An Essay on Commerce. 1 1 



article ; I will then fix my own price, and riches will flow 

 from every quarter. How few, very few, of such have succeed- 

 ed, but brought ruin on themselves, and misery on all their 

 connections 1 I am apt to think, that what is the case of in- 

 dividuals will in a certain degree be the case with nations. 

 I am persuaded that God, in pity to mankind, has set some 

 bounds to ambition which it cannot pass. 



I must here beg leave to make one observation, to pre- 

 vent my being misunderstood; and that is. It is not my in- 

 tention lo argue in the smallest degree against duties ; it is 

 likewise highly expedient to tax some articles more than 

 others; — it is only the extreme to which many duties are rar- 

 ried that I would combat, together with that ambitious 

 monopolizing spirit, whether in an individual or a nation, 

 which wishes to counteract the very laws of nature, by 

 bringing the whole produce of the earth and the industry 

 of its inhabitants into the vortex of their own power. I 

 will also endeavour to answer an objection which is com- 

 monly brought forward, and by many thought unanswer- 

 able, viz. — Money must be had ; and how can it be ob- 

 tained but by increasing the duties? That an additional 

 duty may for a while give a larger return I will admit : but 

 I am very certain it can only be of a temporary duration ; 

 because every advance in the price of any article will in a 

 certain degree lessen its consumption ; and add to this, it in- 

 creases the smuggling of the article : — from these two causes 

 the decrease of the revenue will naturally follow. I could 

 produce many instances, but this would lead me to too 

 great a length. Suffice it to observe, that smuggling and 

 illicit trade are carried to a greater extent in almost every ar- 

 ticle where the prospect of much gain holds out a strontr 

 temptation : and of all the evils which can afflict a nation, 

 I believe smuggling, if its various consequences were taken 

 into consideration, is the most dangerous : — it estranges 

 the mind from all the regular habits of industry, and insen- 

 sibly makes inroads on the iTioral principle of the human 

 heart. Let any person take but a glance at the numerous 

 laws and statutes to prevent smuggling in its various branches, 

 with all the pains and penalties annexed : — the mind will 



shrink 



