436 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The greater part of the increase in commerce since 1770 lias occurred 

 within the last fifteen years, and the annual gain now is greater than 

 the total traffic in the middle of the last century, and tenfold greater 

 than the traffic at any time before the discovery of America. 



The advance in the other nations of Europe generally has not been 

 so rapid as in England, yet it is remarkable. The exports of France 

 rose from $400,000,000 in 1840, to 1700,000,000 in 1869 ; those of Aus- 

 tria from $40,000,000 in 1842, to $160,000,000 in 1869; and those of 

 Russia from $50,000,000 in 1851, to $125,000,000 in 1869. In the 

 United States the progress has been more rapid than in England. 

 The total aggregate value of the exports and imports (excluding 

 the precious metals) of the fifteen leading commercial nations was 

 $6,000,000,000 in 1860, and $9,500,000,000 in 1870. These figures are 

 astounding, and nothing but figures can give us a correct idea of the 

 overwhelming magnitude of the present, and the relative insignificance 

 of the past. And if now commerce gains nine per cent, annually, 

 whereas before the steam age it did not increase one per cent., shall 

 we not exalt the age of steam, which has brought the improvement ? 

 It is to be observed that the forces which have caused the wondrous 

 development, instead of having reached the culmination of their in- 

 fluence, are only beginning to get full swing, and that the new com- 

 merce has not yet had time to exert its power. Statesmen and people 

 do not yet comprehend the vastness of the commercial interests, nor 

 have the merchants and capitalists yet learned how to combine to 

 prevent the legislative follies of past ages. Commerce is destined to 

 be the great bond of peace between nations, and they will be com- 

 pelled soon to organize a league to administer international justice, 

 and to protect the vast interests involved in their trade. They must 

 adopt new rules for their new circumstances. The policy which might 

 have been beneficial in a national point of view in 1700 would be 

 foolish now. "Commerce," as John Stuart Mill said, " first taught 

 nations to see with good-will the wealth and prosperity of one an- 

 other. Before, the patriot, unless sufficiently advanced in culture to 

 feel the world his country, wished all countries weak and poor and 

 ill-governed, but his own." Now, he understands that the greater 

 their wealth and prosperity, the greater also will be that of his nation ; 

 in the same manner as the individual merchant or mechanic thrives 

 better with rich than with poor neighbors and customers. But we 

 are told that the spirit of our age is bad ; it is too materialistic ; it is 

 hostile to sesthetical and spiritual influences ; it exalts money and ma- 

 chinery. The meaning of this complaint is that its authors have not 

 been properly educated, and they find that the world is not in sym- 

 pathy with them. They measure it by their ignorance and prejudice, 

 and conclude that it is wrong. In all ages such lamentations have 

 been heard about the progress of the most beneficent changes. The 

 discredit into which many of the old metaphysicians have fallen is 



