友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
读书室 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

list1-第26部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!




fertile land still uncultivated in Canada; in Australia; and in



other quarters of the world? Was it not almost as easy for England



to transplant her surplus population to those countries as for the



North Americans to transplant theirs from the shores of the



Atlantic to the banks of the Missouri? If so; what occasion had



England not only continuously to protect her home manufactures; but



to strive to extend them more and more?



    The argument of the school; that with a high rate of wages in



agriculture; manufactures could not succeed by the natural course



of things; but only by being forced like hothouse plants; was found



to be partially well…founded; that is to say; it was applicable



only to those manufactured goods which; being small in bulk and



weight as compared to their value; are produced principally by hand



labour; but was not applicable to goods the price of which is less



influenced by the rate of wages; and as to which the disadvantage



of higher wages can be neutralised by the use of machinery; by



water power as yet unused; by cheap raw materials and food; by



abundance of cheap fuel and building materials; by light taxation



and increased efficiency of labour。



    Besides; the Americans had long ago learnt from experience that



agriculture cannot rise to a high state of prosperity unless the



exchange of agricultural produce for manufactures is guaranteed for



all future time; but that; when the agriculturist lives in America



and the manufacturer in England; that exchange is not unfrequently



interrupted by wars; commercial crises; or foreign tariffs; and



that consequently; if the national well…being is to rest on a



secure foundation; 'the manufacturer;' to use Jefferson's words;



'must come and settle down in close proximity to the



agriculturist。'



    At length the Americans came to realise the truth that it



behoves a great nation not exclusively to set its heart upon the



enjoyment of proximate material advantages; that civilisation and



power  more important and desirable possessions than mere



material wealth; as Adam Smith himself allows  can only be



secured and retained by the creation of a manufacturing power of



its own; that a country which feels qualified to take and to



maintain its place amongst the powerful and civilised nations of



the earth must not shrink from any sacrifice in order to secure



such possessions for itself; and that at that time the Atlantic



states were clearly the region marked out for such possessions。



    It was on the shores of the Atlantic that European settlers and



European civilisation first set a firm foot。 Here; at the first;



were populous; wealthy; and civilised states created; here was the



cradle and seat of their sea fisheries; coasting trade; and naval



power; here their independence was won and their union founded。



Through these states on the coast the foreign trade of the Union is



carried on; through them it is connected with the civilised world;



through them it acquires the surplus population; material; capital;



and mental powers of Europe; upon the civilisation; power; and



wealth of these sea…board states depend the future civilisation;



power; wealth; and independence of the whole nation and its future



influence over less civilised communities。 Suppose that the



population of these Atlantic states decreased instead of growing



larger; that their fisheries; coasting trade; shipping engaged in



foreign trade and foreign trade itself; and; above all; their



general prosperity; were to fall off or remain stationary instead



of progressing; then we should see the resources of civilisation of



the whole nation; the guarantees for its independence and external



power; diminish too in the same degree。 It is even conceivable



that; were the whole territory of the United States laid under



cultivation from sea to sea; covered with agricultural states; and



densely populated in the interior; the nation itself might



nevertheless be left in a low grade as respects civilisation;



independence; foreign power; and foreign trade。 There are certainly



many nationalities who are in such a position and whose shipping



and naval power are nil; though possessing a numerous inland



population!



    If a power existed that cherished the project of keeping down



the rise of the American people and bringing them under subjection



to itself industrially; commercially; or politically; it could only



succeed in its aim by trying to depopulate the Atlantic states of



the Union and driving all increase of population; capital; and



intellectual power into the interior。 By that means it would not



only check the further growth of the nation's naval power; but



might also indulge the hope of getting possession in time of the



principal defensive strategical positions on the Atlantic coast and



at the mouths of the rivers。 The means to this end would not be



difficult to imagine; it would only be necessary to hinder the



development of manufacturing power in the Atlantic states and to



insure the acceptance of the principle of absolute freedom of



foreign trade in America。 If the Atlantic states do not become



manufacturers; they will not only be unable to keep up their



present degree of civilisation; but they must sink; and sink in



every respect。 Without manufactures how are the towns along the



Atlantic coast to prosper? Not by the forwarding of inland produce



to Europe and of English manufactured goods to the interior; for a



very few thousand people would be sufficient to transact this



business。 How are the fisheries to prosper? The majority of the



population who have moved inland prefer fresh meat and fresh…water



fish to salted; they require no train oil; or at least but a small



quantity。 How is the coasting trade along the Atlantic sea…board to



thrive? As the largest portion of the coast states are peopled by



cultivators of land who produce for themselves all the provisions;



building materials; fuel; &c。 which they require; there is nothing



along the coast to sustain a transport trade。 How are foreign trade



and shipping to distant places to increase? The country has nothing



to offer but what less cultivated nations possess in



superabundance; and those manufacturing nations to which it sends



its produce encourage their own shipping。 How can a naval power



arise when fisheries; the coasting trade; ocean navigation; and



foreign trade decay? How are the Atlantic states to protect them



selves against foreign attacks without a naval power? How is



agriculture even to thrive in these states; when by means of



canals; railways; &c。 the produce of the much more fertile and



cheaper tracts of land in the west which require no manure; can be



carried to the east much more cheaply than it could be there



produced upon soil exhausted long ago? How under such circumstances



can civilisation thrive and population increase in the eastern



states; when it is clear that under free trade with England all



increase of population and of agricultural capital must flow to the



west? The present state of Virginia gives but a faint idea of the



condition into which the Atlantic states would be thrown by the



absence of manufactures in the east; for Virginia; like all the



southern states on the Atlantic coast; at present takes a



profitable share in providing the Atlantic states with agricultural



produce。



    All these things bear quite a different complexion; owing to



the existence of a flourishing manufacturing power in the Atlantic



states。 Now population; capital; technical skill and intellectual



power; flow into them from all European countries; now the demand



for the manufactured products of the Atlantic states increases



simultaneously with their consumption of the raw materials supplied



by the west。 Now the population of these states; their wealth; and



the number and extent of their towns increase in equal proportion



with the cultivation of the western virgin lands; now; on account



of the larger population; and the consequently increased demand for



meat; butter; cheese; milk; garden produce; oleaginous seeds;



fruit; &c。; their own agriculture is increasing; now the sea



fisheries are flourishing in consequence of the larger demand for



salted fish and train oil; now quantities of provisions; building



materials; coal; &c。 are being conveyed along the coast to furnish



the wants of the manufacturing population; now the manufacturing



population produce a large quantity of commoditi
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!