Legislators Told How to Manage Men

by Frédéric Bastiat

　　Raynal's instructions to the legislators on how to manage peoplemay be compared to a professor of agriculture lecturing his students:"The climate is the first rule for the farmer. His resourcesdetermine his procedure. He must first consider his locality. If hissoil is clay, he must do so and so. If his soil is sand, he must actin another manner. Every facility is open to the farmer who wishesto clear and improve his soil. If he is skillful enough, the manureat his disposal will suggest to him a plan of operation. A professorcan only vaguely trace this plan in advance because it is necessarilysubject to the instability of all hypotheses; the problem has manyforms, complications, and circumstances that are difficult to foreseeand settle in detail."

　　Oh, sublime writers! Please remember sometimes that this clay,this sand, and this manure which you so arbitrarily dispose of, aremen! They are your equals! They are intelligent and free human beingslike yourselves! As you have, they too have received from God thefaculty to observe, to plan ahead, to think, and to judge forthemselves!