552 NATURAL AND CIVIL 

 CHAPTER VIII. 



State of Society. The Employments of 

 the People : Agriculture^ Manufactures y Hunt- 

 irigy Commerce J the profits of Labor. 



IN the natural constitution of man, the 

 author of nature seems to have established the 

 limits, below, and above which, the human race 

 cannot be found. Somewhere within these lim- 

 its, every nation will take its place : But where^ 

 depends chiefl}^ upon the state of society. It 

 should seem that several of the nations of the 

 eai th, are yet near the ultimate point of depres- 

 sion ; and have been so, from tinie immemorial. 

 But what is the ultimate point of perfection to 

 which men may rise, we cannot determine. 

 The many and great imperfections, which at- 

 tend the state of society in every nation, seem 

 to denote that none of them have as yet, made 

 very near approaches to it. 



The causes which produce the degradation, 

 or the superiority of one nation to another, will 

 always be found in those things, which have the 

 greatest effect, in constituting their state of so- 

 ciety. Among these, the employments of the 

 people, their manners and customs, their religion, 

 their government, their population, and the de- 

 gree of freedom which they enjoy, will always 

 be among the capital articles. A just descrip- 

 tion of these, would afford a proper account of 

 tlie state of society, in this part of America. 



