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productive　power；　prosperity　and　institutions　of　the　nation；



depends　altogether　on　the　question　how　far　the　functions　of　the



consumers　tend　to　promote　or　to　injure　those　powers。



　　　　From　this　the　reason　is　evident　why　in　mere　agricultural　States



large　towns　can　exist；　which；　although　they　contain　a　large　number



of　wealthy　inhabitants　and　manifold　trades；　exercise　only　a　very



inconsiderable　influence　on　the　civilisation；　liberty；　and



productive　power　of　the　nation。　The　persons　engaged　in　those　trades



necessarily　participate　in　the　views　of　their　customers；　they　are



to　be　regarded　in　a　great　measure　as　mere　domestic　servants　of　the



rentiers　and　public　employees。　In　contrast　to　great　luxury　in　those



towns；　poverty；　misery；　narrow…mindedness；　and　a　slavish



disposition　are　found　among　the　inhabitants　of　the　surrounding



country　districts。　A　prosperous　effect　of　manufactures　on　the



civilisation；　the　improvement　of　public　institutions；　and　the



liberty　of　the　nation；　is　only　perceptible　if　in　a　country　a



manufacturing　power　is　established　which；　quite　independently　of



the　rentiers　and　public　servants；　works　for　the　large　mass　of　the



agricultural　population　or　for　export　trade；　and　consumes　the



products　of　that　population　in　large　quantities　for　working　up　in



manufacture　and　for　subsistence。　The　more　such　a　sound　and　healthy



manufacturing　power　increases　in　strength；　the　more　will　it　draw　to



its　side　the　manufacturing　power　which　originated　in　the



consumption　above　named；　and　also　the　rentiers　and　public　servants；



and　the　more　also　will　the　public　institutions　be　regulated　with　a



view　to　the　interest　of　the　commonwealth。



　　　　Let　us　consider　the　condition　of　a　large　town　in　which　the



manufacturers　are　numerous；　independent；　lovers　of　liberty；



educated；　and　wealthy　where　the　merchants　participate　in　their



interests　and　position；　where　the　rentiers　feel　themselves



compelled　to　gain　the　respect　of　the　public；　where　the　public



servants　are　subject　to　the　control　of　public　opinion；　where　the



men　of　science　and　art　work　for　the　public　at　large；　and　draw　from



it　their　means　of　subsistence；　let　us　consider　the　mass　of　mental



and　material　means　which　are　combined　together　in　such　a　narrow



space；　and　further　how　closely　this　mass　of　power　is　united　through



the　law　of　the　division　of　the　operations　of　business　and　the



confederation　of　powers；　we　may　note　again　how　quickly　every



improvement；　every　progress　in　public　institutions；　and　in　social



and　economical　conditions；　on　the　one　hand；　and　how；　on　the　other



hand；　every　retrogression；　every　injury　of　the　public　interests；



must　be　felt　by　this　mass；　then；　again；　how　easily　this　mass；



living　in　one　and　the　same　place；　can　come　to　an　agreement　as　to



their　common　objects　and　regulations；　and　what　enormous　means　it



can　concentrate　on　the　spot　for　these　purposes；　and　finally；　in



what　a　close　union　a　community　so　powerful；　enlightened；　and



liberty…loving；　stands　in　relation　to　other　similar　communities　in



the　same　nation　　if　we　duly　consider　all　these　things；　we　shall



easily　be　convinced　that　the　influence　on　the　maintenance　and



improvement　of　the　public　welfare　exercised　by　an　agricultural



population　living　dispersed　over　the　whole　surface　of　the　country



（however　large　its　aggregate　number　may　be）　will　be　but　slight　in



comparison　with　that　of　towns；　whose　whole　power　（as　we　have　shown）



depends　upon　the　prosperity　of　their　manufactures　and　of　those



trades　which　are　allied　to　and　dependent　on　them。



　　　　The　predominating　influence　of　the　towns　on　the　political　and



municipal　conditions　of　the　nation；　far　from　being　disadvantageous



to　the　rural　population；　is　of　inestimable　advantage　to　it。　The



advantages　which　the　towns　enjoy　make　them　feel　it　a　duty　to　raise



the　agriculturists　to　the　enjoyment　of　similar　liberty；



cultivation；　and　prosperity；　for　the　larger　the　sum　of　these



mental；　and　social　advantages　is　among　the　rural　population；　the



larger　will　be　the　amount　of　the　provisions　and　raw　materials　which



they　send　into　the　towns；　the　greater　also　will　be　the　quantity　of



the　manufactured　goods　which　they　purchase　from　the　towns；　and



consequently　the　prosperity　of　the　towns。　The　country　derives



energy；　civilisation；　liberty；　and　good　institutions　from　the



towns；　but　the　towns　insure　to　themselves　the　possession　of　liberty



and　good　institutions　by　raising　the　country　people　to　be　partakers



of　these　acquisitions。　Agriculture；　which　hitherto　merely　supported



landowners　and　their　servants；　now　furnishes　the　commonwealth　with



the　most　independent　and　sturdy　defenders　of　its　liberty。　In　the



culture　of　the　soil；　also；　every　class　is　now　able　to　improve　its



position。　The　labourer　can　raise　himself　to　become　a　farmer；　the



farmer　to　become　a　landed　proprietor。　The　capital　and　the　means　of



transport　which　industry　creates　and　establishes　now　give



prosperity　to　agriculture　everywhere。　Serfdom；　feudal　burdens；　laws



and　regulations　which　injure　industry　and　liberty　disappear。　The



landed　proprietor　will　now　derive　a　hundred　times　more　income　from



his　forest　possessions　than　from　his　hunting。　Those　who　formerly



from　the　miserable　produce　of　serf　labour　scarcely　obtained　the



means　of　leading　a　rude　country　life；　whose　sole　pleasure　consisted



in　the　keeping　of　horses　and　dogs　and　chasing　game；　who　therefore



resented　every　infringement　of　these　pleasures　as　a　crime　against



their　dignity　as　lords　of　the　soil；　are　now　enabled　by　the



augmentation　of　their　rents　（the　produce　of　free　labour）　to　spend



a　portion　of　the　year　in　the　towns。　There；　through　the　drama　and



music；　through　art　and　reading；　their　manners　are　softened；　they



learn　by　intercourse　with　artists　and　learned　men　to　esteem　mind



and　talents。　From　mere　Nimrods　they　become　cultivated　men。　The



aspect　of　an　industrious　community；　in　which　everybody　is　striving



to　improve　his　condition；　awakens　in　them　also　the　spirit　of



improvement。　They　pursue　instruction　and　new　ideas　instead　of　stags



and　hares。　Returning　to　the　country；　they　offer　to　the　middle　and



small　farmer　examples　worthy　of　imitation；　and　they　gain　his



respect　instead　of　his　curse。



　　　　The　more　industry　and　agriculture　flourish；　the　less　can　the



human　mind　be　held　in　chains；　and　the　more　are　we　compelled　to　give



way　to　the　spirit　of　toleration；　and　to　put　real　morality　and



religious　influence　in　the　place　of　compulsion　of　conscience。



Everywhere　has　industry　given　birth　to　tolerance；　everywhere　has　it



converted　the　priests　into　teachers　of　the　people　and　into　learned



men。　Everywhere　have　the　cultivation　of　national　language　and



literature；　have　the　civilising　arts；　and　the　perfection　of



municipal　institutions　kept　equal　pace　with　the　development　of



manufactures　and　commerce。　It　is　from　manufactures　that　the



nation's　capability　originates　of　carrying　on　foreign　trade　with



less　civilised　nations；　of　increasing　its　mercantile　marine；　of



establishing　a　naval　power；　and　by　founding　colonies；　of　utilising



its　surplus　population　for　the　further　augmentation　of　the　national



prosperity　and　the　national　power。



　　　　Comparative　statistics　show　that　by　the　complete　and　relatively



equal　cultivation　of　manufactures　and　agriculture　in　a　nation



endowed　with　a　sufficiently　large　and　fertile　territory；　a



population　twice　or　three　times　as　large　can　be　maintained；　and



maintained；　moreover；　in　a　far　higher　degree　of　well…being　than　in



a　country　devoted　exclusively　to　agriculture。　From　this　it　follows



that　all　the　mental　powers　of　a　nation；　its　State　revenues；　its



material　and　mental　means　of　defence；　and　its　security　for　national



independence；　are　increased　in　equal　proportion　by　establishing　in



it　a　manufacturing　power。



　　　　At　a　time　where　technical　and　mechanical　science　exercise　such



immense　influence　on　the　methods　of　warfare；　where　all　warlike



operations　depend　so　much　on　the　condition　of　the　national　revenue；



where　successful　defence　greatly　depends　on　the　questions；　whether



the　mass　of　the　nation　is　rich　or　poor；　intelligent　or　stupid；



energetic　or　sunk　in　apathy；　whether　its　sympathies　are　given



exclusively　to　the　fatherland　or　partly　to　foreign　countries；



whether　it　can　muster　many　or　but　few　defenders　of　the　country　



at　such　a　time；　more　than　ever　before；　must　the　value　of



manufactures　be　estimated　from　a　political　point　of　view。







Chapter　18







The　Manufacturing　Power　and　the　Natural　Productive　Powers　of　the



Nation。







　　　　The　more　that　man　and　the　community　perfect　themselves；　the



more　are　they　enabled　to　make　use　of　the　natural　powers　which　are



within　their　reach　for　the　accomplishment　of　their　objects；　and　the



more　does　the　sphere　of　what　is　within　their　reach　extend　itself。



　　　　The　hunter　does　not　employ　the　thousandth　part；　the　shepherd



not　the　hundredth　part；　of　those　natural　advantages　which　surround



him。　The　sea；　foreign　climates　and　countries；　yield　him　either



none；　or　at　least　only　an　inconsiderable　amount　of　enjoyment；



assistance；　or　stimulants　to　exertion。



　　　　In　the　case　of　a　people　in　a　primitive　agricultural　condition；



a　large　portion　of　the　existing　natural　resources　lies　yet



unutilised；　and　man　still　continues　limited　to　his　nearest



surroundings。　The　greater　part　of　the　water　power　and　wind　power



which　exists；　or　can　be　obtained；　is　unemployed；　the　various



mineral　products　which　the　manufa