Peter G. Stillman wrote:
> I am sympathetic with Marcel's response, but Condorcet's speech does 
> seem to me to be a purely revolutionary / political statement:  if we 
> burn all the proofs of land-holdings, nobility, etc., then the 
> nobility can *never* re-establish its control of the country.
>
> (If you leave the property records, then the nobility can always 
> assert a claim to their illegitimate hereditary rights and undermine 
> the revolution.)



I agree with Peter's first sentence - but it is interesting to remark 
that in the "archives revolutionnaires" version of Condorcet's speech, 
(which is more complete) Condorcet insisted that the property records 
were not burnt. His concern was  political equality not economic 
equality. (I discovered the longer version after I translated the 
shorter one - If anybody is interested, I can send the longer version 
and its translation as well).

Alain Alcouffe