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Show 98 DESPOTISJ\1 dustry of the rich man is relaxed; he is more inclined to spend than to accumulate; while the poor man is still stimulated by the desire of acquisition. It appears then that in civilized communities, the natural tendency of things is towards ~q~ality. Inequality can only be maintained by artificial means; by laws which give to some individuals exclusive advan tagcs not poss.esscd by others, such as Ia ws of primogeniture, of entail, laws conferring hereditary rights and privileges; laws creating monopolies of any and every kind. lf political equality be dependent upon equality of wealth, social equality is equally dependent upon it. Social distinctions which appear to spring from other sources, rise in fact from this, and by means of this are kept m activity. Blood and family are esteemed of great importance, and according to a vulgar notion which we hear every day repeated, are said to afiord a much nobler and more respectable aristocracy, than that of mere wealth. But the founder of every noble family was first rich before he became noble. It is his wealth transmitted to his descendants to which they are principally indebted for distinction. When they become poor they soon fall into contempt. '!'his is so well understood that whenever a Marlborough or a Wellington is raised to the highest rank of the peerage for services or supposed services rendered to his country, an estate is bestowed by parliament, to accompany the title. Equality in general, may be resolved into equality of wealth. All depends upon that. Now it is a fact clear and indisputable, that the existence of slavery in a country, is the surest and most inevitable means of producing and maintaining an inequality of wealth. This is not said with any reference to the unprivileged class, who are to be re~arded in this view not as men, but merely as thm~s. Reference is had only to the free. Slavery necessanly produces a great inequality of wealth among the free. The method of this operation is obvious. The Ia- IN AMERICA. 99 bor of ~ach individual, is as we have seen thf~ natural and on~mal source of individual wealth.' But when a man 1s enabled to possess himself of the fruits pro~ duced by tiI.c labor o.f a large number of individuals, to 10lt01n he tS not obltgel~ to nwke any compensation beyond ct bar.e support, h1s wealth tends to increase in a va~t a~~ disproportionate ratio, over the wealth of that md1v1dual who relics solely upon his own labor. Moreover slaves arc a sort of property much less valuab~c when held in small portions, than when pos~ sessed m masses. VVhere four or five hundred slaves are ?wned together, the doctril~c of chances may be applted to the numerous casualties to which this kind of .property is ~iable .. The average annual loss and gam under ordmary-ctrcumst~nces will be pretty regular, and may be made a subject of calculation. Uut the owner of only four or five slaves may at any time lose them all by a sudden disorder. '!'hey may all be taken SICk at the same lime, and the crop may perish for want of hands to tend it. They may all run away together. The mcome expected from them is thus liable to fail entirely, and the poor man is constantly thr.own b~ck in his at~empt~ to accumnlatc, by the ~ccesstty he IS under of mvestmg his gains, or a considerable part of them, in a species of property wh.ICh when possessed m small quantitJ.r.s, is peculiarly msecure.* But there is another effect of the existence of slavcry i.n n: communi.ty, much more extensive and powerful m Its operatton. \Vhcrever sla,rery exists lal~~ r ?omes to ~har.e the del?radation and contemPt of servitude, whi-le 1dlcness 1s regarded as the peculiar badge of freedom. Dut when idleness is general, the great mass of the community must inevitably be poor. In every country the number of those who inherit any c.onsiderable portion of weo lth, is small. Personalmdustry is the only resource of !he great bulk of the Citizens. Where labor is honorable, it proves th;SeedChapter Til. Sec. ~T. for nddilional and important reasons of ten cncy of slave.holdmg properly to accumul.:l.tc in a few h::mds. |
