276
Article 276
Titre XII:
De la Propriété
(On Property)
L'usage, la disposition absolue des biens, la faculté de les aliéner, constituent le droit de propriété, pourvu qu'on ne se permette rien de contraire aux lois et aux règlemens établis.
Life lesson:
Use it, dispose of it, alienate it — this is ownership. But never contrary to the law. Henry declares the right of property absolute, then binds it to the sovereign's regulations. Freedom within order.
Notes:
Definition of property right: use, absolute disposition, and alienation. Qualified by conformity with laws and regulations. For formerly enslaved people, this is a revolutionary declaration — the right to own, use, and sell property freely.