按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Fourth Book
The Politics
Chapter 33
The Insular Supremacy and the Continental Powers North America
and France
In all ages there have been cities or countries which have been
pre…eminent above all others in industry； commerce； and navigation；
but a supremacy such as that which exists in our days； the world
has never before witnessed。 In all ages； nations and powers have
striven to attain to the dominion of the world； but hitherto not
one of them has erected its power on so broad a foundation。 How
vain do the efforts of those appear to us who have striven to found
their universal dominion on military power； compared with the
attempt of England to raise her entire territory into one immense
manufacturing； commercial； and maritime city； and to become among
the countries and kingdoms of the earth； that which a great city is
in relation to its surrounding territory。 to comprise within
herself all industries； arts； and sciences； all great commerce and
wealth； all navigation and naval power a world's metropolis
which supplies all nations with manufactured goods； and supplies
herself in exchange from every nation with those raw materials and
agricultural products of a useful or acceptable kind； which each
other nation is fitted by nature to yield to her a
treasure…house of all great capital a banking establishment for
all nations； which controls the circulating medium of the whole
world； and by loans and the receipt of interest on them makes all
the peoples of the earth her tributaries。 Let us； however； do
justice to this Power and to her efforts。 The world has not been
hindered in its progress； but immensely aided in it； by England。
She has become an example and a pattern to all nations in
internal and in foreign policy； as well as in great inventions and
enterprises of every kind； in perfecting industrial processes and
means of transport； as well as in the discovery and bringing into
cultivation uncultivated lands； especially in the acquisition of
the natural riches of tropical countries； and in the civilisation
of barbarous races or of such as have retrograded into barbarism。
Who can tell how far behind the world might yet remain if no
England had ever existed？ And if she now ceased to exist； who can
estimate how far the human race might retrograde？ Let us then
congratulate ourselves on the immense progress of that nation； and
wish her prosperity for all future time。 But ought we on that
account also to wish that she may erect a universal dominion on the
ruins of the other nationalities？ Nothing but unfathomable
cosmopolitanism or shopkeepers' narrow…mindedness can give an
assenting answer to that question。 In our previous chapters we have
pointed out the results of such denationalisation； and shown that
the culture and civilisation of the human race can only be brought
about by placing many nations in similar positions of civilisation；
wealth； and power； that just as England herself has raised herself
from a condition of barbarism to her present high position； so the
same path lies open for other nations to follow： and that at this
time more than one nation is qualified to strive to attain the
highest degree of civilisation； wealth； and power。 Let us now state
summarily the maxims of State policy by means of which England has
attained her present greatness。 They may be briefly stated thus：
Always to favour the importation of productive power；（1*） in
preference to the importation of goods。
Carefully to cherish and to protect the development of the
productive power。
To import only raw materials and agricultural products； and to
export nothing but manufactured goods。
To direct any surplus of productive power to colonisation； and
to the subjection of barbarous nations。
To reserve exclusively to the mother country the supply of the
colonies and subject countries with manufactured goods； but in
return to receive on preferential terms their raw materials and
especially their colonial produce。
To devote especial care to the coast navigation； to the trade。
Between the mother country and the colonies； to encourage
seafisheries by means of bounties； and to take as active a part as
possible in international navigation。
By these means to found a naval supremacy； and by means of it
to extend foreign commerce； and continually to increase her
colonial possessions。
To grant freedom in trade with the colonies and in navigation
only so far as she can gain more by it than she loses。
To grant reciprocal navigation privileges only if the advantage
is on the side of England； or if foreign nations can by that means
be restrained from introducing restrictions on navigation in their
own favour。
To grant concessions to foreign independent nations in respect
of the import of agricultural products； only in case concessions in
respect of her own manufactured products can be gained thereby。
In cases where such concessions cannot be obtained by treaty；
to attain the object of them by means of contraband trade。
To make wars and to contract alliances with exclusive regard to
her manufacturing； commercial； maritime； and colonial interests。 To
gain by these alike from friends and foes： from the latter by
interrupting their commerce at sea； from the former by ruining
their manufactures through subsidies which are paid in the shape of
English manufactured goods。
These maxims were in former times plainly professed by all
English ministers and parliamentary speakers。 The ministers of
George I in 1721 openly declared； on the occasion of the
prohibition of the importation of the manufactures of India； that
it was clear that a nation could only become wealthy and powerful
if she imported raw materials and exported manufactured goods。 Even
in the times of Lords Chatham and North； they did not hesitate to
declare in open Parliament that it ought not to be permitted that
even a single horse…shoe nail should be manufactured in North
America。 In Adam Smith's time； a new maxim was for the first time
added to those which we have above stated； namely； to conceal the
true policy of England under the cosmopolitical expressions and
arguments which Adam Smith had discovered； in order to induce
foreign nations not to imitate that policy。
It is a very common clever device that when anyone has attained
the summit of greatness； he kicks away the ladder by which he has
climbed up； in order to deprive others of the means of climbing up
after him。 In this lies the secret of the cosmopolitical doctrine
of Adam Smith； and of the cosmopolitical tendencies of his great
contemporary William Pitt； and of all his successors in the British
Government administrations。
Any nation which by means of protective duties and restrictions
on navigation has raised her manufacturing power and her navigation
to such a degree of development that no other nation can sustain
free competition with her； can do nothing wiser than to throw away
these ladders of her greatness； to preach to other nations the
benefits of free trade； and to declare in penitent tones that she
has hitherto wandered in the paths of error； and has now for the
first time succeeded in discovering the truth。
William Pitt was the first English statesman who clearly
perceived in what way the cosmopolitical theory of Adam Smith could
be properly made use of； and not in vain did he hi