第 26 节
作者:水王      更新:2022-05-01 22:41      字数:9322
  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