. . Those who would assassinate
liberty have made it the richer. The possessions of conspirators
exist for the benefit of the unfortunate."[67] -- Let the poor take
with a clear conscience: it is not a charity but "an indemnity" which
we provide for them; we save their pride by providing for their
comfort, and we relieve them without humiliating them.
"We leave charity and benevolent works to the monarchies; this
insolent and shabby way of furnishing assistance is fit only for
slaves and masters; we substitute for it a system of national works ,
on a grand scale, over the whole territory of the Republic."[68]
On the other hand, we cause a statement to be drawn up in each
commune, of "the condition of citizens without property," and "of
national possessions not disposed of;" we divide these possession in
small lots; we distribute them "in the shape of national sales" to
poor folks able to work. We give, "through the form of rental, "an
acre to each head of a family who has less than an acre of his own.
"We thus bind all citizens to the country as well as to property. We
restore idle and robust arms to the soil, and lost or weakened
families to the workshops in the towns.
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