of Robbers. Plunder, ſpoil and contributions they will at all events have though their ill-gotten Lands ſhould ſwim with blood; fully declaring themſelves the true Heirs and Succeſ⯑ſors of the ancient Nimrods from whom they hold.

Then let all Men ſay, Spence has done right in rooting up ſuch a combination of Spoilers, and ſetting the world free from all exactions, im⯑poſts, and abuſes, at once and for ever.

It is amazing that Paine and the other Democrats ſhould level all their Artillery at Kings, without ſtriking like Spence at this root of every abuſe and of every grievance.

The reaſon is evident: They have no chance of being Kings; but many of them are al⯑ready, and the reſt fooliſhly and wickedly hope to be ſometime or other Landlords, leſſer or greater.

But do you think Mankind will ever en⯑joy any tolerable degree of Liberty and Felicity, by having a Reform in Parliament, if Landlords be ſtill ſuffered to remain?

You ſhould firſt aſk if the Landed Intereſt will let you have a reform, which they will take care to prevent. For a Convention or Parliament of the People would be at eternal War with the Ariſtocracy. But granting they ſhould ſo far for⯑get their intereſt, they would ſoon recollect their miſtake, and ſet about their true intereſt again, which is to counteract every ſpecies of public good. And full well are they furniſhed with every requi⯑ſite for the diabolical Work. The perpetual influx of wealth by their Rents without toil or ſtudy, leaves them at full Liberty and Leiſure to plot, and ſupplies them alſo with the means of fighting ſuc⯑ceſsfully againſt the intereſts of the working part of the Community, and turn their labours to their own advantage.

Yes, it is natural to expect that whether in the legiſlature or out of it, their whole ſtudy will be, under every kind of Government, to en⯑creaſe the prices of what their Eſtates produce, that their rents may riſe. What ſhall we then account ſuch a body of People, whoſe intereſts are only their own, and ſo oppoſite to all others, but a pub⯑lic Enemy, a Banditti that muſt always be watched and ſometimes reſiſted.

There you are wrong with your watch⯑ing and reſiſting. Who is to watch and reſiſt? Muſt not all the reſt of the world do ſomething for their Bread? And are they not diſarmed by the Game Laws, awed by the Military, and by Monopolies, State Tricks, Rents and Taxes reduced to continual Drudgery and Starvation? How many days do you think ſuch a brood of Beggars could maintain them⯑ſelves in a ſtate of Inſurrection againſt their Op⯑preſſors? [7]They muſt away to their work again. The cries of their famiſhed Families break up their Campaigns before they are well begun, and they muſt again return to the yoke, like other ſtarved animals, for mere ſubſiſtence.

O hopeleſs ſtate of Mankind!

No, it is not yet hopeleſs, though the ene⯑my, like a numerous Army, be garriſoned and quartered every where among us, and have all the ſtrong Holds, all the Arms, and every advantage that triumphant and cruel Invaders could wiſh for, yet will a true and univerſal knowledge of Spence's plain and ſimple Syſtem overturn them, and ſweep all their Greatneſs and Lordlineſs away in one Day, and leave the world in perpetual and perfect Peace:

Some ſeem to apprehend the miſmanage⯑ment of the Pariſh Revenues, and ſo diſcourage People from thinking of that Syſtem.

That is the natural work of the Enemy, and muſt be expected. But it does not become Demo⯑crats to doubt concerning it. For if Men cannot manage the Revenues and affairs of a Pariſh, what muſt they do with a State? It is almoſt as abſurd to anſwer ſuch quibbles as to make them. How ſtrange that Men will turn the world upſide down to get the management of a Nation, and yet pretend to deſpair concerning a Pariſh!!! It is too bad. The villainy is too barefaced, I am weary with combatting the vile ſophiſtry of Scoundrels that are Oppreſſors, and of Scoundrels that would be Oppreſſors. But in Spence's Pigs' Meat, you will find the Pariſh Syſtem repreſented in ſuch a variety of ways, and ſo plainly evidencing to every Reader, the eaſy and practicable tranſition from this ſcene of Oppreſſion and Woe, to perfect Freedom and Felicity, that I muſt refer you to that incomparable Work for complete ſatisfaction on the Subject.

I thank you. I will take the firſt oppor⯑tunity of peruſing that excellent Book. But in the mean time, for the ſake of converſation, let us ſup⯑poſe that a whole Nation no matter whether Ame⯑rica, France, Holland, or any other, but as to En⯑gland, it is entirely out of the Queſtion, were fully convinced of the excellence of this Syſtem, and univerſally wiſhing its eſtabliſhment, I ſhould be glad to know the moſt eaſy method of doing ſo, and with leaſt bloodſhed.

In a Country ſo prepared, let us ſuppoſe a few Thouſands of hearty determined Fellows well armed and appointed with Officers, and having a Committee of honeſt, from, and intelligent Men to act as a proviſionary Government, and to direct their Actions to the proper Object. If this Com⯑mittee publiſhed a Manifeſto or Proclamation, di⯑recting the People in every Pariſh to take, on receipt thereof, immediate poſſeſſion of the whole Landed Property within their diſtrict, appointing a Com⯑mittee to take charge of the ſame, in the name and for the uſe of the Inhabitants; and that every Landholder ſhould immediately, on pain of Con⯑fiſcation and Impriſonment, deliver to the ſaid pa⯑rochial Committee, all Writings and Documents relating to their Eſtates, that they might immedi⯑ately be burnt; and that they ſhould likewiſe diſ⯑gorge at the ſame time into the Hands of the ſaid Committee, the laſt payments received from their tenants, in order to create a parochial Fund for im⯑mediate uſe, without calling upon the exhauſted People. If this Proclamation was generally attended to, the buſineſs was ſettled at once; but if the Ariſtocracy aroſe to contend the matter, let the People be firm and deſperate, deſtroying them Root and Branch, and ſtrengthening their Hands by the rich Confiſcations, Thus the War would be carried on at the expence of the wealthy enemy; and the [9]Soldiers of Liberty beſide the hope of ſharing in he future felicity of the country, being well paid, would be ſteady and bold. And wherever the Lands were taken poſſeſſion of by the People, (which by all means ſhould be as early accompliſh⯑ed as poſſible) the grand reſource of the Ariſtocracy, the Rents, would be cut off, which would ſoon re⯑duce them to Reaſon, and they would become as harmleſs as other men.

If People could but thus become honeſt and wiſe enough to cut off at once the reſources of the enemy, they might ſoon get rid of Oppreſſion. But it is a pity they do not perceive the immediate and inexpreſſible bleſſings that would infallably reſult from ſuch a Revolution.

The good Effects of ſuch a change, would be more exhilirating and reviving to the hunger-bitten and deſpairing Children of Oppreſſion, than a be⯑nign and ſudden Spring to the froſt-bitten Earth, after a long and ſevere Winter. Only think of the many millions of Rents that are now paid to thoſe ſelf-created Nephews of God Almighty, the Land⯑ed Intereſt, which is literally paid for nothing but to create Maſters.—I ſay only think of all this Mo⯑ney, circulating among the People, and there pro⯑moting Induſtry and Happineſs, and all the arts and callings uſeful in Society; would not the change be unſpeakable? This would neither be a barren Revolution of mere unproductive Rights, ſuch as many contend for, nor yet a glut of ſudden and temporary Wealth as if acquired by conqueſt; but a continual flow of permanent Wealth establiſhed by a System of Truth and Justice, and guaranteed by the interest of every Man, Woman, and Child in the Nation. The Government alſo of ſuch a People could no longer be oppreſſive. The demo⯑cratic Pariſhes would take care how they ſuffered their Money to be laviſhed away upon State ſpe⯑culations. [10]And their Senators, who could not be Men of landed Property, would be found to be much more honest and true to the ſervices of their Constituents than our now-a-days ſo much boasted Gentlemen of independent Fortunes.

When a People create Landlords, they create a numerous host of hereditary Tyrants and Oppreſ⯑ſors, who not content with their Lordly Revenues of Rents, ſeize alſo upon the Government, and parcel it out among themſelves, and take as enor⯑mous ſalaries for the Places they occupy therein, as if they were poor Men; ſo that the Rents which the fooliſh People fooliſhly pay, they pay for no⯑thing, and the poor dull Aſs the Public, become thus loaded, as it were, with two pair of Panyers. So then, whoever will be ſo ſilly good-natured and over-generous as to pay Rents to a ſet of Individuals, must not be ſurprized, if their Masters by all ways and means and pretences ſhould keep them to it, and give Scope ſufficient to their liberal propenſi⯑ties.