The Country, which can produce and fell a thing at the cheapest rate, is that which unites the favourable advantages of that production, whether it be with respect to its quality, manufacture, or its low rate of carriage. The advantages, which render commodities and raw materials cheap, are a fertile foil, easy of cultivation, climate favourable to the production, a government which encourages industry and facilitates carriage by the conftruction of public roads and navigable canals: finally, a population not too numerous relative to the extent of country, which offers itself to be cultivated*. The fame circumftances are ftill more favourable to the manufacture of things common, fim raw materials, various manufactures and a numerous population, are more particularly invited to an exterior and continued commerce, becaufe they have it in their power to carry it on upon better terms. An article may be fold at a low price and enrich him who furnifhes it; as it may be fold dear and ruin the feller. This depends upon the relation there is between its value and the means of its production. Every nation difpofed to exterior Commerce in whatfoever article it may be, ought therefore to confider two things, the price at which it can afford fuch an article, and that at which it is fold by rival nations: if it cannot equal the laft, it ought to abandon that part of its trade. *The fituation of the United States proves the laft affertion, which may at first fight appear paradoxical; things are cheap there, because population is not in proportion to the extent of lands to be cultivated. In a good foil, a man may, by his labour, eafily fupply the confumption of ten mea, or even more. Thefe ten men may therefee be employed for exterior confumption. ple, ple, or little charged with fashion, if the raw material be a natural production of the country, in plenty, and easy to be worked up; because these manufactures require but few hands, or are carried on at that leisure which agriculture affords. Nothing can equal the cheapnefs of this workmanship, and in general no induftry is more lucrative, or better fupported on eafy terms, than that which is employed in the intervals of repose from cultivation; in that cafe cheapness is neither the product nor the fign of mifery in the manufacturer; it is on the contrary the proof and consequence of his easy circumstances*. The most neceffary conditions for manufacturing, at a cheap rate, articles complicated, or extremely fine and perfect, or which require the union of feveral kinds of workmanship, are a constant and affiduous application, and a numerous population; one half of which must be at a distance from the labours of the field, and applied to manufacture alone. Thefe manufactures ought, according to natural order, to be the productions of an excess Switzerland and certain parts of Germany offer a striking example of this fact. Merchandife is fabricated there, at a lower rate than in any other country of Europe, by means of this employment of leisure hours, and is capable of being tranfported to distant countries, without lofing its original advantage; even across great states, where nature left to her own energy, would be still more favour able to the fame manufactures. of population only, which cannot give its industry. to agriculture or fimple manufactures; but in general they are the refult of the gathering together of the poor and wretched, in great cities. Thefe manufactures cannot furnish their productions but with difficulty and uncertainty for exterior commerce, when they are established and fupported merely by forced means, fuch as prohibitions, exclufive privileges &c. by which natural obstacles, not to be deftroyed, are pretended to be combated. Thefe man f &tures are crowded with individuals, who having no property, or hope of conftant employ in the country, or who are reduced by the allurements of gain and luxury, run into cites and foon become obl g d to fell their industry at a mean price, proportioned to the number of those who are in want of emplay. When cheapness of workmanship comes from this affecting concurrence of the want of money in men without emplov, it is not a fign of profperity. On the contrary, it is the refult and proof of a bad focial organization, of too unequal a divifion of roperty, and confequently of an unjust d ftribution of neceffary employmeurs, which forces industry to change, from the fabrication of what is neceffary and ufeful, to that which is fantaftic, forced, and pernicious. Hence it follows, that wretchednefs in any country is in proportion to this cheapnefs of workmanship. It is equally evident from these reasonings, that new and well 'conftituted states ought not to defire manufactures produced by things fo badly arranged: they ought not to be anxious about them, till the rate of population and excels of useful labour naturally incline industry to apply idelf to improve and carry them on. These reafonings againft low priced work manfhip do not hinder us from agreeing, that there is a real advantage in the means of exterior com. merce; and that in the actual state of things, manufacturing and commercial nations may perhaps be obliged to feek for it, although it does not compenfate the interior evil by which it is produced. Countries countries exempt from them, prevail in the end, and obtain a preference. It fometimes happens, that obftacles caused to manufactures by dearnefs of provifions, burthenfome impofts, distance from the raw material, and unfkilfulness, or small number of hands, are furmounted by ingenuity, or the use of machines; which make the work of one man equal to that of many, and render a manufacture capable of supporting the concurrence of populous countries, where fuch manoeuvres and machines are not made ufe of, or known. But these means are precarious, and fooner or later give way to a more happy fituation, where climate, foil and government, efpecially, concur in favouring without effort, all the activity and industry of which men are fufceptible *. Thus, in the final analysis, the power of furnishing at a low price belongs incontestably to countries fo favoured, and they will obtain in all markets a fure preference to thofe to which nature has been lefs kind, let their induftry be ever fo great, because the fame industry may always be added to natural advantages. Exterior Commerce, more than any other, is intimidated by fhackles, cuftoms, vifits, chicaneries Favouring, in political œconomy, fignifies for the most part, not to fhackle industry with too many regulations; however favourable certain of these may be, they reftrain it in fome refpect or other. It is never more encouraged than when left to itself. and proceffes; by the manner of deciding them, and the folicitations and delays, they bring on. The state which would favour fuch a commerce fhould, in the first place, deftroy all these obstacles. It is more to its intereft fo to do, as from exterior Commerce refults an augmentation of the national revenue. All things equal, relative to the price of merchandife, and to the facilities with which direct exterior Commerce can be carried on, it is more readily established between two nations which have a fimilarity of political and religious principles, manners, customs, and especially of language: these decifive means of connection cannot be combated but by evident advantages from which there results lefs expence and more profit. Commercial people generally place profit at the head of every thing. Nations not having these affinities between them, ought, in order to compensate for their deficiency, to give great encouragements, and tolerate to the ut Religious confiderations had formerly a confiderable influence on civilifed men, and on commerce. The Catholic fled from the Proteftant, the Puritan fufpected the Quaker. A reciprocal hatred reigned between the fects. To day, mankind being more enlightened, all fects connected by commerce, and experience having fhewn that probity has almost always been independent of religion, it is no more required to know whether a man goes to the Temple, or to confeffion-It is asked if he fulfills his engagements with honour. Yet this relation muft ftill be counted among commercial connections. moft |