fact of history, that six individuals owned one-half of the province of Africa, _when Nero had them put to death_![204-6] Externally, a moneyed oligarchy will always be a weak state. The great majority who have nothing to lose take little interest in the perpetuation of its political independence. They rather rejoice at the downfall of their oppressors hitherto, and are cheered by the hope of obtaining a part of the general plunder.[204-7] The rich, too, separated from the neglected and propertyless masses of the nation, and rightly distrustful of them, begin to forget their nationality, and to balance its advantages against the sacrifices necessary to preserve it. But, a merely materialistic calculation leads doubtless to the conclusion, that universal empire is the most rational form of the state. The world-sovereignty of Rome was, by no circumstance more promoted than by the struggles between the rich and the poor, which devastated the _orbis terrarum_, and in which the Romans generally sided with the property classes.[204-8] [204-9] [204-10] [204-11] However, the worst horrors of the contrast here described can occur only in slave-countries. Compare _Roscher_, Nationalökonomik des Ackerbaues, § 141. [Footnote 204-1: The more the lower classes degenerate into the rabble, and the more the national sovereignty comes into the hands of this rabble, the easier will it become for the rich to buy up the State.] [Footnote 204-2: In the middle stages of the nation's economy, such as are described in §§ 62, 66, 90, 207, in which even the relative advantages of industry on a large scale over industry on a small scale, are not much developed the making political rights dependent on the possession of a certain amount of property is certainly a means of promoting equality. Hence, therefore, a reconciliation between the differences of class created by birth, may be effected for a long time here.] [Footnote 204-3: _Hermann_, Staatsw. Untersuchungen, II, Aufl. 136.] [Footnote 204-4: _Necker_, Législation et Commerce des Grains, 1775,1. passim. Compare _Bacon_, Serm fideles, 15, 29, 34, 39.] [Footnote 204-5: _Schiller's_ terrible words: "_Etwas muss er sein eigen nennen, Oder der Mensch wird morden und brennen._" --i. e., "Something must he call his own, or man will murder and burn." It is one of _J. G. Fichte's_ fundamental thoughts that as all property is based on mutual disclaimer, the person who has nothing of his own, has disclaimed nothing, and therefore reserves his original right to everything. (Geschlossener Handelstaat., Werke, III, 400, 445.)] [Footnote 204-6: _Plin._, H. N., XVIII, 7.]