In . . . . .  a Bastiatite discovers that I have pinched the definition of the magnitude of value of commodities as being the "socially necessary labour-time" required for their production from F. Bastiat, and in bowdlerised form to boot. I could easily put up with this quid pro quo. For if that Bastiatite No. I finds Bastiat's definition of value and my own to be basically identical, Bastiatite No, II declares almost simultaneously in the Leipzig Literarisches Centralblatt of..............:"............" The sum total of Bastiatite No. I added to Bastiatite No. II would be that the whole army of Bastiatites would have forthwith to transfer to my camp and accept wholesale my exposition on capital. One will understand that it is only after much mental strife that I deny myself the pleasure of such an annexation. The definition of value contained in my work Capital, published in 1867, is to be found two decades earlier in my work attacking Proudhon: Misire de la Philosophie, Paris 1847 (p. 49 seqq). Bastiat's words of wisdom on value did not see the light of day until some years later. I could not therefore have copied from Bastiat, though Bastiat could well have copied from me. However, in fact Bastiat gives absolutely no analysis of value. He only dilates upon empty notions as consoling proof that "the world abounds in great and excellent daily services". It is well known that the German Bastiatites are all national liberals. I shall therefore do them also a "great and excellent service" by pointing out the specifically Prussian origin of Bastiat's store of wisdom. Old Schmalz was in fact a councillor to the Prussian government, if I am not mistaken, even a Prussian privy councillor. In addition he was a Demagogue hunter. In 1818 in Berlin this old Schmalz published a Handbuch der Staatswirthschaftslehre, The French edition of his handbook appeared in 1826 in Paris under the title of Economie politique. The translator, Henri Jouffroy, appeared on the title as "conseiller au service de Prusse". In the following quotation one will find Bastiat's notion of value in its essentials, not only as far as its content is concerned but even as regards its wording: 
Economic Manuscripts: Reviews of Volume One of Capital