60 



would be any security for the continuance and 

 permanency of such a system of universal policy ; 

 the arts of peace must be universally cultivated, 

 the jealousies of nations must cease, knowledge 

 and religion must civilize and christianize the 

 world, must triumph over the ignorance, preju- 

 dice, caprice, selfishness, and depravity of man- 

 kind, swords must be turned into ploughshares, 

 and spears into pruning hooks,, before this theory, 

 which seems to anticipate a millenium age, can 

 be safely reduced to practice. It is very clear, 

 however, that neither the present state of 

 humanity, nor the present circumstances and con- 

 dition of our own country, are suited to the gene- 

 ral operation of these principles. 



We may, without risk, advocate a free exchange 

 amongst nations of manufactured productions. 

 Because, taking all the circumstances in which 

 the manufacturer and commercialist are placed into 

 consideration, we may perceive that the amount 

 of national burthens which they bear, are light in 

 comparison with those which fall upon the landed 

 interest ; and there is a much greater facility of 

 reducing them. When we consider, too, our 

 mineral resources, the maritime situation of 

 Great Britain, the credit which our merchants 

 have obtained in most parts of the world, the 

 skill, industry, capital, and enterprise of our coun- 

 trymen, t,hese advantages, amongst others, which 

 we share in some respects equally, and in most far 

 above any other nation, insure the commercial 



