list2-第15章

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war　on　the　commercial　intercourse　between　separate　nations。



　　　　How　utterly　different　is　the　relation　of　the　agriculturist　to



the　manufacturer　if　both　live　in　one　and　the　same　country；　and　are



consequently　really　connected　with　one　another　by　perpetual　peace。



Under　those　circumstances；　every　extension　or　improvement　of　an



already　existing　manufactory　increases　the　demand　for　agricultural



products。　This　demand　is　no　uncertain　one；　it　is　not　dependent　on



foreign　commercial　regulations　or　foreign　commercial　fluctuations；



on　foreign　political　commotions　or　wars；　on　foreign　inventions　and



improvements；　or　on　foreign　harvests；　the　native　agriculturist　has



not　to　share　it　with　other　nations；　it　is　certain　to　him　every



year。　However　the　crops　of　other　nations　may　turn　out；　whatever



misunderstandings　may　spring　up　in　the　political　world；　he　can



depend　on　the　sale　of　his　own　produce；　and　on　obtaining　the



manufactured　goods　which　he　needs　at　suitable　and　regular　prices。



On　the　other　hand；　every　improvement　of　the　native　agriculture；



every　new　method　of　culture；　acts　as　a　stimulant　on　the　native



manufacture；　because　every　augmentation　of　native　agricultural



production　must　result　in　a　proportionate　augmentation　of　native



manufacturing　production。　Thus；　by　means　of　this　reciprocal　action；



progress　is　insured　for　all　time　to　both　these　main　sources　of　the



nation's　strength　and　support。



　　　　Political　power　not　merely　secures　to　the　nation　the　increase



of　its　prosperity　by　foreign　commerce　and　by　colonies　abroad；　it



also　secures　to　it　the　possession　of　internal　prosperity；　and



secures　to　it　its　own　existence；　which　is　far　more　important　to　it



than　mere　material　wealth。　England　has　obtained　political　power　by



means　of　her　navigation　laws；　and　by　means　of　political　power　she



has　been　placed　in　a　position　to　extend　her　manufacturing　power



over　other　nations。　Poland；　however；　was　struck　out　of　the　list　of



nations　because　she　did　not　possess　a　vigorous　middle　class；　which



could　only　have　been　called　into　existence　by　the　establishment　of



an　internal　manufacturing　power。



　　　　The　school　cannot　deny　that　the　internal　market　of　a　nation　is



ten　times　more　important　to　it　than　its　external　one；　even　where



the　latter　is　in　the　most　flourishing　condition；　but　it　has　omitted



to　draw　from　this　the　conclusion；　which　is　very　obvious；　that　it　is



ten　times　more　important　to　cultivate　and　secure　the　home　market；



than　to　seek　for　wealth　abroad；　and　that　only　in　those　nations



which　have　developed　their　internal　industry　to　a　high　degree　can



foreign　commerce　attain　importance。



　　　　The　school　has　formed　its　estimate　of　the　nature　and　character



of　the　market　only　from　a　cosmopolitical；　but　not　from　a　political



point　of　view。　Most　of　the　maritime　countries　of　the　European



continent　are　situated　in　the　natural　market　district　of　the



manufacturers　of　London；　Liverpool；　or　Manchester；　only　very　few　of



the　inland　manufacturers　of　other　nations　can；　under　free　trade；



maintain　in　their　own　seaports　the　same　prices　as　the　English



manufacturers。　The　possession　of　larger　capital；　a　larger　home



market　of　their　own；　which　enables　them　to　manufacture　on　a　larger



scale　and　consequently　more　cheaply；　greater　progress　in



manufacture　itself；　and　finally　cheaper　sea　transport；　give　at　the



present　time　to　the　English　manufacturers　advantages　over　the



manufacturers　of　other　countries；　which　can　only　be　gradually



diverted　to　the　native　industry　of　the　latter　by　means　of　long　and



continuous　protection　of　their　home　market；　and　through　perfection



of　their　inland　means　of　transport。　The　market　of　the　inhabitants



of　its　coasts　is；　however；　of　great　importance　to　every　nation；



both　with　reference　to　the　home　market；　and　to　foreign　commerce；



and　a　nation　the　market　of　whose　coasts　belongs　more　to　the



foreigner　than　to　itself；　is　a　divided　nation　not　merely　in



economical　respects；　but　also　in　political　ones。　Indeed；　there　can



be　no　more　injurious　position　for　a　nation；　whether　in　its



economical　or　political　aspect；　than　if　its　seaports　sympathise



more　with　the　foreigner　than　with　itself。



　　　　Science　must　not　deny　the　nature　of　special　national



circumstances；　nor　ignore　and　misrepresent　it；　in　order　to　promote



cosmopolitical　objects。　Those　objects　can　only　be　attained　by



paying　regard　to　nature；　and　by　trying　to　lead　the　Separate　nations



in　accordance　with　it　to　a　higher　aim。　We　may　see　what　small



success　has　hitherto　attended　the　doctrines　of　the　school　in



practice。　This　is　not　so　much　the　fault　of　practical　statesmen；　by



whom　the　character　of　the　national　circumstances　has　been



comprehended　tolerably　correctly；　as　the　fault　of　the　theories



themselves；　the　practice　of　which　（inasmuch　as　they　are　opposed　to



all　experience）　must　necessarily　err。　Have　those　theories　prevented



nations　（like　those　of　South　America）　from　introducing　the



protectionist　system；　which　is　contrary　to　the　requirements　of



their　national　circumstances？　Or　have　they　prevented　the　extension



of　protectionism　to　the　production　of　provisions　and　raw　materials；



which；　however；　needs　no　protection；　and　in　which　the　restriction



of　commercial　intercourse　must　be　disadvantageous　under　all



circumstances　to　both　nations　　to　that　which　imposes；　as　well　as



to　that　which　suffers　from　such　restrictions？　Has　this　theory



prevented　the　finer　manufactured　goods；　which　are　essentially



articles　of　luxury；　from　being　comprehended　among　objects　requiring



protection；　while　it　is　nevertheless　clear　that　these　can　be



exposed　to　competition　without　the　least　danger　to　the　prosperity



of　the　nation？　No；　the　theory　has　till　now　not　effected　any



thorough　reform；　and　further　will　never　effect　any；　so　long　as　it



stands　opposed　to　the　very　nature　of　things。　But　it　can　and　must



effect　great　reforms　as　soon　as　it　consents　to　base　itself　on　that



nature。



　　　　It　will　first　of　all　establish　a　benefit　extending　to　all



nations；　to　the　prosperity　and　progress　of　the　whole　human　race；　if



it　shows　that　the　prevention　of　free　trade　in　natural　products　and



raw　materials　causes　to　the　nation　itself　which　prevents　it　the



greatest　disadvantage；　and　that　the　system　of　protection　can　be



justified　solely　and　only　for　the　purpose　of　the　industrial



development　of　the　nation。　It　may　then；　by　thus　basing　the　system



of　protection　as　regards　manufactures　on　correct　principles；　induce



nations　which　at　present　adopt　a　rigidly　prohibitive　system；　as



e。g。　the　French；　to　give　up　the　prohibitive　system　by　degrees。　The



manufacturers　will　not　oppose　such　a　change　as　soon　as　they　become



convinced　that　the　theorists；　very　far　from　planning　the　ruin　of



existing　manufactures；　consider　their　preservation　and　their



further　development　as　the　basis　of　every　sensible　commercial



policy。



　　　　If　the　theory　will　teach　the　Germans；　that　they　can　further



their　manufacturing　power　advantageously　only　by　protective　duties



previously　fixed；　and　on　a　gradually　increasing　scale　at　first；　but



afterwards　gradually　diminishing；　and　that　under　all　circumstances



partial　but　carefully　limited　foreign　competition　is　really



beneficial　to　their　own　manufacturing　progress；　it　will　render　far



better　service　in　the　end　to　the　cause　of　free　trade　than　if　it



simply　helps　to　strangle　German　industry。



　　　　The　theory　must　not　expect　from　the　United　States　of　North



America　that　they　are　to　sacrifice　to　free　competition　from　the



foreigner；　those　manufactures　in　which　they　are　protected　by　cheap



raw　materials　and　provisions；　and　by　machine　power。　It　will；



however；　meet　no　contradiction　if　it　maintains　that　the　United



States；　as　long　as　wages　are　disproportionately　higher　there　than



in　the　older　civilised　States；　can　best　promote　the　development　of



their　productive　powers；　their　civilisation　and　political　power；　by



allowing　the　free　import　as　much　as　possible　of　those　manufactured



articles　in　the　cost　of　which　wages　are　a　principal　element；



provided　that　other　countries　admit　their　agricultural　products　and



raw　materials。



　　　　The　theory　of　free　trade　will　then　find　admission　into　Spain；



Portugal；　Naples；　Turkey　Egypt；　and　all　barbarous　and



half…civilised　or　hot　countries。　In　such　countries　as　these　the



foolish　idea　will　not　be　held　any　longer；　of　wanting　to　establish



（in　their　present　state　of　culture）　a　manufacturing　power　of　their



own　by　means　of　the　system　of　protection。



　　　　England　will　then　give　up　the　idea　that　she　is　designed　to



monopolise　the　manufacturing　power　of　the　whole　world。　She　will　no



longer　require　that　France；　Germany；　and　North　America　should



sacrifice　their　own　manufactures　in　consideration　of　the　concession



by　England　of　permitting　the　import；　duty　free；　of　agricultural



products　and　raw　materials。　She　will　recognise　the　legitimacy　of



protective　systems　in　those　nations；　although　she　will　herself　more



and　more　favour　free　trade；　the　theory　having　taught　her　that　a



nation　which　has　already　attained　manufacturing　supremacy；　can　only



protect　its　own　manufacturers　and　merchants　against　retrogression



and　indolence；　by　the　free　importation　of　means　of　subsistence　and



raw　materials；　and　by　the　competition　of　foreign　manufactured



goods。



　　　　England　will　then　follow　a　practice　totally　opposed　to　her



present　commercial　policy；　instead　of　lecturing；　as　hitherto；　other



nations　to　adopt　free　trade；　whilst　herself　maintaining　the



strictest　prohibitory　system；　she　will　herself　permit　competition



without　regard　to　the　foreign　systems　of　protection。　She　will　defer



her　hopes　of　the　general　adoption　of　free　trade；　until　other



nations　have　no　longer　to　fear　that　the　ruin　of　their　manufactories



would　result　from　free　competition。



　　　　Meanwhile；　and　until　that　period　has　arrived；　England　will　be



able　to　compensate　herself　for　the　losses　which　she　suffers　from



foreign　systems　of　protection；　in　respect　of　her　export　trade　in



manufactures　of　every…day　use；　by　a　greater　export　of　goods　of



finer　quality；　and　by　opening；　establishing；　and　cultivating　new



markets　for　her　manufactures。



　　　　She　will　endeavour　to　bring　about　peace　in　Spain；　in　the　East；



and　in　the　states　of　Central　and　South　America；　and　will　use　her



influence　in　all　the　barbarous　and　half…civilised　countries　of



Central　and　South　America；　of　Asia　and　Africa；　in　o