370 THE REIGN OF LAW. 



dering ourselves." And how was it so ? What 

 was the essence of its error ? These questions 

 are best answered by another. What was the 

 central idea of the new system which has super- 

 seded the old one ? The essential idea of these 

 new opinions cannot be better given than in 

 the words of Dugald Stewart : " The great and 

 leading object of Adam Smith's speculations is 

 to illustrate the provision made by Nature in the 

 principles of the human mind, and in the circum- 

 stances of man's external situation, for a gradual 

 progressive augmentation in the means of na- 

 tional wealth ; and to demonstrate that the most 

 effectual plan for advancing a people to great- 

 ness is to maintain that order of things which 

 Nature has pointed out ; by allowing every 

 man, as long as he observes the rules of jus- 

 tice, to pursue his own interest in his own way, 

 and to bring both his industry and his capital 

 into the freest competition with those of his 

 fellow- citizens. " * 



Adam Smith found Positive Institutions regu- 

 lating and restricting natural human action in two 

 * Account, see p. 72. 



