And, on the other hand, if the loan or enterprise,
instead of bringing me a profit, brings me loss; if the law is
powerless or fails to do me justice and adds extra to ordinary risks;
if my work once perfected is to become the prey of the government, of
brigands or of whoever pleases to seize it; if I am compelled to
surrender my wares and merchandise at one-half their cost; if I cannot
produce, put in store, transport or sell except by renouncing all
profit and with the certainty of not getting back my advances, I will
no longer make loans or enter upon any under-taking whatever.
Such is the disposition and situation of people able to make advances
in anarchical times, when the State falters and no longer performs its
customary service, when property is no longer adequately protected by
the public force, when jacqueries overspread the country and
insurrections break out in the towns, when chateaux are sacked,
archives burnt, shops broken into, provisions carried off and
transportation is brought to a halt, when rents and leases are no
longer paid, when the courts dare no longer convict, when the
constable no longer dares serve a warrant, when the gendarmerie holds
back, when the police fails to act, when repeated amnesties shield
robbers and incendiaries, when a revolution brings into local and
central power dishonest and impoverished adventurers hostile to every
one that possesses property of any kind.
Pages:
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801