concerning civil government-第29章

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supposing　them　not　to　have　joined　in　the　war　either　through　infancy　or

choice；　they　have　done　nothing　to　forfeit　them；　nor　has　the

conqueror　any　right　to　take　them　away　by　the　bare　right　of　having

subdued　him　that　by　force　attempted　his　destruction；　though；

perhaps；　he　may　have　some　right　to　them　to　repair　the　damages　he　has

sustained　by　the　war；　and　the　defence　of　his　own　right；　which　how

far　it　reaches　to　the　possessions　of　the　conquered　we　shall　see

by…and…by；　so　that　he　that　by　conquest　has　a　right　over　a　man's

person；　to　destroy　him　if　he　pleases；　has　not　thereby　a　right　over　his

estate　to　possess　and　enjoy　it。　For　it　is　the　brutal　force　the

aggressor　has　used　that　gives　his　adversary　a　right　to　take　away　his

life　and　destroy　him；　if　he　pleases；　as　a　noxious　creature；　but　it

is　damage　sustained　that　alone　gives　him　title　to　another　man's　goods；

for　though　I　may　kill　a　thief　that　sets　on　me　in　the　highway；　yet　I

may　not　（which　seems　less）　take　away　his　money　and　let　him　go；　this

would　be　robbery　on　my　side。　His　force；　and　the　state　of　war　he　put

himself　in；　made　him　forfeit　his　life；　but　gave　me　no　title　to　his

goods。　The　right；　then；　of　conquest　extends　only　to　the　lives　of　those

who　joined　in　the　war；　but　not　to　their　estates；　but　only　in　order

to　make　reparation　for　the　damages　received　and　the　charges　of　the

war；　and　that；　too；　with　reservation　of　the　right　of　the　innocent　wife

and　children。

　　183。　Let　the　conqueror　have　as　much　justice　on　his　side　as　could

be　supposed；　he　has　no　right　to　seize　more　than　the　vanquished　could

forfeit；　his　life　is　at　the　victor's　mercy；　and　his　service　and

goods　he　may　appropriate　to　make　himself　reparation；　but　he　cannot

take　the　goods　of　his　wife　and　children；　they　too　had　a　title　to　the

goods　he　enjoyed；　and　their　shares　in　the　estate　he　possessed。　For

example；　I　in　the　state　of　Nature　（and　all　commonwealths　are　in　the

state　of　Nature　one　with　another）　have　injured　another　man；　and

refusing　to　give　satisfaction；　it　is　come　to　a　state　of　war　wherein　my

defending　by　force　what　I　had　gotten　unjustly　makes　me　the

aggressor。　I　am　conquered；　my　life；　it　is　true；　as　forfeit；　is　at

mercy；　but　not　my　wife's　and　children's。　They　made　not　the　war；　nor

assisted　in　it。　I　could　not　forfeit　their　lives；　they　were　not　mine　to

forfeit。　My　wife　had　a　share　in　my　estate；　that　neither　could　I

forfeit。　And　my　children　also；　being　born　of　me；　had　a　right　to　be

maintained　out　of　my　labour　or　substance。　Here　then　is　the　case：　The

conqueror　has　a　title　to　reparation　for　damages　received；　and　the

children　have　a　title　to　their　father's　estate　for　their

subsistence。　For　as　to　the　wife's　share；　whether　her　own　labour　or

compact　gave　her　a　title　to　it；　it　is　plain　her　husband　could　not

forfeit　what　was　hers。　What　must　be　done　in　the　case？　I　answer：　The

fundamental　law　of　Nature　being　that　all；　as　much　as　may　be；　should　be

preserved；　it　follows　that　if　there　be　not　enough　fully　to　satisfy

both…　viz。；　for　the　conqueror's　losses　and　children's　maintenance；

he　that　hath　and　to　spare　must　remit　something　of　his　full

satisfaction；　and　give　way　to　the　pressing　and　preferable　title　of

those　who　are　in　danger　to　perish　without　it。

　　184。　But　supposing　the　charge　and　damages　of　the　war　are　to　be

made　up　to　the　conqueror　to　the　utmost　farthing；　and　that　the　children

of　the　vanquished；　spoiled　of　all　their　father's　goods；　are　to　be　left

to　starve　and　perish；　yet　the　satisfying　of　what　shall；　on　this　score；

be　due　to　the　conqueror　will　scarce　give　him　a　title　to　any　country　he

shall　conquer。　For　the　damages　of　war　can　scarce　amount　to　the　value

of　any　considerable　tract　of　land　in　any　part　of　the　world；　where

all　the　land　is　possessed；　and　none　lies　waste。　And　if　I　have　not

taken　away　the　conqueror's　land　which；　being　vanquished；　it　is

impossible　I　should；　scarce　any　other　spoil　I　have　done　him　can　amount

to　the　value　of　mine；　supposing　it　of　an　extent　any　way　coming　near

what　I　had　overrun　of　his；　and　equally　cultivated　too。　The　destruction

of　a　year's　product　or　two　（for　it　seldom　reaches　four　or　five）　is　the

utmost　spoil　that　usually　can　be　done。　For　as　to　money；　and　such

riches　and　treasure　taken　away；　these　are　none　of　Nature's　goods；　they

have　but　a　phantastical　imaginary　value；　Nature　has　put　no　such　upon

them。　They　are　of　no　more　account　by　her　standard　than　the

Wampompeke　of　the　Americans　to　an　European　prince；　or　the　silver　money

of　Europe　would　have　been　formerly　to　an　American。　And　five　years'

product　is　not　worth　the　perpetual　inheritance　of　land；　where　all　is

possessed　and　none　remains　waste；　to　be　taken　up　by　him　that　is

disseised；　which　will　be　easily　granted；　if　one　do　but　take　away　the

imaginary　value　of　money；　the　disproportion　being　more　than　between

five　and　five　thousand；　though；　at　the　same　time；　half　a　year's

product　is　more　worth　than　the　inheritance　where；　there　being　more

land　than　the　inhabitants　possess　and　make　use　of；　any　one　has　liberty

to　make　use　of　the　waste。　But　their　conquerors　take　little　care　to

possess　themselves　of　the　lands　of　the　vanquished。　No　damage　therefore

that　men　in　the　state　of　Nature　（as　all　princes　and　governments　are　in

reference　to　one　another）　suffer　from　one　another　can　give　a　conqueror

power　to　dispossess　the　posterity　of　the　vanquished；　and　turn　them　out

of　that　inheritance　which　ought　to　be　the　possession　of　them　and　their

descendants　to　all　generations。　The　conqueror　indeed　will　be　apt　to

think　himself　master；　and　it　is　the　very　condition　of　the　subdued

not　to　be　able　to　dispute　their　right。　But；　if　that　be　all；　it　gives

no　other　title　than　what　bare　force　gives　to　the　stronger　over　the

weaker；　and；　by　this　reason；　he　that　is　strongest　will　have　a　right　to

whatever　he　pleases　to　seize　on。

　　185。　Over　those；　then；　that　joined　with　him　in　the　war；　and　over

those　of　the　subdued　country　that　opposed　him　not；　and　the　posterity

even　of　those　that　did；　the　conqueror；　even　in　a　just　war；　hath；　by

his　conquest；　no　right　of　dominion。　They　are　free　from　any

subjection　to　him；　and　if　their　former　government　be　dissolved；　they

are　at　liberty　to　begin　and　erect　another　to　themselves。

　　186。　The　conqueror；　it　is　true；　usually　by　the　force　he　has　over

them；　compels　them；　with　a　sword　at　their　breasts；　to　stoop　to　his

conditions；　and　submit　to　such　a　government　as　he　pleases　to　afford

them；　but　the　inquiry　is；　what　right　he　has　to　do　so？　If　it　be　said

they　submit　by　their　own　consent；　then　this　allows　their　own　consent

to　be　necessary　to　give　the　conqueror　a　title　to　rule　over　them。　It

remains　only　to　be　considered　whether　promises；　extorted　by　force；

without　right；　can　be　thought　consent；　and　how　far　they　bind。　To　which

I　shall　say；　they　bind　not　at　all；　because　whatsoever　another　gets

from　me　by　force；　I　still　retain　the　right　of；　and　he　is　obliged

presently　to　restore。　He　that　forces　my　horse　from　me　ought

presently　to　restore　him；　and　I　have　still　a　right　to　retake　him。　By

the　same　reason；　he　that　forced　a　promise　from　me　ought　presently　to

restore　it…　i。e。；　quit　me　of　the　obligation　of　it；　or　I　may　resume

it　myself…　i。e。；　choose　whether　I　will　perform　it。　For　the　law　of

Nature　laying　an　obligation　on　me；　only　by　the　rules　she　prescribes；

cannot　oblige　me　by　the　violation　of　her　rules；　such　is　the

extorting　anything　from　me　by　force。　Nor　does　it　at　all　alter　the

case；　to　say　I　gave　my　promise；　no　more　than　it　excuses　the　force；　and

passes　the　right；　when　I　put　my　hand　in　my　pocket　and　deliver　my　purse

myself　to　a　thief　who　demands　it　with　a　pistol　at　my　breast。

　　187。　From　all　which　it　follows　that　the　government　of　a　conqueror；

imposed　by　force　on　the　subdued；　against　whom　he　had　no　right　of

war；　or　who　joined　not　in　the　war　against　him；　where　he　had　right；　has

no　obligation　upon　them。

　　188。　But　let　us　suppose　that　all　the　men　of　that　community　being　all

members　of　the　same　body　politic；　may　be　taken　to　have　joined　in

that　unjust　war；　wherein　they　are　subdued；　and　so　their　lives　are　at

the　mercy　of　the　conqueror。

　　189。　I　say　this　concerns　not　t