This passage is adapted from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to James Madison. It was originally written in 1785, when Jefferson was residing in France.
Seven o’clock, and retired to my fireside, I have determined
to enter into conversation with you; this [Fontainebleau] is a
village of about 5,000 inhabitants when the court is not here
and 20,000 when they are, occupying a valley thro’ which runs
a brook, and on each side of it a ridge of small mountains most
of which are naked rock. The king comes here in the fall
always, to hunt. His court attend him, as do also the foreign
diplomatic corps. But as this is not indispensably required, and
my finances do not admit the expence of a continued residence
here, I propose to come occasionally to attend the king’s levees,
returning again to Paris, distant 40 miles.
This being the first trip, I set out yesterday morning to take a
view of the place. For this purpose I shaped my course towards
the highest of the mountains in sight, to the top of which was
about a league. As soon as I had got clear of the town I fell in
with a poor woman walking at the same rate with myself and
going the same course. Wishing to know the condition of the
labouring poor I entered into conversation with her, which I
began by enquiries for the path which would lead me into the
mountain: and thence proceeded to enquiries into her vocation,
condition and circumstance. She told me she was a day
labourer, at 8. sous or 4 d. sterling the day; that she had two
children to maintain, and to pay a rent of 30 livres for her
house (which would consume the hire of 75 days), that often
she could get no emploiment, and of course was without bread.
As we had walked together near a mile and she had so far
served me as a guide, I gave her, on parting 24 sous. She burst
into tears of a gratitude which I could perceive was unfeigned,
because she was unable to utter a word. She had probably
never before received so great an aid.
This little attendrissement1, with the solitude of my walk led
me into a train of reflections on that unequal division of
property which occasions the numberless instances of
wretchedness which I had observed in this country and is to be
observed all over Europe. The property of this country is
absolutely concentered in a very few hands, having revenues of
from half a million of guineas a year downwards. These
employ the flower of the country as servants, some of them
having as many as 200 domestics, not labouring. They employ
also a great number of manufacturers, and tradesmen, and
lastly the class of labouring husbandmen2. But after all these
comes the most numerous of all the classes, that is, the poor
who cannot find work. I asked myself what could be the reason
that so many should be permitted to beg who are willing to
work, in a country where there is a very considerable
proportion of uncultivated lands? These lands are kept idle
mostly for the sake of game. It should seem then that it must be
because of the enormous wealth of the proprietors which places
them above attention to the increase of their revenues by
permitting these lands to be laboured.
I am conscious that an equal division of property is
impracticable. But the consequences of this enormous
inequality producing so much misery to the bulk of mankind,
legislators cannot invent too many devices for subdividing
property, only taking care to let their subdivisions go hand in
hand with the natural affections of the human mind. The
descent of property of every kind therefore to all the children,
or to all the brothers and sisters, or other relations in equal
degree is a politic measure, and a practicable one. Another
means of silently lessening the inequality of property is to
exempt all from taxation below a certain point, and to tax the
higher portions of property in geometrical progression as they
rise. Whenever there is in any country, uncultivated lands and
unemployed poor, it is clear that the laws of property have been
so far extended as to violate natural right. The earth is given as
a common stock for man to labour and live on. If, for the
encouragement of industry we allow it to be appropriated, we
must take care that other employment be furnished to those
excluded from the appropriation...
1emotion
2farmers
Seven o’clock, and retired to my fireside, I have determined
to enter into conversation with you; this [Fontainebleau] is a
village of about 5,000 inhabitants when the court is not here
and 20,000 when they are, occupying a valley thro’ which runs
a brook, and on each side of it a ridge of small mountains most
of which are naked rock. The king comes here in the fall
always, to hunt. His court attend him, as do also the foreign
diplomatic corps. But as this is not indispensably required, and
my finances do not admit the expence of a continued residence
here, I propose to come occasionally to attend the king’s levees,
returning again to Paris, distant 40 miles.
This being the first trip, I set out yesterday morning to take a
view of the place. For this purpose I shaped my course towards
the highest of the mountains in sight, to the top of which was
about a league. As soon as I had got clear of the town I fell in
with a poor woman walking at the same rate with myself and
going the same course. Wishing to know the condition of the
labouring poor I entered into conversation with her, which I
began by enquiries for the path which would lead me into the
mountain: and thence proceeded to enquiries into her vocation,
condition and circumstance. She told me she was a day
labourer, at 8. sous or 4 d. sterling the day; that she had two
children to maintain, and to pay a rent of 30 livres for her
house (which would consume the hire of 75 days), that often
she could get no emploiment, and of course was without bread.
As we had walked together near a mile and she had so far
served me as a guide, I gave her, on parting 24 sous. She burst
into tears of a gratitude which I could perceive was unfeigned,
because she was unable to utter a word. She had probably
never before received so great an aid.
This little attendrissement1, with the solitude of my walk led
me into a train of reflections on that unequal division of
property which occasions the numberless instances of
wretchedness which I had observed in this country and is to be
observed all over Europe. The property of this country is
absolutely concentered in a very few hands, having revenues of
from half a million of guineas a year downwards. These
employ the flower of the country as servants, some of them
having as many as 200 domestics, not labouring. They employ
also a great number of manufacturers, and tradesmen, and
lastly the class of labouring husbandmen2. But after all these
comes the most numerous of all the classes, that is, the poor
who cannot find work. I asked myself what could be the reason
that so many should be permitted to beg who are willing to
work, in a country where there is a very considerable
proportion of uncultivated lands? These lands are kept idle
mostly for the sake of game. It should seem then that it must be
because of the enormous wealth of the proprietors which places
them above attention to the increase of their revenues by
permitting these lands to be laboured.
I am conscious that an equal division of property is
impracticable. But the consequences of this enormous
inequality producing so much misery to the bulk of mankind,
legislators cannot invent too many devices for subdividing
property, only taking care to let their subdivisions go hand in
hand with the natural affections of the human mind. The
descent of property of every kind therefore to all the children,
or to all the brothers and sisters, or other relations in equal
degree is a politic measure, and a practicable one. Another
means of silently lessening the inequality of property is to
exempt all from taxation below a certain point, and to tax the
higher portions of property in geometrical progression as they
rise. Whenever there is in any country, uncultivated lands and
unemployed poor, it is clear that the laws of property have been
so far extended as to violate natural right. The earth is given as
a common stock for man to labour and live on. If, for the
encouragement of industry we allow it to be appropriated, we
must take care that other employment be furnished to those
excluded from the appropriation...
1emotion
2farmers