Conduct of the War [pp. 139-146]

CONDUCT OF THE WAR.
to continual exertion by the property holders or capitalists,
who make it a conditionl with the poor that they shall work or
starve. Proudhon, in the "Resumr6 et Conclusion" of his "Contradictions Econolniques," well remarks:
"Le plus grand sevice que la propriete ait rendu au monde, est cette
affliction perpetuelle du travail et du geine."
And ag,ain he says, with truth and pathos:
"JI faut q'te l'honmmne tIravaille! C'est pour cela que dans les conseils de
la Providence, le vol a etc institute, organize, sanctifie'! Si le proprietaire
se fut bienitot lasse de produire, et la sauvagerie, la hideuse miscre, etaient
a la porte. Le Polynesien, en qui la propriete avorte, et qui jouit dans une
entiere communauted de biens et d' amours, pourquoi travailerait il?' Sa
terre et la beaute sont a tous, les enfants a personne: que lui parlez-vous
de morale, de dignit6, de personnalite, de philosophic, de progres? Et sans
aller Si loin, le Corse, qui sous ses chataigniers trouve pendant six Imoss le
moyen de vivre et le domicile, pourquoi voulez-vous qu'il travaille? Que
lui importent votre conscription, vos chemiins de fer, votre tribune, votre
presse? De quoi a-t-il besoinr que de dormir quand il a mange ses chataignes?
Un prefet de la Corse disait que pour civiliser cette ilc, il fallait couper les
chdtlaijyriers. Un moyent plus sur c'est de les appro)prier."
Appropriation of thle lands by individual owners begets
slavery; and slaverys alone begets civilization. The mass of
mankind, whether blacks or whites, must be slaves or savages.
If they prefer civilization, they have only to choose between
'hlunger" and "hickories." The ancients preferred hickories,
the mioderns like hunger best. We think, in the long run, the
hickories will carry the day, and domestic slavery, whetlher with
blacks or whites, wvill be fbund more merciful and Imore profitable than the unrestricted exploitation of skill and capital.
ART. XIII.-CONDUCT OF THE WAR.
The mob rules despotically amoIg, our enemies. Slhall we
instal it in supreme power at, the South? So far, our President
and all our officers have disregarded the senseless clamor of
home-keeping people, who talk and write ignorantly, thoughtlessly and recklessly, about the conduct of the war, which tlhey
comprehlend aboult as well as tley do the Challdaic language, or
thle Eg,yptian hieroglyphics. Out of danger's way themselves,
they do not feel or care for the useless danger to wlichi they
would expose our troops. Our officers, whethler volunteers or
regulars, have exhibited remarkable prudence, caution, skill
and sagacity. As conscientious mene, they have endeavored to
gain victory with little loss of life. In this they have succ(eeded, because they have fought the enemy at advantag,e, and
never at disadviantage. An army acting on the defensive, in
its own territory may, by retreating, choose its own position
139
. I.