Political Economy, 
government, judges and lawyers ; soldiers, clergymen, •»—pliysicif 
ans even. — -all are useful ;* all contribute, materially, to swell the 
great aggregate proceeds of general industry, provided their num- 
ber do not exceed the due proportion. 
No objection can therefore lie against foreign trade, because it 
requires merchants. On the contrary, the usefulness of this class 
of society— ..which, perhaps, has never yet been duly appreciated—^ 
5s of the highest order.f The beneficial results of their labours-^ 
tnoiigh only indirectly /iroductive^ 2 iYe immense, and there is this- 
peculiarity attending them, that often their contribution tpthe ge- 
neral wealth of society, and to its benejicial distribution^ is great* 
in proportion as a sanguine disposition has caused them to provide 
but ill for their own. 
“ Mercantile success^ you continue, tempts to imprudent car- 
pendUufe^ and speculation"’ 
I doubt the correctness of the observation, whieii, if true^ 
would only be of minor importance. Mercantile success gene- 
rally causes an increase of caution, and a greater desire to accu^ 
mulate. Those who have acquired fortunes, mostly continue to* 
enlarge them. Imprudent expenditure is more commonly the 
fault of wealthy landholders than of wealthy merchants. A spe- 
culation which ruins the speculator, not unfrequently enriches the 
country ! 
Merchants are of no country P Professionally they are not. 
Nor are they learned I Will you therefore banish the learned? 
Both may be patriots as men. A merchant at least, as such, al-?. 
Ways belongs to the country in which he resides. Where he 
trades, there his existence is beneficial. Of the leax’ned, and even 
of many of our politicians, you cannot always say as much ! 
It is an erroneous idea, that merchants, by any effort of theirs^ 
could set on foot, or cause to continue for any length of time, a 
foreign trade, injurious to the country. — .Trade is exchange. 
There must be something that can be spared/ before the recep- 
tion of an equivalent is practicable. The equivalent received, 
* No doubt ; because all these classes are more ot less necessary, directly 
oj indirectly to the increase of consumable produce. But I cannot see how 
a Gamester, a Dancer, an Actor is so. They put industry into motion and give 
employment to many persons who might be more usefully employed. But 
their eiTorts add notlung to the stock of national wealth. Ipso usa consumun- 
lur, T. C, 
f I acknowledge that merchants and factors, are fairly to be considered 
same light as labour 'Saving machines. T. C 
