defence of usury-第16节

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　the　vengeance　of　Cherokees　and　Chicasaws。　　　　　Of　that　popular　institution；　the　very　professed　and　capital　object　is　the　encouragement　of　projects；　and　the　propagating　of　that　obnoxious　breed；　the　crushing　of　which　you　commend　as　a　fit　exercise　for　the　arm　of　power。　But　if　it　be　right　to　crush　the　acting　malefactors；　it　would　be　downright　inconsistency　not　to　crush；　at　the　same　time；　or　rather　not　to　begin　with　crushing；　these　their　hirers　and　abettors。　Thank　then　their　inadvertence；　or　their　generosity；　or　their　prudence；　if　their　beadle　has　not　yet　received　orders　to　burn　in　ceremony；　as　a　libel　on　the　society；　a　book　that　does　honour　to　the　age。　　　　　After　having　had　the　boldness　to　accuse　so　great　a　master　of　having　fallen　unawares　into　an　error；　may　I　take　the　still　farther　liberty；　of　setting　conjecture　to　work　to　account　for　it？　Scarce　any　man；　perhaps　no　man；　can　push　the　work　of　creation；　in　any　line；　to　such　a　pitch　of　compleatness；　as　to　have　gone　through　the　task　of　examining　with　his　own　eyes　into　the　grounds　of　every　position；　without　exception；　which　he　has　had　occasion　to　employ。　You　heard　the　public　voice；　strengthened　by　that　of　law；　proclaiming　all　round　you；　that　usury　was　a　sad　thing；　and　usurers　a　wicked　and　pernicious　set　of　men：　you　heard　from　one　at　least　of　those　quarters；　that　projectors　were　either　a　foolish　and　contemptible　race；　or　a　knavish　and　destructive　one：　hurried　away　by　the　throng；　and　taking　very　naturally　for　granted；　that　what　every　body　said　must　have　some　ground　for　it；　you　have　joined　the　cry；　and　added　your　suffrage　to　the　rest。　Possibly　too；　among　the　crowd　of　projectors　which　the　lottery　of　occurrences　happened　to　present　to　your　observation；　the　prejudicial　sort　may　have　borne　such　a　proportion　to　the　beneficial；　or　shewn　themselves　in　so　much　stronger　colours；　as　to　have　given　the　popular　notion　a　firmer　hold　in　your　judgment；　than　it　would　have　had；　had　the　contrary　proportion　happened　to　present　itself　to　your　notice。　To　allow　no　more　weight　to　examples　that　fall　close　under　our　eyes；　than　to　those　which　have　fallen　at　ever　so　great　a　distance　　to　suffer　the　judgment　on　no　occasion　to　indulge　itself　in　the　licence　of　a　too　hasty　and　extensive　generalisation　　not　to　give　any　proposition　footing　there；　rill　after　all　such　defalcations　have　been　made；　as　are　necessary　to　reduce　it　within　the　limits　of　rigid　truth　　these　are　laws；　the　compleat　observance　whereof　forms　the　ultimate；　and　hitherto；　perhaps　for　ever；　ideal　term　of　human　wisdom。　　　　　You　have　defended　against　unmerited　obloquy　two　classes　of　men；　the　one　innocent　at　least；　the　other　highly　useful；　the　spreaders　of　English　arts　in　foreign　climes；（32*）　and　those　whose　industry　exerts　itself　in　distributing　that　necessary　commodity　which　is　called　by　the　way　of　eminence　the　staff　of　life。　May　I　flatter　myself　with　having　succeeded　at　last　in　my　endeavours；　to　recommend　to　the　same　powerful　protection；　two　other　highly　useful　and　equally　persecuted　sets　of　men；　usurers　and　projectors。　　Yes　　I　will；　for　the　moment　at　least；　indulge　so　flattering　an　idea：　and；　in　pursuance　of　it；　leaving　usurers；　for　whom　I　have　said　enough　already；　I　will　consider　myself　as　joined　now　with　you　in　the　same　commission；　and　thinking　with　you　of　the　best　means　of　relieving　the　projector　from　the　load　of　discouragement　laid　on　him　by　these　laws；　in　so　far　as　the　pressure　of　them　falls　particularly　upon　him。　In　my　own　view　of　the　matter；　indeed；　no　temperament；　no　middle　course；　is　either　necessary　or　proper：　the　only　perfectly　effectual；　is　the　only　perfectly　proper　remedy；　　a　spunge。　But；　as　nothing　is　more　common　with　mankind；　than　to　give　opposite　receptions；　to　conclusions　flowing　with　equal　necessity　from　the　same　principle；　let　us　accommodate　our　views　to　that　contingency。　According　to　this　idea；　the　object；　as　far　as　confined　to　the　present　case；　should　be；　to　provide；　in　favour　of　projectors　only；　a　dispensation　from　the　rigour　of　the　anti…usurious　laws：　such；　for　instance；　as　is　enjoyed　by　persons　engaged　in　the　carrying　trade；　in　virtue　of　the　indulgence　given　to　loans　made　on　the　footing　of　respondentia　or　bottomry。　As　to　abuse；　I　see　not　why　the　danger　of　it　should　be　greater　in　this　case　than　in　those。　Whether　a　sum　of　money　be　embarked；　or　not　embarked；　in　such　or　such　a　new　manufacture　on　land；　should　not；　in　its　own　nature；　be　a　fact　much　more　difficult　to　ascertain；　than　whether　it　be　embarked；　or　not　embarked；　in　such　or　such　a　trading　adventure　by　sea：　and；　in　the　one　case　as　in　the　other；　the　payment　of　the　interest；　as　well　as　the　repayment　of　the　principal；　might　be　made　to　depend　upon　the　success　of　the　adventure。　To　confine　the　indulgence　to　new　undertakings；　the　having　obtained　a　patent　for　some　invention；　and　the　continuance　of　the　term　of　the　patent；　might　be　made　conditions　of　the　allowance　given　to　the　bargain：　to　this　might　be　added　affidavits；　expressive　of　the　intended　application；　and　bonds；　with　sureties；　conditioned　for　the　performance　of　the　intention　so　declared；　to　be　registered　in　one　of　the　patent…offices　or　elsewhere。　After　this；　affidavits　once　a　year；　or　oftener；　during　the　subsistence　of　the　contract；　declaring　what　has　been　done　in　execution　of　it。　　　　　If　the　leading…string　is　not　yet　thought　tight　enough；　boards　of　controul　might　be　instituted　to　draw　it　tighter。　Then　opens　a　scene　of　vexation　and　intrigue：　waste　of　time　consumed　in　courting　the　favour　of　the　members　of　the　board：　waste　of　time；　in　opening　their　understandings；　clenched　perhaps　by　ignorance；　at　any　rate　by　disdain；　and　self…sufficiency；　and　vanity；　and　pride：　the　favour　（for　pride　will　make　it　a　favour）　granted　to　skill　in　the　arts　of　self…recommendation　and　cabal；　devoid　of　inventive　merit；　and　refused　to　naked　merit　unadorned　by　practice　in　those　arts：　waste　of　time　on　the　part　of　the　persons　themselves　engaged　in　this　impertinent　inquiry：　waste　of　somebody's　money　in　paying　them　for　this　waste　of　time。　All　these　may　be　necessary　evils；　where　the　money　to　be　bestowed　is　public　money：　how　idle　where　it　is　the　party's　own！　I　will　not　plague　you；　nor　myself；　with　enquiring　of　whom　shall　be　composed　this　board　of　nurses　to　grown　gentlemen：　were　it　only　to　cut　the　matter　short；　one　might　name　at　once　the　committees　of　the　Society　of　Arts。　There　you　have　a　body　of　men　ready　trained　in　the　conduct　of　enquiries；　which　resemble　that　in　question；　in　every　circumstance；　but　that　which　renders　it　ridiculous：　the　members　or　representatives　of　this　democratic　body　would　be　as　likely；　I　take　it；　to　discharge　such　a　trust　with　fidelity　and　skill；　as　any　aristocracy　that　could　be　substituted　in　their　room。

　Crichoff；　　in　White　Russia；　　March　1787。

To　Dr　Smith

　　　　A　little　tract　of　mine；　in　the　latter　part　of　which　I　took　the　liberty　of　making　use　of　your　name；　（the　Defence　of　Usury）；　having　been　some　time　out　of　print；　I　am　about　publishing　a　new　edition　of　it。　I　am　now　therefore　at　a　period　at　which；　if　I　have　done　you　or　any　body　any　injustice；　I　shall　have　the　opportunity；　and　assuredly　I　do　not　want　the　inclination；　to　repair　it：　or　if　in　any　other　respect　I　have　fallen　into　an　error；　I　could　give　myself　and　the　public　the　benefit　of　its　being　set　right。　I　have　been　Battered　with　the　intelligence　that；　upon　the　whole；　your　sentiments　with　respect　to　the　points　of　difference　are　at　present　the　same　as　mine：　but　as　the　intimation　did　not　come　directly　from　you；　nor　has　the　communication　of　it　received　the　sanction　of　your　authority；　I　shall　not　without　that　action　give　any　hint；　honourable　as　it　would　be　to　me；　and　great　as　the　service　is　which　it　could　not　but　render　to　my　cause。　　　　　I　have　been　favoured　with　the　communication　from　Dr　Reid　of　Glasgow　of　an　inedited　paper　of　his　on　the　same　subject；　written　a　good　many　years　ago。　He　declares　himself　now　fully　of　my　opinion　on　the　question　of　expediency；　and　had　gone　a　considerable　length　towards　it　at　that　time。　The　only　ground　on　which　he　differs　from　me；　is　that　of　the　origination　of　the　prejudice；　of　which　his　paper　gives；　as　might　be　expected；　an　account　more　ecclesiastical　than　mine。　Anxious　to　do　my　cause　as　much　service　as　it　is　capable　of　receiving；　I　write　to　him　now；　to　endeavour　to　persuade　him　to　give　his　paper　to　the　world；　or　if　he　looks　upon　so　much　of　it　as　concerns　the　question　of　utility　＇as＇　superseded　by　mine；　that　he　will　either　communicate　the　historical　part　　that　part　which　he　prefers　to　mine　　to　some　general　repository　for　short　publications；　or　allow　me　the　honour　of　forwarding　it　to　the　world　in　company　with　mine。　The　account　that　has　been　given　by　the　Marquis　de　Condorcet　of　the　sentiments　of　Turgot　on　the　same　subject；　is　already　every　body's　without　leave：　I　shall　accordingly　annex；　by　way　of　appendix　to　my　new　edition；　the　original　as　well　as　a　translation　of　that　short　passage。　I　am　the　more　anxious　to　collect　all　the　force　I　can　muster；　in　as　far　as　I　find　from　the　printed　debates；　as　well　as　from　private　intelligence；　that　the　project　of　reducing　the　rate　of　interest　in　Ireland　is　not　yet　given　up：　though　this　perseverance　is　hardly　reconciliable　with　the　account　I　receive　from　the　same　quarter；　of　the　impression　made　in　that　country　by　the　Defence　of　Usury。　Yet　the　s