16 CRITIQUES AND ADDRESSES. [i. 



because their belief is small ; they know that the State 

 had better leave things alone unless it has a clear know- 

 ledge about them ; and, with reason, they suspect that 

 the knowledge of the governing power may stand no 

 higher than the very low watermark of their own. 



In the second place, men have become largely ab- 

 sorbed in the mere accumulation of wealth ; and as this 

 is a matter in which the plainest and strongest form of 

 self-interest is intensely concerned, science (in the shape 

 of Political Economy) has readily demonstrated that 

 self-interest may be safely left to find the best way of 

 attaining its ends. Rapidity and certainty of inter- 

 course between different countries, the enormous deve- 

 lopment of the powers of machinery, and general peace 

 (however interrupted by brief periods of warfare), have 

 changed the face of commerce as completely as modern 

 artillery has changed that of war. The merchant found 

 himself as much burdened by ancient protective measures 

 as the soldier by his armour and negative legislation 

 has been of as much use to the one as the stripping off 

 of breast-plates, greaves, and buff-coat to the other. 

 But because the soldier is better without his armour it 

 does not exactly follow that it is desirable that our 

 defenders should strip themselves stark naked ; and it is 

 not more apparent why laissez-faire great and benefi- 

 cial as it may be in all that relates to the accumulation 

 of wealth should be the one great commandment which 

 the State is to obey in all other matters ; and especially 

 in those in which the justification of laissez-faire, 

 namely, the keen insight given by the strong stimulus 

 of direct personal interest, in matters clearly understood, 

 is entirely absent. 



Thirdly, to the indifference generated by the absence 

 of fixed beliefs, and to the confidence in the efficacy of 

 laissez-faire, apparently justified by experience of the 



