624 CITATIONS FROM WRITINGS OF JURISTS AND ECONOMISTS. 



Empire 1 . We have also a striking example of the same kind in the his- 

 tory Abraham and his nephew Lot 2 . When their joint substance became 

 so great that pasture and other conveniences grew scarce, the natural 

 consequence was that a strife arose between their servants; so that it 

 was no longer practicable to dwell together. This contention Abraham 

 thus endeavored to compose: "Let there be no strife, I pray thee, 

 between, thee and me. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate 

 thyself, I pray thee, from me. If thou will take the left hand, then I 

 •will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go 

 to the left". This plainly implies an acknowledged right in either to 

 occupy whatever ground he pleased that was not preoccupied by other 

 tribes. " And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of .Jordan, 

 that it was well watered every where, even as the garden of the Lord. 

 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan, and journeyed east; and 

 Abraham dwelt in the land of Canaan". 



Upon the same principle was founded the right of migration, or 

 sending colonies to find out new habitations, when the mother country 

 was over charged with inhabitants, which was practiced as well by the 

 Phenicians and Greeks, as the Germans, Scythians and other northern 

 people. And so long as it was confined to the stocking and cultivation 

 of desert, uninhabited countries, it kept strictly within the limits of 

 the law of nature. But how far the seizing on countries already 

 peopled, and driving out or massacring the innocent and defenceless 

 natives, merely because they differed from their invaders in language, 

 in religion, in customs, in government or in colour; how far such a 

 conduct was consonant to nature, to reason or to Christianity, deserved 

 well to be considered by those who have rendered their names immor- 

 tal by thus civilizing mankind. 



As the world by degrees grew more populous, it daily became more 

 difficult to find out new spots to inhabit, without encroaching upon 

 former occupants ; and by constantly occupying the same individual 

 spot, the fruits of the earth were consumed, and its spontaneous pro- 

 duce destroyed, without any provision tor a future supply or succes- 

 . sion. It therefore became necessary to pursue some regular method of 

 providing a constant subsistence; and this necessity produced, or at 

 least promoted and encouraged, the art of agriculture. And the art of 

 agriculture, by a, regular connection and consequence, introduced and 

 established the idea of a more permanent property in the soil than had 

 hitherto been received and adopted. It was clear that the earth would 

 not produce her fruits in sufficient quantities without the assistance of 

 tillage; but who would beat the pains of tilling it if another might 

 watch an opportunity to seize upon and enjoy the product of his in- 

 dustry, art and labour? Had not, therefore, a separate property in 

 lands as well as movables been vested in some individuals, the world 

 must have continued a forest, and men have been mere animals of 

 prey; which, according to some philosophers, is the genuine state of 

 nature. W'hcieas now (so graciously has Providence interwoven our 

 duty and our happiness together,) the result of this very necessity has 

 been the ennobling of the human species, by giving it opportunities of 

 improving its rational faculties, as well as of exerting its natural. 

 Necessity begat property; and in order to ensure that property, 

 rei ourse was had to civil society, which brought along with it a long- 

 train of inseparable concomitants; states, governments, laws, punish- 



l "Colunt discreti et diversi; ut ions, at campus, ut ueiuus, placuit." De Mor. 

 Ger. 16. 



-Genesis, C XIII. 



