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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 order that
powerful and civilised governments may be formed in them; that
security of persons and of property may be introduced into them;
for the construction in them of roads and canals; the promotion of
education and civilisation; morality and industry; and for rooting
out fanaticism; superstition; and idleness。 If concurrently with
these endeavours she abolishes her restrictions on the importation
of provisions and raw materials; she will increase her exports of
manufactures immensely; and much more successfully than by
continually speculating on the ruin of the Continental
manufactories。
If; however; these operations of civilisation on the part of
England are to be successful as respects barbarous and
half…civilised nations; she must not act in an exclusive manner;
she must not endeavour by special commercial privileges; such as;
for instance; she has managed to procure in Brazil; to monopolise
these markets; and to shut out other nations from them。 Such a
policy as the latter will always excite the just jealousy of other
nations; and give them a motive for opposing the exertions of
England。 It is evident that this selfish policy is the cause why
the influence of the civilised powers on the civilisation of such
countries as we have specified has been hitherto so unimportant。
England ought therefore to introduce into the law of nations the
maxim: that in all such countries the commerce of all manufacturing
nations should have equal rights。 England would thereby not merely
secure the aid of all civilised powers in her own work of
civilisation; but also no disadvantage would result to her own
commerce if similar experiments of civilisation were undertaken by
other manufacturing nations。 On account of their superiority in all
branches of manufacture and commerce; the English would everywhere
always obtain the greatest share of the exports to such markets。
The striving and ceaseless intrigues of the English against the
manufactures of other nations might still be justified; if a
world…manufacturing monopoly were indispensable for the prosperity
of England; if it could not be proved by evidence that the nations
which aspire; after the example of England; to attain to a large
manufacturing power can very well attain their object without the
humiliation of England; that England need not become poorer than
she is because others become richer; and that nature offers
sufficient means for the creation in Germany; France; and North
America (without detriment to the prosperity of England); of a
manufacturing power equal to that of the English。
With regard to this; it must further be remarked; that every
nation which gains entire possession of its own home market for
manufactures; gains in the course of time; by its home production
and consumption of manufactured goods; infinitely more than the
nation which has hitherto provided the former with manufactured
goods loses by being excluded; because a nation which manufactures
for itself; and which is perfectly developed in its economical
conditions; becomes more than proportionately richer and more
populous; consequently is enabled to consume infinitely more
fabrics; than it could import while depending on a foreign
manufacturing nation for its supply。
As respects the exportation of manufactured goods; however; the
countries of the temperate zone (being specially fitted By nature
for manufacturing) have a special field for their efforts in
supplying the consumption of the countries of the torrid zone;
which latter provide the former with colonial produce in exchange
for their manufactured goods。 The consumption of manufactured goods
by the countries of the torrid zone; however; is partly determined
by their ability to produce a surplus of the articles peculiar to
their climate; and partly according to the proportion in which the
countries of the temperate zone augment their demand for the
products of the torrid zone。
If it can now be proved; that in the course of time the
countries of the torrid zone can produce sugar; rice; cotton;
coffee; &c。 to an extent five or ten times greater than hitherto;
and that the countries of the temperate zone can consume five or
ten times more of these articles than hitherto; it will be
simultaneously proved that the countries of the temperate zone can
increase their exportation of manufactured goods to the countries
of the torrid zone by from five to ten times their present total
quantity。
The capability of the Continental nations to increase their
consumption of colonial produce thus considerably; is indicated by
the increase of consumption in England for the last fifty years; in
reference to which it must further be borne in mind; that that
increase would probably have become very much greater still were it
not for the excessive taxes on consumption。
Of the possibility of augmenting the productions of the torrid
zone; Holland in Sumatra and Java; and England in the East Indies;
have given us during the last five years irrefragable proofs。
England has quadrupled her importation of sugar from the East
Indies from 1835 to 1839; her importation of coffee has increased
even in a still larger proportion; while the importation of East
India cotton is also greatly increasing。 In one word; the latest
English papers (February; 1840) announced with great rejoicing that
the capability of the East Indies for the production of these
articles is unlimited; and that the time is not far distant when
England will make herself independent