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eau　de　Cologne；　and　other　trifles；　is　promised。　That　gives



satisfaction　to　the　small　German　states；　and　also　does　not　cost



much。



　　　　The　next　attempt　will　be　to　convince　the　German　governments；　by



means　of　this　report；　how　advantageous　to　them　it　would　be　to　let



England　spin　cotton　and　linen　yarns　for　them。　It　cannot　be　doubted



that　hitherto　the　policy　adopted　by　the　Union；　first　of　all　to



encourage　and　protect　the　printing　of　cloths　and　then　weaving；　and



to　import　the　medium　and　finer　yarns；　has　been　the　right　one。　But



from　that　it　in　nowise　follows　that　it　would　continue　to　be　the



right　one　for　all　time。　The　tariff　legislation　must　advance　as　the



national　industry　advances　if　it　is　rightly　to　fulfil　its　purpose。



We　have　already　shown　that　the　spinning　factories；　quite　apart　from



their　importance　in　themselves；　yet　are　the　source　of　further



incalculable　benefits；　inasmuch　as　they　place　us　in　direct



commercial　communication　with　the　countries　of　warm　climate；　and



hence　that　they　exercise　an　incalculable　influence　on　our



navigation　and　on　our　export　of　manufactures；　and　that　they　benefit



our　manufactories　of　machinery　more　than　any　other　branch　of



manufacture。　Inasmuch　as　it　cannot　be　doubted　that　Germany　cannot



be　hindered　either　by　want　of　water　power　and　of　capable　workmen；



or　by　lack　of　material　capital　or　intelligence；　from　carrying　on



for　herself　this　great　and　fruitful　industry；　so　we　cannot　see　why



we　should　not　gradually　protect　the　spinning　of　yarns　from　one



number　to　another；　in　such　a　way　that　in　the　course　of　five　to　ten



years　we　may　be　able　to　spin　for　ourselves　the　greater　part　of　what



we　require。　However　highly　one　may　estimate　the　advantages　of　the



export　of　grain　and　timber；　they　cannot　nearly　equal　the　benefits



which　must　accrue　to　us　from　the　spinning　manufacture。　Indeed；　we



have　no　hesitation　in　expressing　the　belief　that　it　could　be



incontestably　proved；　by　a　calculation　of　the　consumption　of



agricultural　products　and　timber　which　would　be　created　by　the



spinning　industry；　that　from　this　branch　of　manufacture　alone　far



greater　benefits　must　accrue　to　the　German　landowners　than　the



foreign　market　will　ever　or　can　ever　offer　them。



　　　　Dr　Bowring　doubts　that　Hanover；　Brunswick；　the　two



Mecklenburgs；　Oldenburg；　and　the　Hanse　Towns　will　join　the　Union；



unless　the　latter　is　willing　to　make　a　radical　reduction　in　its



import　duties。　The　latter　proposal；　however；　cannot　be　seriously



considered；　because　it　would　be　immeasurably　worse　than　the　evil



which　by　it；　it　is　desired　to　remedy。



　　　　Our　confidence　in　the　prosperity　of　the　future　of　Germany　is；



however；　by　no　means　so　weak　as　that　of　the　author　of　the　report。



Just　as　the　Revolution　of　July　has　proved　beneficial　to　the　German



Commercial　Union；　so　must　the　next　great　general　convulsion　make　an



end　of　all　the　minor　hesitations　by　which　these　small　states　have



hitherto　been　withheld　from　yielding　to　the　greater　requirements　of



the　German　nationality。　Of　what　value　the　commercial　unity　has　been



to　the　nationality；　and　of　what　value　it　is　to　German　governments；



quite　apart　from　mere　material　interests；　has　been　recently　for　the



first　time　very　strongly　demonstrated；　when　the　desire　to　acquire



the　Rhine　frontier　has　been　loudly　expressed　in　France。



　　　　From　day　to　day　it　is　necessary　that　the　governments　and



peoples　of　Germany　should　be　more　convinced　that　national　unity　is



the　rock　on　which　the　edifice　of　their　welfare；　their　honour；　their



power；　their　present　security　and　existence；　and　their　future



greatness；　must　be　founded。　Thus　from　day　to　day　the　apostasy　of



these　small　maritime　states　will　appear　more　and　more；　not　only　to



the　states　in　the　Union；　but　to　these　small　states　themselves；　in



the　light　of　a　national　scandal　which　must　be　got　rid　of　at　any



price。　Also；　if　the　matter　is　intelligently　considered；　the



material　advantages　of　joining　the　Union　are　much　greater　for　those



states　themselves　than　the　sacrifice　which　it　requires。　The　more



that　manufacturing　industry；　that　the　internal　means　of　transport；



the　navigation；　and　the　foreign　trade　of　Germany；　develop



themselves；　in　that　degree　in　which　under　a　wise　commercial　policy



they　can　and　must　be　developed　in　accordance　with　the　resources　of



the　nation；　so　much　the　more　will　the　desire　become　more　vigorous



on　the　part　of　those　small　states　directly　to　participate　in　these



advantages；　and　so　much　the　more　will　they　leave　off　the　bad　habit



of　looking　to　foreign　countries　for　blessings　and　prosperity。



　　　　In　reference　to　the　Hanse　Towns　especially；　the　spirit　of



imperial　citizenship　of　the　sovereign　parish　of　Hamburg　in　no　way



deters　us　from　our　hopes。　In　those　cities；　according　to　the



testimony　of　the　author　of　the　report　himself；　dwell　a　great　number



of　men　who　comprehend　that　Hamburg；　Bremen；　and　Lubeck　are　and　must



be　to　the　German　nation　that　which　London　and　Liverpool　are　to　the



English；　that　which　New　York；　Boston；　and　Philadelphia　are　to　the



Americans　　men　who　clearly　see　that　the　Commercial　Union　can



offer　advantages　to　their　commerce　with　the　world　which　far　exceed



the　disadvantages　of　subjection　to　the　regulations　of　the　Union；



and　that　a　prosperity　without　any　guarantee　for　its　continuance　is



fundamentally　a　delusion。



　　　　What　sensible　inhabitant　of　those　seaports　could　heartily



congratulate　himself　on　the　continual　increase　of　their　tonnage；　on



the　continual　extension　of　their　commercial　relations；　if　he



reflected　that　two　frigates；　which　coming　from　Heligoland　could　be



stationed　at　the　mouths　of　the　Weser　and　the　Elbe；　would　be　in　a



position　to　destroy　in　twenty…four　hours　this　work　of　a　quarter　of



a　century？　But　the　Union　will　guarantee　to　these　seaports　their



prosperity　and　their　progress　for　all　future　time；　partly　by　the



creation　of　a　fleet　of　its　own　and　partly　by　alliances。　It　will



foster　their　fisheries；　secure　special　advantages　to　their



shipping；　protect　and　promote　their　foreign　commercial　relations；



by　effective　consular　establishments　and　by　treaties。　Partly　by



their　means　it　will　found　new　colonies；　and　by　their　means　carry　on



its　own　colonial　trade。　For　a　union　of　States　comprising



thirty…five　millions　of　inhabitants　（for　the　Union　will　comprise



that　number　at　least　when　it　is　fully　completed）；　which　owing　to　an



annual　increase　of　population　of　one　and　a　half　per　cent　can　easily



spare　annually　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　persons；　whose



provinces　abound　with　well…informed　and　cultivated　inhabitants　who



have　a　peculiar　propensity　to　seek　their　fortune　in　distant



countries；　people　who　can　take　root　anywhere　and　make　themselves　at



home　wherever　unoccupied　land　is　to　be　cultivated；　are　called　upon



by　Nature　herself　to　place　themselves　in　the　first　rank　of　nations



who　colonise　and　diffuse　civilisation。



　　　　The　feeling　of　the　necessity　for　such　a　perfect　completion　of



the　Commercial　Union　is　so　universally　entertained　in　Germany；　that



hence　the　author　of　the　report　could　not　help　remarking；　'More



coasts；　more　harbours；　more　navigation；　a　Union　flag；　the



possession　of　a　navy　and　of　a　mercantile　marine；　are　wishes　very



generally　entertained　by　the　supporters　of　the　Commercial　Union；



but　there　is　little　prospect　at　present　of　the　Union　making　head



against　the　increasing　fleet　of　Russia　and　the　commercial　marine　of



Holland　and　the　Hanse　Towns。'　Against　them　certainly　not；　but　so



much　the　more　with　them　and　by　means　of　them。　It　lies　in　the　very



nature　of　every　power　to　seek　to　divide　in　order　to　rule。　After　the



author　of　the　report　has　shown　why　it　would　be　foolish　on　the　part



of　the　maritime　states　to　join　the　Union；　he　desires　also　to



separate　the　great　seaports　from　the　German　national　body　for　all



time；　inasmuch　as　he　speaks　to　us　of　the　warehouses　of　Altona　which



must　become　dangerous　to　the　warehouses　of　Hamburg；　as　though　such



a　great　commercial　empire　could　not　find　the　means　of　making　the



warehouses　of　Altona　serviceable　to　its　objects。　We　will　not　follow



the　author　through　his　acute　inferences　from　this　point；　we　will



only　say；　that　if　they　were　applied　to　England；　they　would　prove



that　London　and　Liverpool　would　increase　their　commercial



prosperity　in　an　extraordinary　degree　if　they　were　separated　from



the　body　of　the　English　nation。　The　spirit　which　underlies　these



arguments　is　unmistakably　expressed　in　the　report　of　the　English



consul　at　Rotterdam。　'For　the　commercial　interests　of　Great



Britain；'　says　Mr　Alexander　Ferrier　at　the　end　of　his　report；　'it



appears　of　the　greatest　possible　importance　that　no　means　should　be



left　untried　to　prevent　the　aforesaid　states；　and　also　Belgium；



from　entering　the　Zollverein；　for　reasons　which　are　too　clear　to



need　any　exposition。'　Who　could　possibly　blame　Mr　Ferrier　for



speaking　thus；　or　Dr　Bowring　for　speaking　thus；　or　the　English



ministers　for　acting　as　the　others　speak？　The　national　instinct　of



England　speaks　and　acts　through　them。　But　to　expect　prosperity　and



blessing　to　Germany　from　proposals　which　proceed　from　such　a　source



as　that；　would　appear　to　exceed　even　a　decent　degree　of　national



good　nature。　'Whatever　may　happen；'　adds　Mr　Ferrier　to　the　words



above　quoted；　'Holland　must　at　all　times　be　considered　as　the　main



channel　for　the　commercial　relations　of　South　Germany　with　other



countries。'　Clearly　Mr　Ferrier　understands　by　the　term　'other



count