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brought　to　light　what　Mr　Thompson　meant　by　it；　for　at　the　time　of



the　writing　of　this　instruction　the　exports　of　linen　yarn　and　linen



fabrics　of　England　to　France　were　included　in　the　term　'less



important。'



　　　　The　French　Government；　moved　by　the　representations　and



explanations　of　the　English　Government　and　its　agents；　and　with　the



intention　of　making　to　England　a　comparatively　unimportant



concession；　which　would　ultimately　prove　advantageous　to　France



herself；　lowered　the　duty　on　linen　yarn　and　linen　fabrics　to　such



an　extent　that　they　no　longer　gave　any　protection　to　French



industry　in　face　of　the　great　improvements　which　the　English　had



made　in　these　branches　of　manufacture；　so　that　even　in　the　next　few



years　the　export　of　these　articles　from　England　to　France　increased



enormously　（1838；　32；000；000　francs）；　and　that　France　stood　in



danger；　owing　to　the　start　which　England　had　thus　obtained；　of



losing　its　entire　linen　industry；　amounting　to　many　hundred



millions　in　value；　which　was　of　the　greatest　importance　for　her



agriculture　and　for　the　welfare　of　her　entire　rural　population；



unless　means　could　be　found　to　put　a　check　on　the　English



competition　by　increasing　the　duties。



　　　　That　France　was　duped　by　Mr　Poulett　Thompson　was　clear　enough。



He　had　already　clearly　seen　in　the　year　1834　what　an　impulse　the



linen　manufacture　of　England　would　receive　in　the　next　few　years　in



consequence　of　the　new　inventions　which　had　been　made　there；　and　in



this　negotiation　he　had　calculated　on　the　ignorance　of　the　French



Government　respecting　these　inventions　and　their　necessary



consequences。　The　advocates　of　this　lowering　of　duties　now　indeed



endeavoured　to　make　the　world　believe　that　by　it　they　only　desired



to　make　a　concession　to　the　belgian　linen　manufactures。　But　did



that　make　amends　for　their　lack　of　acquaintance　with　the　advances



made　by　the　English；　and　their　lack　of　foresight　as　to　the



necessary　consequences？



　　　　Be　that　as　it　may；　this　much　is　clearly　demonstrated；　that　it



was　necessary　for　France　to　protect　herself　still　more；　under



penalty　of　losing　the　greater　part　of　her　linen　manufacturing　for



the　benefit　of　England；　and　that　the　first　and　most　recent



experiment　of　the　increase　of　freedom　of　trade　between　England　and



France　remains　as　an　indelible　memorial　of　English　craft　and　of



French　inexperience；　as　a　new　Methuen　Treaty；　as　a　second　Eden



Treaty。　But　what　did　Mr　Poulett　Thompson　do　when　he　perceived　the



complaints　of　the　French　linen　manufacturers　and　the　inclination　of



the　French　Government　to　repair　the　mistake　which　had　been　made？　He



did　what　Mr　Huskisson　had　done　before　him；　he　indulged　in　threats；



he　threatened　to　exclude　French　wines　and　silk　fabrics。　This　is



English　cosmopolitanism。　France　must　give　up　a　manufacturing



industry　of　a　thousand　years'　standing；　bound　up　in　the　closest



manner　with　the　entire　economy　of　her　lower　classes　and　especially



with　her　agriculture；　the　products　of　which　must　be　reckoned　as



chief　necessaries　of　life　for　all　classes；　and　of　the　entire　amount



of　between　three　and　four　hundred　millions；　in　order　thereby　to



purchase　the　privilege　of　exporting　to　England　some　few　millions



more　in　value　of　wines　and　silk　manufactures。　Quite　apart　from　this



disproportion　in　value；　it　must　be　considered　in　what　a　position



France　would　be　placed　if　the　commercial　relations　between　both



nations　became　interrupted　in　consequence　of　a　war；　in　case　viz。



that　France　could　no　more　export　to　England　her　surplus　products　of



silk　manufactures　and　wines；　but　at　the　same　time　suffered　from　the



want　of　such　an　important　necessary　of　life　as　linen。



　　　　If　anyone　reflects　on　this　he　will　see　that　the　linen　question



is　not　simply　a　question　of　economical　well…being；　but；　as



everything　is　which　concerns　the　national　manufacturing　power；　is



still　more　a　question　of　the　independence　and　power　of　the　nation。



　　　　It　seems　indeed　as　if　the　spirit　of　invention　had　set　itself



the　task；　in　this　perfecting　of　the　linen　manufacture；　to　make　the



nations　comprehend　the　nature　of　the　manufacturing　interest；　its



relations　with　agriculture；　and　its　influence　on　the　independence



and　power　of　the　State；　and　to　expose　the　erroneous　arguments　of



the　popular　theory。　The　school　maintains；　as　is　well　known；　that



every　nation　possesses　special　advantages　in　various　branches　of



production；　which　she　has　either　derived　from　nature；　or　which　she



has　partly　acquired　in　the　course　of　her　career；　and　which　under



free　trade　compensate　one　another。　We　have　in　a　previous　chapter



adduced　proof　that　this　argument　is　only　true　in　reference　to



agriculture；　in　which　production　depends　for　the　most　part　on



climate　and　on　the　fertility　of　the　soil；　but　that　it　is　not　true



in　respect　to　manufacturing　industry；　for　which　all　nations



inhabiting　temperate　climates　have　equal　capability　provided　that



they　possess　the　necessary　material；　mental；　social；　and　political



qualifications。　England　at　the　present　day　offers　the　most　striking



proof　of　this。　If　any　nations　whatever　are　specially　adapted　by



their　past　experience　and　exertions；　and　through　their　natural



qualifications；　for　the　manufacture　of　linen；　those　are　the



Germans；　the　belgians；　the　Dutch；　and　the　inhabitants　of　the　North



of　France　for　a　thousand　years　past。　The　English；　on　the　other



hand；　up　to　the　middle　of　the　last　century；　had　notoriously　made



such　small　progress　in　that　industry；　that　they　imported　a　great



proportion　of　the　linen　which　they　required；　from　abroad。　It　would



never　have　been　possible　for　them；　without　the　duties　by　which　they



continuously　protected　this　manufacturing　industry；　even　to　supply



their　own　markets　and　colonies　with　linen　of　their　own　manufacture。



And　it　is　well　known　how　Lords　Castlereagh　and　Liverpool　adduced



proof　in　Parliament；　that　without　protection　it　was　impossible　for



the　Irish　linen　manufactures　to　sustain　competition　with　those　of



Germany。　At　present；　however；　we　see　how　the　English　threaten　to



monopolise　the　linen　manufacture　of　the　whole　of　Europe；　in



consequence　of　their　inventions；　notwithstanding　that　they　were　for



a　hundred　years　the　worst　manufacturers　of　linen　in　all　Europe；



just　as　they　have　monopolised　for　the　last　fifty　years　the　cotton



markets　of　the　East　Indies；　notwithstanding　that　one　hundred　years



previously　they　could　not　even　compete　in　their　own　market　with　the



Indian　cotton　manufacturers。　At　this　moment　it　is　a　matter　of



dispute　in　France　how　it　happens　that　England　has　lately　made　such



immense　progress　in　the　manufacture　of　linen；　although　Napoleon　was



the　first　who　offered　such　a　great　reward　for　the　invention　of　a



machine　for　spinning　cotton；　and　that　the　French　machinists　and



manufacturers　had　been　engaged　in　this　trade　before　the　English。



The　inquiry　is　made　whether　the　English　or　the　French　possessed



more　mechanical　talent。　All　kinds　of　explanations　are　offered



except　the　true　and　the　natural　one。　It　is　absurd　to　attribute



specially　to　the　English　greater　mechanical　talent；　or　greater



skill　and　perseverance　in　industry；　than　to　the　Germans　or　to　the



French。　Before　the　time　of　Edward　III　the　English　were　the　greatest



bullies　and　good…for…nothing　characters　in　Europe；　certainly　it



never　occurred　to　them　to　compare　themselves　with　the　Italians　and



Belgians　or　with　the　Germans　in　respect　to　mechanical　talent　or



industrial　skill；　but　since　then　their　Government　has　taken　their



education　in　hand；　and　thus　they　have　by　degrees　made　such　progress



that　the