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manner the industry; prosperity; and civilisation of the nation
will always depend on the degree of liberty which that nation has
already obtained。 That inclination to become useful to the
commonwealth by voluntary activity; and to distinguish oneself
before one's fellow…citizens; will only develop itself in countries
where this activity leads to public recognition; to public esteem;
and to offices of honour; but not in countries where every attempt
to gain public esteem and every manifestation of independence is
regarded by the ruling power with a jealous eye。 In such countries
the man of independent income will give himself up to debauchery
and idleness; and because in this manner he brings useful industry
into contempt; and injures the morality as well as the industrious
impulse of the nation; he will radically imperil the nation's
productive power。 Even if under such conditions the manufactures of
towns are to some extent promoted by the consumption of the
rentier; such manufactures are nevertheless to be regarded as
barren and unsound fruits; and especially they will aid very little
in promoting the civilisation; prosperity; and liberty of the
nation。 Inasmuch as a sound manufacturing industry especially tends
to produce liberty and civilisation; it may also be said that
through it rent itself is redeemed from forming a fund for
idleness; debauchery; and immorality; and is converted into a fund
for promoting mental culture; and consequently that through it the
merely consuming towns are changed into productive towns。 Another
element by which the consuming towns are supported is; the
consumption of the public servants and of the State administration。
These also may occasion some apparent prosperity in a town; but
whether such consumption especially promotes or is injurious to the
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