152 Of Systems of Agriculture Bk. iii. 



answer to most landed nations, both to manufac- 

 ture for themselves, and to conduct their own 

 commerce. That raw cottons should be shipped 

 in America, carried some thousands of miles to 

 another country, unshipped there, to be manufac- 

 tured and shipped again for the American market, 

 is a state of things which cannot be permanent. 

 That it may last for some time, there can be no 

 doubt; and I am very far from meaning to insi- 

 nuate that an advantage, while it lasts, should not 

 be used, merely because it will not continue for 

 ever. But if the advantage be in its nature tem- 

 porary, it is surely prudent to have this in view, 

 and to use it in such a way, that when it ceases, 

 it may not have been productive, on the whole, 

 of more evil than good. 



If a country, owing to temporary advantages 

 of this kind, should have its commerce and ma- 

 nufactures so greatly preponderate as to make it 

 necessary to support a large portion of its people 

 on foreign corn, it is certain that the progressive 

 improvement of foreign countries in manufactures 

 and commerce might, after a time, subject it to 

 a period of poverty and of retrograde movements 

 in capital and population, which might more than 

 counterbalance the temporary benefits before en- 

 joyed; while a nation in which the commercial 

 and manufacturing population continued to be 

 supported by its agriculture, might receive a very 

 considerable stimulus to both, from such tempo- 

 rary advantages, without being exposed to any 

 essential evil on their ceasing. 



