Country life -- England; England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century; Natural history -- Outdoor books
A probable result of these changes is an increase in the value of
land: if thousands of people should ever really begin to desire it,
and to work and save for the object of buying it, analogy would
suppose a rise in value. Instead of a loss there would be a gain to
the landowner, and I think to the farmer, who would have a larger
supply of labour, and possibly a strong posse of supporters at the
poll in their men. Instead of division coalescence is more probable.
The greater his freedom, the greater his attachment to home, the
more settled the labourer, the firmer will become the position of
all three classes. The landowner has nothing whatever to fear for
his park, his mansion, his privacy, his shooting, or anything else.
What is taken will be paid for, and no more will be taken than
needful. Parks and woods are becoming of priceless value; we should
have to preserve a few landlords if only to have parks and woods.
Perfect rights of possession are not at all incompatible with
enjoyment by the people. There are domains to be found where people
wander at their will, and enjoy themselves as much as they please,
and yet the owner retains every right. It is true that there are
also numerous parks rigidly closed to the public, demonstrating the
folly of the proprietors--square miles of folly. The use of a little
compulsion to open them would not be at all deplorable. But it must
stop there and not encroach farther. Having obtained the use, be
careful not to destroy.
The one great aim I have in all my thoughts is the acquisition of
public and the preservation of private liberty. Freedom is the most
valuable of all things, and is to be sought with all our powers of
mind and hand. Freedom does not mean injustice, but neither will it
put up with injustice. A singular misapprehension seems to be widely
spread in our time; it is that there are two great criminals, the
poor man or 'pauper' and the landlord. At opposite extremes of the
scale they are regarded as equally guilty. Every right--the right to
vote, the right to live in his native village, the right to be
buried decently--is taken from the unhappy poor man or 'pauper.' He
is a criminal. To own land is to be guilty of unpardonable sin,
nothing is so bad; as criminals are ordered to be searched and
everything taken from them, so everything is to be taken from the
landowner. The injustice to both is equally evident. Anyone by
chance of circumstances, uncontrollable, may be reduced to extreme
poverty; how cruel to punish the unfortunate with the loss of civil
rights! Anyone by good fortune and labour may acquire wealth, and
would naturally wish to purchase land: is he then guilty? In equity
both the poor and the rich should enjoy the same civil rights.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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