industry, enterprize, knowledge, and economy, and capital
acquired by means of them. But what has rendered Britain more industrious,
intelligent, and skilful than other nations?--for if we can answer this
question, we can satisfactorily account for her acquisition of capital; and
capital, industry, and skill existing, commerce and wealth must necessarily
follow.
Britain enjoys greater political freedom, and greater security of property
than any other European nation; and without political freedom, the mass of
the people never can be intelligent, or possess either comprehensive views
or desires; and where views and desires are limited, there can be no
regular, general, and zealous industry. Unless, however, security of
property is enjoyed, as well as political liberty, industry, even if it
could spring up under such circumstances, must soon droop and decay. It is
a contradiction in terms to suppose that comprehensive views and desires
can exist and lead to action, when at the same time it is extremely
doubtful whether the objects of them could be realized, or, if realized,
whether they would not immediately be destroyed, or torn from those whose
labour, and skill, and anxious thought had acquired them.
But there are other causes to which we must ascribe the extension of
British manufactures and commerce; of these we shall only enumerate what we
regard as the principal and the most powerful: the stimulus which any
particular improvement in manufactures gives to future and additional
improvements, or rather, perhaps, the necessity which it creates for such
additional improvements; the natural operation of enlarged capital; the
equally natural operation of encreased wealth among the various classes of
the community; the peculiar circumstances in which Britain has been placed
since the termination of the war which deprived her of her American
colonies; and, lastly, her national debt.
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