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nowhere　else　is　a　sense　of　self…reliance　so　indispensable。　Hence



history　cannot　point　to　a　single　example　of　an　enslaved　people



taking　a　prominent　part　in　navigation。　The　Hindoos；　the　Chinese；



and　the　Japanese　have　ever　strictly　confined　their　efforts　to　canal



and　river　navigation　and　the　coasting　trade。　In　ancient　Egypt



maritime　navigation　was　held　in　abhorrence；　probably　because



priests　and　rulers　dreaded　lest　by　means　of　it　the　spirit　of



freedom　and　independence　should　be　encouraged。　The　freest　and　most



enlightened　states　of　ancient　Greece　were　also　the　most　powerful　at



sea；　their　naval　power　ceased　with　their　freedom；　and　however　much



history　may　narrate　of　the　victories　of　the　kings　of　Macedonia　on



land；　she　is　silent　as　to　their　victories　at　sea。



　　　　When　were　the　Romans　powerful　at　sea；　and　when　is　nothing　more



heard　of　their　fleets？　When　did　Italy　lay　down　the　law　in　the



Mediterranean；　and　since　when　has　her　very　coasting　trade　fallen



into　the　hands　of　foreigners？　Upon　the　Spanish　navy　the　Inquisition



had　passed　sentence　of　death　long　ere　the　English　and　the　Dutch



fleets　had　executed　the　decree。　With　the　coming　into　power　of　the



mercantile　oligarchies　in　the　Hanse　Towns；　power　and　the　spirit　of



enterprise　took　leave　of　the　Hanseatic　League。



　　　　Of　the　Spanish　Netherlands　only　the　maritime　provinces　achieved



their　freedom；　whereas　those　held　in　subjection　by　the　Inquisition



had　even　to　submit　to　the　closing　of　their　rivers。　The　English



fleet；　victorious　over　the　Dutch　in　the　Channel；　now　took



possession　of　the　dominion　of　the　seas；　which　the　spirit　of　freedom



had　assigned　to　England　long　before；　and　yet　Holland；　down　to　our



own　days；　has　retained　a　large　proportion　of　her　mercantile　marine；



whereas　that　of　the　Spaniards　and　the　Portuguese　is　almost



annihilated。　In　vain　were　the　efforts　of　a　great　individual



minister　now　and　then　under　the　despotic　kings　of　France　to　create



a　fleet；　for　it　invariably　went　again　to　ruin。



　　　　But　how　is　it　that　at　the　present　day　we　witness　the　growing



strength　of　French　navigation　and　naval　power？　Hardly　had　the



independence　of　the　United　States　of　North　America　come　to　life；



when　we　find　the　Americans　contending　with　renown　against　the　giant



fleets　of　the　mother　country。　But　what　is　the　position　of　the



Central　and　South　American　nations？　So　long　as　their　flags　wave　not



over　every　sea；　but　little　dependence　can　be　placed　upon　the



effectiveness　of　their　republican　forms　of　government。　Contrast



these　with　Texas；　a　territory　that　has　scarcely　attained　to



political　life；　and　yet　already　claims　its　share　in　the　realm　of



Neptune。



　　　　But　navigation　is　merely　one　part　of　the　industrial　power　of　a



nation　　a　part　which　can　flourish　and　attain　to　importance　only



in　conjunction　with　all　the　other　complementary　parts。　Everywhere



and　at　all　times　we　see　navigation；　inland　and　foreign　trade；　and



even　agriculture　itself；　flourish　only　where　manufactures　have



reached　a　high　state　of　prosperity。　But　if　freedom　be　an



indispensable　condition　for　the　prosperity　of　navigation；　how　much



wore　must　it　be　so　for　the　prosperity　of　the　manufacturing　power；



for　the　growth　of　the　entire　producing　power　of　a　nation？　History



contains　no　record　of　a　rich；　commercial；　and　industrial　community



that　was　not　at　the　same　time　in　the　enjoyment　of　freedom。



　　　　Manufactures　everywhere　first　brought　into　operation　improved



weans　of　transport；　improved　river　navigation；　improved　highways；



steam　navigation　and　railways；　which　constitute　the　fundamental



elements　of　improved　systems　of　agriculture　and　of　civilisation。



　　　　History　teaches　that　arts　and　trades　migrated　from　city　to



city；　from　one　country　to　another。　Persecuted　and　oppressed　at



home；　they　took　refuge　in　cities　and　in　countries　where　freedom；



protection；　and　support　were　assured　to　them。　In　this　way　they



migrated　from　Greece　and　Asia　to　Italy；　from　Italy　to　Germany；



Flanders；　and　Brabant；　and　from　thence　to　Holland　and　England。



Everywhere　it　was　want　of　sense　and　despotism　that　drove　them　away；



and　the　spirit　of　freedom　that　attracted　them。　But　for　the　folly　of



the　Continental　governments；　England　would　have　had　difficulty　in



attaining　supremacy　in　industry。　But　does　it　appear　more　consistent



with　wisdom　for　us　in　Germany　to　wait　patiently　until　other　nations



are　impolitic　enough　to　drive　out　their　industries　and　thus　compel



them　to　seek　a　refuge　with　us；　or　that　we　should；　without　waiting



for　such　contingencies；　invite　them　by　proffered　advantages　to



settle　down　amongst　us？



　　　　It　is　true　that　experience　teaches　that　the　wind　bears　the　seed



from　one　region　to　another；　and　that　thus　waste　moorlands　have　been



transformed　into　dense　forests；　but　would　it　on　that　account　be



wise　policy　for　the　forester　to　wait　until　the　wind　in　the　course



of　ages　effects　this　transformation？



　　　　Is　it　unwise　on　his　part　if　by　sowing　and　planting　he　seeks　to



attain　the　same　object　within　a　few　decades？　History　tells　us　that



whole　nations　have　successfully　accomplished　that　which　we　see　the



forester　do？　Single　free　cities；　or　small　republics　and



confederations　of　such　cities　and　states；　limited　in　territorial



possessions；　of　small　population　and　insignificant　military　power；



but　fortified　by　the　energy　of　youthful　freedom　and　favoured　by



geographical　position　as　well　as　by　fortunate　circumstances　and



opportunities；　flourished　by　means　of　manufactures　and　commerce



long　before　the　great　monarchies；　and　by　free　commercial



intercourse　with　the　latter；　by　which　they　exported　to　them



manufactured　goods　and　imported　raw　produce　in　exchange；　raised



themselves　to　a　high　degree　of　wealth　and　power。　Thus　did　Venice；



the　Hanse　Towns　the　Belgians　and　the　Dutch。



　　　　Nor　was　this　system　of　free　trade　less　profitable　at　first　to



the　great　monarchies　themselves；　with　whom　these　smaller



communities　had　commercial　intercourse。　For；　having　regard　to　the



wealth　of　their　natural　resources　and　to　their　undeveloped　social



condition　the　free　importation　of　foreign　manufactured　goods　and



the　exportation　of　native　produce　presented　the　surest　and　most



effectual　means　of　developing　their　own　powers　of　production；　of



instilling　habits　of　industry　into　their　subjects　who　were　addicted



to　idleness　and　turbulence；　of　inducing　their　landowners　and　nobles



to　feel　an　interest　in　industry；　of　arousing　the　dormant　spirit　of



enterprise　amongst　their　merchants；　and　especially　of　raising　their



own　civilisation；　industry；　and　power。



　　　　These　effects　were　learned　generally　by　Great　Britain　from　the



trade　and　manufacturing　industry　of　the　Italians；　the　Hansards；　the



Belgians；　and　the　Dutch。　But　having　attained　to　a　certain　grade　of



development　by　means　of　free　trade；　the　great　monarchies　perceived



that　the　highest　degree　of　civilisation；　power；　and　wealth　can　only



be　attained　by　a　combination　of　manufactures　and　commerce　with



agriculture。　They　perceived　that　their　newly　established　native



manufactures　could　never　hope　to　succeed　in　free　competition　with



the　old　and　long　established　manufactures　of　foreigners；　that　their



native　fisheries　and　native　mercantile　marine；　the　foundations　of



their　naval　power；　could　never　make　successful　progress　without



special　privileges；　and　that　the　spirit　of　enterprise　of　their



native　merchants　would　always　be　kept　down　by　the　overwhelming



reserves　of　capital；　the　greater　experience　and　sagacity　of　the



foreigners。　Hence　they　sought；　by　a　system　of　restrictions；



privileges；　and　encouragements；