Withthedevelopmentofcapitalistproductionduringthemanufacturingperiod,thepublicopinionofEuropehadlostthelastremnantofshameandconscience。Thenationsbraggedcynicallyofeveryinfamythatservedthemasameanstocapitalisticaccumulation。Read,e。g。,thenaïveAnnalsofCommerceoftheworthyA。Anderson。HereitistrumpetedforthasatriumphofEnglishstatecraftthatatthePeaceofUtrecht,EnglandextortedfromtheSpaniardsbytheAsientoTreatytheprivilegeofbeingallowedtoplythenegro—trade,untilthenonlycarriedonbetweenAfricaandtheEnglishWestIndies,betweenAfricaandSpanishAmericaaswell。
EnglandtherebyacquiredtherightofsupplyingSpanishAmericauntil1743
with4,800negroesyearly。Thisthrew,atthesametime,anofficialcloakoverBritishsmuggling。Liverpoolwaxedfatontheslave—trade。Thiswasitsmethodofprimitiveaccumulation。And,eventothepresentday,Liverpool"respectability"isthePindaroftheslave—tradewhich?comparetheworkofAikin[1795]alreadyquoted?"hascoincidedwiththatspiritofboldadventurewhichhascharacterisedthetradeofLiverpoolandrapidlycarriedittoitspresentstateofprosperity;hasoccasionedvastemploymentforshippingandsailors,andgreatlyaugmentedthedemandforthemanufacturesofthecountry"(p。339)。Liverpoolemployedintheslave—trade,in1730,15ships;in1751,53;in1760,74;in1770,96;andin1792,132。
Whilstthecottonindustryintroducedchild—slaveryinEngland,itgaveintheUnitedStatesastimulustothetransformationoftheearlier,moreorlesspatriarchalslavery,intoasystemofcommercialexploitation。
Infact,theveiledslaveryofthewage—workersinEuropeneeded,foritspedestal,slaverypureandsimpleinthenewworld。’
Tantaemoliserat,toestablishthe"eternallawsofNature"ofthecapitalistmodeofproduction,tocompletetheprocessofseparationbetweenlabourersandconditionsoflabour,totransform,atonepole,thesocialmeansofproductionandsubsistenceintocapital,attheoppositepole,themassofthepopulationintowage—labourers,into"freelabouringpoor,"
thatartificialproductofmodernsociety。[13]Ifmoney,AccordingtoAugier,[14]"comesintotheworldwithacongenitalblood—stainononecheek,"capitalcomesdrippingfromheadtofoot,fromeverypore,withbloodanddirt。[15]
Footnotes[1]Industrialhereincontradistinctiontoagricultural。Inthe"categoric"
sensethefarmerisanindustrialcapitalistasmuchasthemanufacturer。
[2]"TheNaturalandArtificialRightsofPropertyContrasted。"Lond。,1832,pp。98—99。Authoroftheanonymouswork:"Th。Hodgskin。"
[3]Evenaslateas1794,thesmallcloth—makersofLeedssentadeputationtoParliament,withapetitionforalawtoforbidanymerchantfrombecomingamanufacturer。(Dr。Aikin,l。c。)
[4]WilliamHowitt:"ColonisationandChristianity:APopularHistoryoftheTreatmentoftheNativesbytheEuropeansinalltheirColonies。"London,1838,p。9。OnthetreatmentoftheslavesthereisagoodcompilationinCharlesComte,"TraitédelaLégislation。"3meéd。
Bruxelles,1837。Thissubjectonemuststudyindetail,toseewhatthebourgeoisiemakesofitselfandofthelabourer,whereveritcan,withoutrestraint,modeltheworldafteritsownimage。
[5]ThomasStamfordRaffles,lateLieut—Gov。ofthatisland:"TheHistoryofJava,"Lond。,1817。
[6]Intheyear1866morethanamillionHindusdiedofhungerintheprovinceofOrissaalone。Nevertheless,theattemptwasmadetoenrichtheIndiantreasurybythepriceatwhichthenecessariesoflifeweresoldtothestarvingpeople。
[7]WilliamCobbettremarksthatinEnglandallpublicinstitutionsaredesignated"royal";ascompensationforthis,however,thereisthe"national"debt。
[8]"SilesTartaresinondaientI’Europeaujourd’hui,ilfaudraitbiendesaffairespourleurfaireentendrecequec’estqu’unfinancierparminous。"
Montesquieu,"Espritdeslois,"t。iv。,p。33,ed。Londres,1769。
[9]Mirabeau,l。c。,t。vi。,p。101。
[10]Eden,l。c。,Vol。I。,BookII。,Ch。1。,p。421。
[11]JohnFielden,l。c。,pp。5,6。Ontheearlierinfamiesofthefactorysystem,cf。Dr。Aikin(I795),l。c。,p。219。andGisbome:"EnquiryintotheDutiesofMen,"1795Vol。II。Whenthesteam—enginetransplantedthefactoriesfromthecountrywaterfallstothemiddleoftowns,the"abstemious"surplus—valuemakerfoundthechild—materialreadytohishand,withoutbeingforcedtoseekslavesfromtheworkhouses。WhenSirR。Peel(fatherofthe"ministerofplausibility"),broughtinhisbillfortheprotectionofchildren,in1815,FrancisHomer,lumenoftheBillionCommitteeandintimatefriendofRicardo,saidintheHouseofCommons:"Itisnotorious,thatwithabankrupt’seffects,agang,ifhemightusetheword,ofthesechildrenhadbeenputuptosale,andwereadvertisedpubliclyaspartoftheproperty。
AmostatrociousinstancehadbeenbroughtbeforetheCourtofKing’sBenchtwoyearsbefore,inwhichanumberoftheseboys,apprenticedbyaparishinLondontoonemanufacturer,hadbeentransferredtoanother,andhadbeenfoundbysomebenevolentpersonsinastateofabsolutefamine。Anothercasemorehorriblehadcometohisknowledgewhileona[Parliamentary]
Committee……thatnotmanyyearsago,anagreementhadbeenmadebetweenaLondonparishandaLancashiremanufacturer,bywhichitwasstipulated,thatwithevery20soundchildrenoneidiotshouldbetaken。"
[12]In1790,therewereintheEnglishWestIndiestenslavesforonefreeman,intheFrenchfourteenforone,intheDutchtwenty—threeforone。
(HenryBrougham:"AnInquiryintotheColonialPolicyoftheEuropeanPowers。"
Edin。1803,vol。II。,p。74。)
[13]Thephrase,"labouringpoor,"isfoundinEnglishlegislationfromthemomentwhentheclassofwage—labourersbecomesnoticeable。Thistermisusedinopposition,ontheonehand,tothe"idlepoor,"beggars,etc。,ontheothertothoselabourers,who,pigeonsnotyetplucked,arestillpossessorsoftheirownmeansoflabour。FromtheStatuteBookitpassedintoPoliticalEconomy,andwashandeddownbyCulpeper,J。Child,etc。,toAdamSmithandEden。Afterthis,onecanjudgeofthegoodfaithofthe"execrablepoliticalcant—monger,"EdmundBurke,whenhecalledtheexpression,"labouringpoor,"?"execrablepoliticalcant。"Thissycophantwho,inthepayoftheEnglisholigarchy,playedtheromanticlaudatortemporisactiagainsttheFrenchRevolution,justas,inthepayoftheNorthAmericanColonies,atthebeginningoftheAmericantroubles,hehadplayedtheLiberalagainsttheEnglisholigarchy,wasanoutandoutvulgarbourgeois。"ThelawsofcommercearethelawsofNature,andthereforethelawsofGod。"(E。Burke,l。c。,pp。31,32。)Nowonderthat,truetothelawsofGodandofNature,healwayssoldhimselfinthebestmarket。
AverygoodportraitofthisEdmundBurke,duringhisliberaltime,istobefoundinthewritingsoftheRev。Mr。Tucker。TuckerwasaparsonandaTory,but,fortherest,anhonourablemanandacompetentpoliticaleconomist。Infaceoftheinfamouscowardiceofcharacterthatreignsto—day,andbelievesmostdevoutlyin"thelawsofcommerce,"itisourboundendutyagainandagaintobrandtheBurkes,whoonlydifferfromtheirsuccessorsinonething?talent。
[14]MarieAngier:"DuCréditPublic。"Paris,1842。
[15]"CapitalissaidbyaQuarterlyReviewertoflyturbulenceandstrife,andtobetimid,whichisverytrue;butthisisveryincompletelystatingthequestion。Capitaleschewsnoprofit,orverysmallprofit,justasNaturewasformerlysaidtoabhoravacuum。Withadequateprofit,capitalisverybold。Acertain10percent。willensureitsemploymentanywhere;
20percent。certainwillproduceeagerness;50percent。,positiveaudacity;
100percent。willmakeitreadytotrampleonallhumanlaws;300percent。,andthereisnotacrimeatwhichitwillscruple,norariskitwillnotrun,eventothechanceofitsownerbeinghanged。Ifturbulenceandstrifewillbringaprofit,itwillfreelyencourageboth。Smugglingandtheslave—tradehaveamplyprovedallthatisherestated。"(T。J。
Dunning,l。c。,pp。35,36。)
ChapterThirtyTwoKarlMarxCapitalVolumeOnePartVIII:
PrimativeAccumulationCHAPTERTHIRTY—TWO:
HISTORICALTENDENCYOFCAPITALISTACCUMULATION
Whatdoestheprimitiveaccumulationofcapital,i。e。,itshistoricalgenesis,resolveitselfinto?Insofarasitisnotimmediatetransformationofslavesandserfsintowage—laborers,andthereforeamerechangeofform,itonlymeanstheexpropriationoftheimmediateproducers,i。e。,thedissolutionofprivatepropertybasedonthelaborofitsowner。Privateproperty,astheantithesistosocial,collectiveproperty,existsonlywherethemeansoflaborandtheexternalconditionsoflaborbelongtoprivateindividuals。Butaccordingastheseprivateindividualsarelaborersornotlaborers,privatepropertyhasadifferentcharacter。Thenumberlessshades,thatitatfirstsightpresents,correspondtotheintermediatestageslyingbetweenthesetwoextremes。Theprivatepropertyofthelaborerinhismeansofproductionisthefoundationofpettyindustry,whetheragricultural,manufacturing,orboth;pettyindustry,again,isanessentialconditionforthedevelopmentofsocialproductionandofthefreeindividualityofthelaborerhimself。Ofcourse,thispettymodeofproductionexistsalsounderslavery,serfdom,andotherstatesofdependence。Butitflourishes,itletslooseitswholeenergy,itattainsitsadequateclassicalform,onlywherethelaboreristheprivateownerofhisownmeansoflaborsetinactionbyhimself:thepeasantofthelandwhichhecultivates,theartisanofthetoolwhichhehandlesasavirtuoso。Thismodeofproductionpre—supposesparcellingofthesoilandscatteringoftheothermeansofproduction。Asitexcludestheconcentrationofthesemeansofproduction,soalsoitexcludesco—operation,divisionoflaborwithineachseparateprocessofproduction,thecontrolover,andtheproductiveapplicationoftheforcesofNaturebysociety,andthefreedevelopmentofthesocialproductivepowers。Itiscompatibleonlywithasystemofproduction,andasociety,movingwithinnarrowandmoreorlessprimitivebounds。Toperpetuateitwouldbe,asPecqueurrightlysays,"todecreeuniversalmediocrity"。
Atacertainstageofdevelopment,itbringsforththematerialagenciesforitsowndissolution。Fromthatmomentnewforcesandnewpassionsspringupinthebosomofsociety;buttheoldsocialorganizationfettersthemandkeepsthemdown。Itmustbeannihilated;itisannihilated。Itsannihilation,thetransformationoftheindividualizedandscatteredmeansofproductionintosociallyconcentratedones,ofthepigmypropertyofthemanyintothehugepropertyofthefew,theexpropriationofthegreatmassofthepeoplefromthesoil,fromthemeansofsubsistence,andfromthemeansoflabor,thisfearfulandpainfulexpropriationofthemassofthepeopleformsthepreludetothehistoryofcapital。Itcomprisesaseriesofforciblemethods,ofwhichwehavepassedinreviewonlythosethathavebeenepoch—makingasmethodsoftheprimitiveaccumulationofcapital。TheexpropriationoftheimmediateproducerswasaccomplishedwithmercilessVandalism,andunderthestimulusofpassionsthemostinfamous,themostsordid,thepettiest,themostmeanlyodious。Self—earnedprivateproperty,thatisbased,sotosay,onthefusingtogetheroftheisolated,independentlaboring—individualwiththeconditionsofhislabor,issupplantedbycapitalisticprivateproperty,whichrestsonexploitationofthenominallyfreelaborofothers,i。e。,onwage—labor。[1]
Assoonasthisprocessoftransformationhassufficientlydecomposedtheoldsocietyfromtoptobottom,assoonasthelaborersareturnedintoproletarians,theirmeansoflaborintocapital,assoonasthecapitalistmodeofproductionstandsonitsownfeet,thenthefurthersocializationoflaborandfurthertransformationofthelandandothermeansofproductionintosociallyexploitedand,therefore,commonmeansofproduction,aswellasthefurtherexpropriationofprivateproprietors,takesanewform。
Thatwhichisnowtobeexpropriatedisnolongerthelaborerworkingforhimself,butthecapitalistexploitingmanylaborers。Thisexpropriationisaccomplishedbytheactionoftheimmanentlawsofcapitalisticproductionitself,bythecentralizationofcapital。Onecapitalistalwayskillsmany。
Handinhandwiththiscentralization,orthisexpropriationofmanycapitalistsbyfew,develop,onanever—extendingscale,theco—operativeformofthelabor—process,theconscioustechnicalapplicationofscience,themethodicalcultivationofthesoil,thetransformationoftheinstrumentsoflaborintoinstrumentsoflaboronlyusableincommon,theeconomizingofallmeansofproductionbytheiruseasmeansofproductionofcombined,socializedlabor,theentanglementofallpeoplesinthenetoftheworld—market,andwiththis,theinternationalcharacterofthecapitalisticregime。
Alongwiththeconstantlydiminishingnumberofthemagnatesofcapital,whousurpandmonopolizealladvantagesofthisprocessoftransformation,growsthemassofmisery,oppression,slavery,degradation,exploitation;
butwiththistoogrowstherevoltoftheworking—class,aclassalwaysincreasinginnumbers,anddisciplined,united,organizedbytheverymechanismoftheprocessofcapitalistproductionitself。Themonopolyofcapitalbecomesafetteruponthemodeofproduction,whichhassprungupandflourishedalongwith,andunderit。Centralizationofthemeansofproductionandsocializationoflaboratlastreachapointwheretheybecomeincompatiblewiththeircapitalistintegument。Thusintegumentisburstasunder。Theknellofcapitalistprivatepropertysounds。Theexpropriatorsareexpropriated。
Thecapitalistmodeofappropriation,theresultofthecapitalistmodeofproduction,producescapitalistprivateproperty。Thisisthefirstnegationofindividualprivateproperty,asfoundedonthelaboroftheproprietor。Butcapitalistproductionbegets,withtheinexorabilityofalawofNature,itsownnegation。Itisthenegationofnegation。Thisdoesnotre—establishprivatepropertyfortheproducer,butgiveshimindividualpropertybasedontheacquisitionofthecapitalistera:i。e。,onco—operationandthepossessionincommonofthelandandofthemeansofproduction。
Thetransformationofscatteredprivateproperty,arisingfromindividuallabor,intocapitalistprivatepropertyis,naturally,aprocess,incomparablymoreprotracted,violent,anddifficult,thanthetransformationofcapitalisticprivateproperty,alreadypracticallyrestingonsocializedproduction,intosocializedproperty。Intheformercase,wehadtheexpropriationofthemassofthepeoplebyafewusurpers;inthelatter,wehavetheexpropriationofafewusurpersbythemassofthepeople。[2]
Footnotes[1]"Noussommesdansuneconditiontout—à—faitnouvelledelasocieté……
noustendonsaseparertouteespecedeproprieted’avectouteespècedetravail。"(Sismondi:"NouveauxPrincipesd’Econ。Polit。"t。II,p。434。)
[2]Theadvanceofindustry,whoseinvoluntarypromoteristhebourgeoisie,replacestheisolationofthelaborers,duetocompetition,bytheirrevolutionarycombination,duetoassociation。ThedevelopmentofModernIndustry,therefore,cutsfromunderitsfeettheveryfoundationonwhichthebourgeoisieproducesandappropriatesproducts。Whatthebourgeoisie,therefore,produces,aboveall,areitsowngrave—diggers。Itsfallandthevictoryoftheproletariatareequallyinevitable……Ofalltheclassesthatstandface—to—facewiththebourgeoisietoday,theproletariataloneisareallyrevolutionaryclass。TheotherclassesperishanddisappearinthefaceofModernIndustry,theproletariatisitsspecialandessentialproduct……Thelowermiddle—classes,thesmallmanufacturers,theshopkeepers,theartisan,thepeasant,allthesefightagainstthebourgeoisie,tosavefromextinctiontheirexistenceasfractionsofthemiddle—class……theyarereactionary,fortheytrytorollbackthewheelofhistory。KarlMarxandFriedrichEngels,"ManifestderKommunistischenPartei",London,1848,pp。9,11。
ChapterThirty—ThreeKarlMarxCapitalVolumeOnePartVIII:
PrimativeAccumulationCHAPTERTHIRTY—THREE:
THEMODERNTHEORYOFCOLONISATION[1]
Politicaleconomyconfusesonprincipletwoverydifferentkindsofprivateproperty,ofwhichonerestsontheproducers’ownlabor,theotherontheemploymentofthelaborofothers。Itforgetsthatthelatternotonlyisthedirectantithesisoftheformer,butabsolutelygrowsonitstombonly。InWesternEurope,thehomeofPoliticalEconomy,theprocessofprimitiveaccumulationismoreoflessaccomplished。Herethecapitalistregimehaseitherdirectlyconqueredthewholedomainofnationalproduction,or,whereeconomicconditionsarelessdeveloped,it,atleast,indirectlycontrolsthosestrataofsocietywhich,thoughbelongingtotheantiquatedmodeofproduction,continuetoexistsidebysidewithitingradualdecay。
Tothisready—madeworldofcapital,thepoliticaleconomistappliesthenotionsoflawandofpropertyinheritedfromapre—capitalisticworldwithallthemoreanxiouszealandallthegreaterunction,themoreloudlythefactscryoutinthefaceofhisideology。Itisotherwiseinthecolonies。
Therethecapitalistregimeeverywherecomesintocollisionwiththeresistanceoftheproducer,who,asownerofhisownconditionsoflabor,employsthatlabortoenrichhimself,insteadofthecapitalist。Thecontradictionofthesetwodiametricallyopposedeconomicsystems,manifestitselfherepracticallyinastrugglebetweenthem。Wherethecapitalisthasathisbackthepowerofthemother—country,hetriestoclearoutofhiswaybyforcethemodesofproductionandappropriationbasedontheindependentlaboroftheproducer。Thesameinterest,whichcompelsthesycophantofcapital,thepoliticaleconomist,inthemother—country,toproclaimthetheoreticalidentityofthecapitalistmodeofproductionwithitscontrary,thatsameinterestcompelshiminthecoloniestomakeacleanbreastofit,andtoproclaimaloudtheantagonismofthetwomodesofproduction。
Tothisend,heproveshowthedevelopmentofthesocialproductivepoweroflabor,co—operation,divisionoflabor,useofmachineryonalargescale,&c。,areimpossiblewithouttheexpropriationofthelaborers,andthecorrespondingtransformationoftheirmeansofproductionintocapital。Intheinterestoftheso—callednationalwealth,heseeksforartificialmeanstoensurethepovertyofthepeople。Herehisapologeticarmorcrumblesoff,bitbybit,likerottentouchwood。ItisthegreatmeritofE。G。Wakefieldtohavediscovered,notanythingnewabouttheColonies[2],buttohavediscoveredintheColoniesthetruthastotheconditionsofcapitalistproductioninthemothercountry。Asthesystemofprotectionatitsorigin[3]attemptedtomanufacturecapitalistsartificiallyinthemother—country,soWakefield’scolonizationtheory,whichEnglandtriedforatimetoenforcebyActsofParliament,attemptedtoeffectthemanufactureofwage—workersintheColonies。Thishecalls"systematiccolonization"。
Firstofall,WakefielddiscoveredthatintheColonies,propermeansofsubsistence,machines,andothermeansofproduction,doesnotasyetstampamanasacapitalistiftherebewantingthecorrelative?thewage—worker,theothermanwhoiscompelledtosellhimselfofhisownfree—will。Hediscoveredthatcapitalisnotathing,butasocialrelationbetweenpersons,establishedbytheinstrumentalityofthings;[4]Mr。Peel,hemoans,tookhimfromEnglandtoSwanRiver,WestAustralia,meansofsubsistenceandofproductiontotheamountof£50,000。
Mr。Peelhadtheforesighttobringwithhim,besides,3,000personsoftheworking—class,men,women,andchildren。Oncearrivedathisdestination,"Mr。Peelwasleftwithoutaservanttomakehisbedorfetchhimwaterfromtheriver。"[5]UnhappyMr。PeelwhoprovidedforeverythingexcepttheexportofEnglishmodesofproductiontoSwanRiver!
FortheunderstandingofthefollowingdiscoveriesofWakefield,twopreliminaryremarks:Weknowthatthemeansofproductionandsubsistence,whiletheyremainthepropertyoftheimmediateproducer,arenotcapital。
Theybecomecapitalonlyundercircumstancesinwhichtheyserveatthesametimeasmeansofexploitationandsubjectionofthelaborer。Butthiscapitalistsouloftheirsissointimatelywedded,intheheadofthepoliticaleconomist,totheirmaterialsubstance,thathechristensthemcapitalunderallcircumstances,evenwhentheyareitsexactopposite。ThusisitwithWakefield。Further:thesplittingupofthemeansofproductionintotheindividualpropertyofmanyindependentlaborers,workingontheirownaccount,hecallsequaldivisionofcapital。Itiswiththepoliticaleconomistaswiththefeudaljurist。Thelatterstuckontopuremonetaryrelationsthelabelssuppliedbyfeudallaw。
"If,"saysWakefield,"allmembersofthesocietyaresupposedtopossessequalportionsofcapital……nomanwouldhaveamotiveforaccumulatingmorecapitalthanhecouldusewithhisownhands。ThisistosomeextentthecaseinnewAmericansettlements,whereapassionforowninglandpreventstheexistenceofaclassoflaborersforhire。"[6]Solong,therefore,asthelaborercanaccumulateforhimself?andthishecandosolongasheremainspossessorofhismeansofproduction?
capitalistaccumulationandthecapitalisticmodeofproductionareimpossible。
Theclassofwage—laborers,essentialtothese,iswanting。How,then,inoldEurope,wastheexpropriationofthelaborerfromhisconditionsoflabor,i。e。,theco—existenceofcapitalandwage—labor,broughtabout?
Byasocialcontractofaquiteoriginalkind。"Mankindhaveadopteda……
simplecontrivanceforpromotingtheaccumulationofcapital,"which,ofcourse,sincethetimeofAdam,floatedintheirimagination,floatedintheirimaginationasthesoleandfinalendoftheirexistence:"theyhavedividedthemselvesintoownersofcapitalandownersoflabor……Thedivisionwastheresultofconcertandcombinationp;[7]Inoneword:themassofmankindexpropriateditselfinhonorofthe"accumulationofcapital"。Now,onewouldthinkthatthisinstinctofself—denyingfanaticismwouldgiveitselffullflingespeciallyintheColonies,wherealoneexistthemenandconditionsthatcouldturnasocialcontractfromadreamtoareality。Butwhy,then,should"systematiccolonization"becalledintoreplaceitsopposite,spontaneous,unregulatedcolonization?But—but—"IntheNorthernStatesoftheAmericanUnion;
itmaybedoubtedwhethersomanyasatenthofthepeoplewouldfallunderthedescriptionofhiredlaborers……InEngland……thelaboringclasscomposethebulkofthepeople。"[8]Nay,theimpulsetoself—expropriationonthepartoflaboringhumanityforthegloryofcapital,existssolittlethatslavery,accordingtoWakefieldhimself,isthesolenaturalbasisofColonialwealth。
Hissystematiccolonizationisamerepisaller,sinceheunfortunatelyhastodowithfreemen,notwithslaves。"ThefirstSpanishsettlersinSaintDomingodidnotobtainlaborersfromspain。But,withoutlaborers,theircapitalmusthaveperished,oratleast,mustsoonhavebeendiminishedtothatsmallamountwhicheachindividualcouldemploywithhisownhands。
ThishasactuallyoccurredinthelastColonyfoundedbyEngland?theSwanRiverSettlement?whereagreatmassofcapital,ofseeds,implements,andcattle,hasperishedforwantoflaborerstouseit,andwherenosettlerhaspreservedmuchmorecapitalthanhecanemploywithhisownhandsp;[9]
Wehaveseenthattheexpropriationofthemassofthepeoplefromthesoilformsthebasisofthecapitalistmodeofproduction。Theessenceofafreecolony,onthecontrary,consistsinthis?thatthebulkofthesoilisstillpublicproperty,andeverysettleronitthereforecanturnpartofitintohisprivatepropertyandindividualmeansofproduction,withouthinderingthelatersettlersinthesameoperation。[10]Thisisthesecretbothoftheprosperityofthecoloniesandoftheirinveteratevice?oppositiontotheestablishmentofcapital。"Wherelandisverycheapandallmenarefree,whereeveryonewhosopleasescaneasilyobtainapieceoflandforhimself,notonlyislaborverydear,asrespectsthelaborer’sshareoftheproduce,butthedifficultyistoobtaincombinedlaboratanyprice。;[11]
Asinthecoloniestheseparationofthelaborerfromtheconditionsoflaborandtheirroot,thesoil,doesnotexist,oronlysporadically,orontoolimitedascale,soneitherdoestheseparationofagriculturefromindustryexist,notthedestructionofthehouseholdindustryofthepeasantry。Whencethenistocometheinternalmarketforcapital?"NopartofthepopulationofAmericaisexclusivelyagricultural,exceptingslavesandtheiremployerswhocombinecapitalandlaborinparticularworks。FreeAmericans,whocultivatethesoil,followmanyotheroccupations。
Someportionofthefurnitureandtoolswhichtheyuseiscommonlymadebythemselves。Theyfrequentlybuildtheirownhouses,andcarrytomarket,atwhateverdistance,theproduceoftheirownindustry。Theyarespinnersandweavers;theymakesoapandcandles,aswellas,inmanycases,shoesandclothesfortheirownuse。InAmericathecultivationoflandisoftenthesecondarypursuitofablacksmith,amillerorashopkeeper。"[12]Withsuchqueerpeopleasthese,whereisthe"fieldofabstinence"forthecapitalists?
Thegreatbeautyofcapitalistproductionconsistsinthis?thatitnotonlyconstantlyreproducesthewage—workeraswage—worker,butproducesalways,inproductiontotheaccumulationofcapital,arelativesurplus—populationofwage—workers。Thusthelawofsupplyanddemandoflaboriskeptintherightrut,theoscillationofwagesispennedwithinlimitssatisfactorytocapitalistexploitation,andlastly,thesocialdependenceofthelaboreronthecapitalist,thatindispensablerequisite,issecured;anunmistakablerelationofdependence,whichthesmugpoliticaleconomist,athome,inthemother—country,cantransmogrifyintooneoffreecontractbetweenbuyerandseller,betweenequallyindependentownersofcommodities,theownerofthecommoditycapitalandtheownerofthecommoditylabor。Butinthecolonies,thisprettyfancyistornasunder。Theabsolutepopulationhereincreasesmuchmorequicklythaninthemother—country,becausemanylaborersenterthisworldasready—madeadults,andyetthelabor—marketisalwaysunderstocked。Thelawofsupplyanddemandoflaborfallstopieces。Ontheonehand,theoldworldconstantlythrowsincapital,thirstingafterexploitationand"abstinence";ontheother,theregularreproductionofthewage—laboreraswage—laborercomesintocollisionwithimpedimentsthemostimpertinentandinpartinvincible。Whatbecomesoftheproductionofwage—laborersintoindependentproducers,whoworkforthemselvesinsteadofforcapital,andenrichthemselvesinsteadofthecapitalistgentry,reactsinitsturnveryperverselyontheconditionsofthelabor—market。
Notonlydoesthedegreeofexploitationofthewage—laborerremainindecentlylow。Thewage—laborerlosesintothebargain,alongwiththerelationofdependence,alsothesentimen;ofdependenceontheabstemiouscapitalist。HencealltheinconveniencesthatourE。G。Wakefieldpicturessodoughtily,soeloquently,sopathetically。
Thesupplyofwage—labor,hecomplains,isneitherconstant,norregular,norsufficient。"Thesupplyoflaborisalwaysnotonlysmallbutuncertain。"[13]"Thoughtheproducedividedbetweenthecapitalistandthelaborerbelarge,thelaborertakessogreatasharethathesoonbecomesacapitalist……
Few,eventhosewhoselivesareunusuallylong,canaccumulategreatmassesofwealth。"[14]Thelaborersmostdistinctlydeclinetoallowthecapitalisttoabstainfromthepaymentofthegreaterpartoftheirlabor。Itavailshimnothing,isheissocunningastoimportfromEurope,withhisowncapital,hisownwage—workers。Theysoon"cease……
tobelaborersforhire;they……becomeindependentlandowners,ifnotcompetitorswiththeirformermastersinthelabor—market。"[15]Thinkofthehorror!TheexcellentcapitalisthasimportedbodilyfromEurope,withhisowngoodmoney,hisowncompetitors!Theendoftheworldhascome!NowonderWakefieldlamentstheabsenceofalldependenceandofallsentimentofdependenceonthepartofthewage—workersinthecolonies。
Onaccountofthehighwages,sayshisdisciple,Merivale,thereisinthecolonies"theurgentdesireforcheaperandmoresubservientlaborers?foraclasstowhomthecapitalistmightdictateterms,insteadofbeingdictatedtobythem……Inancientcivilizedcountriesthelaborer,thoughfree,isbyalawofNaturedependentoncapitalists;incoloniesthisdependencemustbecreatedbyartificialmeans。;[16]
Whatisnow,accordingtoWakefield,theconsequenceofthisunfortunatestateofthingsinthecolonies?A"barbarisingtendencyofdispersion"
ofproducersandnationalwealth。[17]Theparcelling—outofthemeansofproductionamonginnumerableowners,workingontheirownaccount,annihilates,alongwiththecentralizationofcapital,allthefoundationofcombinedlabor。Everylong—windedundertaking,extendingoverseveralyearsanddemandingoutlayoffixedcapital,ispreventedfrombeingcarriedout。InEurope,capitalinvestswithouthesitatingamoment,fortheworking—classconstitutesitslivingappurtennce,alwaysinexcess,alwaysatdisposal。Butinthecolonies!Wakefieldtellsandextremelydolefulanecdote。HewastalkingwithsomecapitalistsofCanadaandthestateofNewYork,wheretheimmigrantwaveoftenbecomesstagnantanddepositsasedimentof"supernumerary"laborers。"Ourcapital,"saysoneofthecharactersinthemelodrama,"wasreadyformanyoperationswhichrequireaconsiderableperiodoftimefortheircompletion;butwecouldnotbeginsuchoperationswithlaborwhich,weknew,wouldsoonleaveus。Ifwehadbeensureofretrainingthelaborofsuchemigrants,weshouldhavebeengladtohaveengageditatonce,andforahighprice:andweshouldhaveengagedit,eventhoughwehadbeensureitwouldleaveus,providedwehadbeensureofafreshsupplywheneverwemightneedit。"[18]
AfterWakefieldhasconstructedtheEnglishcapitalistagricultureandits"combined"laborwiththescatteredcultivationofAmericanpeasants,heunwittinglygivesusaglimpseatthereverseofthemedal。HedepictsthemassoftheAmericanpeopleaswell—to—do,independent,enterprising,andcomparativelycultured,whilst"theEnglishagriculturallaborerismiserablewretch,apauper……Inwhatcountry,exceptNorthAmericaandsomenewcolonies,dothewagesoffreelaboremployedinagriculturemuchexceedabaresubsistenceforthelaborer?……Undoubtedly,farm—horsesinEngland,beingavaluableproperty,arebetterfedthanEnglishpeasants。"[19]But,nevermind,nationalwealthis,onceagain,byitsverynature,identicalwithmiseryofthepeople。
How,then,tohealtheanti—capitalisticcancerofthecolonies?Ifmenwerewilling,atablow,toturnallthesoilfrompublicintoprivateproperty,theywoulddestroycertainlytherootoftheevil,butalso?
thecolonies。Thetrickishowtokilltwobirdswithonestone。LettheGovernmentputuponthevirginsoilanartificialprice,independentofthelawofsupplyanddemand,apricethatcompelstheimmigranttoworkalongtimeforwagesbeforehecanearnenoughmoneytobuyland,andturnhimselfintoanindependentpeasant。[20]Thefundresultingfromthesaleoflandatapricerelativelyprohibitoryforthewage—workers,thisfundofmoneyextortedfromthewagesoflaborbyviolationofthesacredlawofsupplyanddemand,theGovernmentistoemploy,ontheotherhand,inproportionasitgrows;toimporthave—nothingsfromEuropeintothecolonies,andthuskeepthewage—labormarketfullforthecapitalists。Underthesecircumstances,toutserapourlemieuxdanslemeilleurdesmondespossibles。Thisisthegreatsecretof"systematiccolonization"。Bythisplan,Wakefieldcriesintriumph,"thesupplyoflabormustbeconstantandregular,because,first,asnolaborerwouldbeabletoprocurelanduntilhehadworkedformoney,allimmigrantlaborers,workingforatimeforwagesandincombination,wouldproducecapitalfortheemploymentofmorelaborers;secondly,becauseeverylaborerwholeftoffworkingforwagesandbecamealandownerwould,bypurchasingland,provideafundforbringingfreshlabortothecolony。"[21]ThepriceofthesoilimposedbytheStatemust,ofcourse,bea"sufficientprice"?i。e。,sohigh"astopreventthelaborersfrombecomingindependentlandownersuntilothershadfollowedtotaketheirplace。"[22]This"sufficientpricefortheland"isnothingbutaeuphemisticcircumlocutionfortheransomwhichthelaborerpaystothecapitalistforleavetoretirefromthewage—labormarkettotheland。First,hemustcreateforthecapitalist"capital",withwhichthelattermaybeabletoexploitmorelaborers;
thenhemustplace,athisownexpense,alocumtenensonthelabor—market,whomtheGovernmentforwardsacrosstheseaforthebenefitofhisoldmaster,thecapitalist。
ItisverycharacteristicthattheEnglishGovernmentforyearspractisedthismethodof"primitiveaccumulation"prescribedbyMr。Wakefieldexpresslyfortheuseofthecolonies。Thefiascowas,ofcourse,ascompleteasthatofSirRobertPeel’sBankAct。ThestreamofemigrationwasonlydivertedfromtheEnglishcoloniestotheUntiedStates。Meanwhile,theadvanceofcapitalisticproductioninEurope,accompaniedbyincreasingGovernmentpressure,hasrenderedWakefield’srecipesuperfluous。Ontheonehand,theenormousandceaselessstreamofmen,yearafteryeardrivenuponAmerica,leavesbehindastationarysedimentintheeastoftheUnitedStates,thewaveofimmigrationfromEuropethrowingmenonthelabor—markettheremorerapidlythanthewaveofemigrationwestwardscanwashthemaway。
Ontheotherhand,theAmericanCivilWarbroughtinitstrainacolossalnationaldebt,and,withit,pressureoftaxes,theriseofthevilestfinancialaristocracy,thesquanderingofahugepartofthepubliclandonspeculativecompaniesfortheexploitationofrailways,mines,&c。,inbrief,themostrapidcentralizationofcapital。Thegreatrepublichas,therefore,ceasedtobethepromisedlandforemigrantlaborers。Capitalisticproductionadvancestherewithgiantstrides,eventhoughtheloweringofwagesandthedependenceofthewage—workerareyetfarfrombeingbroughtdowntothenormalEuropeanlevel。TheshamelesslavishingofuncultivatedcoloniallandonaristocratsandcapitalistsbytheGovernment,soloudlydenouncedevenbyWakefield,hasproduced,especiallyinAustralia[23],inconjunctionwiththestreamofmenthatthegold—diggingsattract,andwiththecompetitionthattheimportationofEnglish—commoditiescauseseventothesmallestartisan,anample"relativesurpluslaboringpopulation",sothatalmosteverymailbringstheJob’snewsofa"glutoftheAustralialabor—market",andtheprostitutioninsomeplacesflourishesaswantonlyasintheLondonHeymarket。
However,wearenotconcernedherewiththeconditionsofthecolonies。
TheonlythingthatinterestsusisthesecretdiscoveredinthenewworldbythePoliticalEconomyoftheoldworld,andproclaimedonthehousetops:
thatthecapitalistmodeofproductionandaccumulation,andthereforecapitalistprivateproperty,havefortheirfundamentalconditiontheannihilationofself—earnedprivateproperty;inotherwords,theexpropriationofthelaborer。
Footnotes[1]WetreathereofrealColonies,virginssoils,colonizedbyfreeimmigrants。
TheUnitedStatesare,speakingeconomically,stillonlyaColonyofEurope。
Besides,tothiscategorybelongsucholdplantationsasthoseinwhichtheabolitionofslaveryhascompletelyalteredtheearlierconditions。
[2]Wakefield’sfewglimpsesonthesubjectofModernColonizationarefullyanticipatedbyMirabeauPere,thephysiocrat,andevenmuchearlierbyEnglisheconomists。
[3]Later,itbecameatemporarynecessityintheinternationalcompetititvestruggle。But,whateveritsmotive,theconsequencesremainthesame。
[4]"Anegroisanegro。Incertaincircumstanceshebecomesaslave。Amuleisamachineforspinningcotton。Onlyundercertaincircumstancesdoesitbecomecapital。Outsidethesecircumstances,itisnomorecapitalthangoldisintrinsicallymoney,orsugaristhepriceofsugar……Capitalisasocialrelationofproduction。Itisahistoricalrelationofproduction。"
(KarlMarx,"LohnarbeitundKapital",N。Rh。Z。,No。266,April7,1849。)
[5]E。G。Wakefield:"EnglandandAmerica",vol。ii。p。33。
[6]l。c。,p。17。
[7]l。c。,vol。i,p。18。
[8]l。c。,pp。42,43,44。
[9]l。c。,vol。ii,p。5。
[10]"Land,tobeanelementofcolonization,mustnotonlybewaste,butitmustbepublicproperty,liabletobeconvertedintoprivateproperty。"
(l。c。,Vol。II,p。125。)
[11]l。c。,Vol。I,p。247。
[12]l。c。,pp。21,22。
[13]l。c。,Vol。II,p。116。
[14]l。c。,Vol。I,p。131。
[15]l。c。,Vol。II,p。5。
[16]Merivale,l。c。,Vol。II,pp。235—314passim。Eventhemild,Free—trade,vulgareconomist,Molinari,says:"Danslescoloniesoùl’esclavageaété
abolisansqueletravailforcésetrouvaitremplaceparunequantité
équivalentedetravaillibre,onavus’opérerlacontre—partiedufaitquiseréalisetouslesjourssousnosyeux。Onavulessimplestravailleursexploiteràleurtourlesentrepreneursd’industrie,exigerd’euxdessalaireshorsdetouteproportionaveclapartlégitimequileurrevenaitdansleproduit。Lesplanteurs,nepouvantobtenirdeleurssucresunprixsuffisantpourcouvrirlahaussedesalaire,ontété
obligésdefournirl’excédant,d’abordsurleursprofits,ensuitesurleurscapitauxmêmes。Unefouledeplanteursontété
ruinésdelasorte,d’autresontferméleursateliersouréchapperàuneruineimminente……Sansdoute,ilvautmieuxvoirpérirdesaccumulationsdecapitauxquedasgénérationsd’hommes[howgenerousMr。Molinari!]:maisnevaudrait—ilpasmieuxquenilesunsnilesautrespérissent?(Molinari,l。c。,pp。51,52。)
Mr。Molinari,Mr。Molinari!Whatthenbecomesofthetencommandments,ofMosesandtheprophets,ofthelawofsupplyanddemand,ifinEuropethe"entrepreneur"cancutdownthelaborer’slegitimatepart,andintheWestIndies,thelaborercancutdowntheentrepreneur’s?Andwhat,ifyouplease,isthis"legitimatepart",whichonyourownshowingthecapitalistinEuropedailyneglectstopay?Overyonder,inthecolonieswherethelaborersareso"simple"asto"exploit"thecapitalist,Mr。Molinarifeelsastrongitchingtosetthelawofsupplyanddemand,thatworkselsewhereautomatically,ontherightroadbymeansofthepolice。
[17]Wakefield,l。c。,Vol。II,p。52。
[18]l。c。,pp。191,192。
[19]l。c。,Vol。I,p。47,246。
[20]"C’est,ajoutez—vous,grâceal’appropriationdusoletdescapitauxquel’homme,quin’aquesesbras,trouvedel’occupationetsefaitunrevenu……c’estaucontraire,grâceàl’appropriationindividuelledusolqu’ilsetrouvedeshommesn’ayantqueleursbras……Quandvousmettezunhommedanslevide,vousvousemparezdel’atmosphère。
Ainsifaites—vous,quandvousvousemparezdusol……C’estlemettredanslevidederichesses,pournelalaisservivrequ’àvotrevolonté。"
(Collins,l。c。t。III,pp。268—71,passim。)
[21]Wakefield,l。c。,Vol。II,p。192。
[22]l。c。,p。45。
[23]AssoonasAustraliabecameherownlaw—giver,shepassed,ofcourse,lawsfavorabletothesettlers,butthesquanderingoftheland,alreadyaccomplishedbytheEnglishGovernment,standsintheway。"ThefirstandmainobjectatwhichnewLandActof1862aimsistogiveincreasedfacilitiesforthesettlementofthepeople。"("TheLandLawofVictoria",bytheHon。
C。G。Duffy,MinisterofPublicLands,Lond。,1862。)