394 Mr, LucJccock on the Commercial State of the Country. [Dec. 1 , 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, pies, it will hardly perhaps be coiitro- 



siR, veiled, that tiiose have the fairest ap- 



HOVV much is it to he regretted, by peal to our understandings, which shall 

 every attentive and benevolent best accommodate themselves to all 

 moralist, that religion and politics, those ages and capacities ; that what is intcnd- 

 tvvin subjects, so important to the hap- cd by our Maker for universal guidance 

 piuess of mankind, should be so much should be plain and intelligible to gene- 

 perverted, to their degradation and ral compiehension ; and that, wherever 

 misery! As long as the many shall be reflection is exercised, it should not be 

 eager to surrender their judgment to the bestowed in vain. On this ground, 

 few, or rather as long as tiiey shall con- every individual may be supposed ca- 

 sider that they have no right or cai)acity pable of judging for himself in matters 

 to think for themselves, so long will relative to the institutions and practices 

 they be the dupes of |)rcjudi(e, of im- of society; and this again leads ns to 

 posture, aud of oppression. Instead e!" infer, tliat the aim of our rulers should 

 reducing these topics to their lirsl and be to accommodate the laws and regu- 

 simple principles, it is the too constant lations of the grand family of mankind 

 aim of the crafty and the interested to to the universal comprehension of its 

 render them complicated and bewilder- members. 



ing ; as if the plainest duties of life, and That the most fatal errors have arisen 



our hio'licst future hopes, should be al- for want of this simplifying principle, 



ways enveloped in clouds and mysteries, every day's experience must convince 



Thus, in religion— ^inslcad of inculcating those who are at all disposed to investi- 



the personal and relative jiractical dn- gate the causes that agitate the com- 



ties we aie cajoled or alarmed about inercial, as well as the j)olitical, world. 



do"'mas and oijinions ; and, instead of Tor instance— what absurdities were 



enforcing public bcnc\oleiice, we arc broached, even within our own recollec- 



asked how much mystery we can swal- tion, by our chief writers on political 



Iq^v ] how nluc^ indejiendance we can economy, on the subject of the balance 



abandon ? — and how much strife and of trade between ditl'ereut nations. In- 

 contention we are prepared to counte- geuuity was ransacked to give plausible 

 nance and support! So in politics — colouring to contending opinions; cal- 

 whose sole object, present or remote, culations were made which nobody 

 should be the universal happiness of could understand; tlie subject was be- 

 mankind : we find thein constantly per- wildercd with the most perplexing and 

 verted to excite party animosity, to en- far-fetched theories, till its very ex- 

 slave the body, aud debase the under- tiemes brought tlic universal conviction 

 standing. To the public, if I compre- of the fallacy of the general opmion. 

 hend it aright, the science of politics Any school-boy of common capacity 

 stands on tiie same footing as that of may now be thought competent to judge 

 morals to an individual. 'I'he world is on this important question, with as 

 the orand theatre for the practice of the much accuracy as the most penetrating 

 universal duties of justice, of humanity, mercantile head in the land — and where- 

 of toleration, and mutual forbearance ; fore' I'ecausc it has been reduced to 

 and these good qualities must either rest such simple and unerring principles, that 

 CD the foundation of universal obliga- it seems iuipossible they can be wrong, 

 tion, or they cannot in any degree apply AVhat is the sole object of commerce ? 

 to us as individual moral agents. In- To ensure employment, food, and hap- 

 fortunately we mistake the object, and, piness, to either party who may be en- 

 instead of cidarging our ideas, to take gaged in the pur.suit; and, where these 

 iu the scope of general happiness, we objects are mutually attained, how is it 

 are tauglit the perpetual uml senseless possible to conceive that either should 

 brawl of — I bclii.'ve in Titt, in A\ clling- be injured, though one should make its 

 ton, in Bonaparte, or in Alexander, payments iu gold, and the other ia 



are thus abandoned for the 

 men, of local measures, and 



Principle; 

 support <i 



of expediency ; the delusion is ctienslied 

 by every artilice tiiat prejudice or inte- 

 rest call devise ; and thus mankind are 

 led to consent to the fancied necessity 

 of butchering eacl; other to preserve the 

 peace and good order of society. 

 Ia our estimate of opiuiou.s or princi- 



straws ? 



Again, for example — if the same rule 

 had been considered as applicable to 

 national speculations as to those of an 

 individual, how would it have been pos- 

 sible for such a giant mind as that of 

 Dr. Price to entangle itself in tiie delu- 

 sion of the Sinking Fund ? Let the ap^ 

 peal be made to thti most slender capa- 

 city— 



