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the　civil　institutions　be　found；　so　much　larger　will　be　the　degree



of　liberty　enjoyed；　so　much　more　opportunity　will　be　given　for



self…improvement　and　for　co…operation　in　the　improvement　of　others。



Therefore　liberty　and　civilisation　have　everywhere　and　at　all　times



emanated　from　towns；　in　ancient　times　in　Greece　and　Italy；　in　the



Middle　Ages　in　Italy；　Germany；　belgium；　and　Holland；　later　on　in



England；　and　still　more　recently　in　North　America　and　France。



　　　　But　there　are　two　kinds　of　towns；　one　of　which　we　may　term　the



productive；　the　other　the　consuming　kind。　There　are　towns　which



work　up　raw　materials；　and　pay　the　country　districts　for　these；　as



well　as　for　the　means　of　subsistence　which　they　require；　by　means



of　manufactured　goods。　These　are　the　manufacturing　towns；　the



productive　ones。　The　more　that　these　prosper；　the　more　the



agriculture　of　the　country　prospers；　and　the　more　powers　that



agriculture　unfolds；　so　much　the　greater　do　those　manufacturing



towns　become。　But　there　are　also　towns　where　those　live　who　simply



consume　the　rents　of　the　land。　In　all　countries　which　are　civilised



to　some　extent；　a　large　portion　of　the　national　income　is　consumed



as　rent　in　the　towns。　It　would　be　false；　however；　were　we　to



maintain　as　a　general　principle　that　this　consumption　is　injurious



to　production；　or　does　not　tend　to　promote　it。　For　the　possibility



of　securing　to　oneself　an　independent　life　by　the　acquisition　of



rents；　is　a　powerful　stimulus　to　economy　and　to　the　utilisation　of



savings　in　agriculture　and　in　agricultural　improvements。　Moreover



the　man　who　lives　on　rents；　stimulated　by　the　inclination　to



distinguish　himself　before　his　fellow…citizens；　supported　by　his



education　and　his　independent　position；　will　promote　civilisation；



the　efficiency　of　public　institutions；　of　State　administration；



science　and　art。　But　the　degree　in　which　rent　influences　in　this



manner　the　industry；　prosperity；　and　civilisation　of　the　nation



will　always　depend　on　the　degree　of　liberty　which　that　nation　has



already　obtained。　That　inclination　to　become　useful　to　the



commonwealth　by　voluntary　activity；　and　to　distinguish　oneself



before　one's　fellow…citizens；　will　only　develop　itself　in　countries



where　this　activity　leads　to　public　recognition；　to　public　esteem；



and　to　offices　of　honour；　but　not　in　countries　where　every　attempt



to　gain　public　esteem　and　every　manifestation　of　independence　is



regarded　by　the　ruling　power　with　a　jealous　eye。　In　such　countries



the　man　of　independent　income　will　give　himself　up　to　debauchery



and　idleness；　and　because　in　this　manner　he　brings　useful　industry



into　contempt；　and　injures　the　morality　as　well　as　the　industrious



impulse　of　the　nation；　he　will　radically　imperil　the　nation's



productive　power。　Even　if　under　such　conditions　the　manufactures　of



towns　are　to　some　extent　promoted　by　the　consumption　of　the



rentier；　such　manufactures　are　nevertheless　to　be　regarded　as



barren　and　unsound　fruits；　and　especially　they　will　aid　very　little



in　promoting　the　civilisation；　prosperity；　and　liberty　of　the



nation。　Inasmuch　as　a　sound　manufacturing　industry　especially　tends



to　produce　liberty　and　civilisation；　it　may　also　be　said　that



through　it　rent　itself　is　redeemed　from　forming　a　fund　for



idleness；　debauchery；　and　immorality；　and　is　converted　into　a　fund



for　promoting　mental　culture；　and　consequently　that　through　it　the



merely　consuming　towns　are　changed　into　productive　towns。　Another



element　by　which　the　consuming　towns　are　supported　is；　the



consumption　of　the　public　servants　and　of　the　State　administration。



These　also　may　occasion　some　apparent　prosperity　in　a　town；　but



whether　such　consumption　especially　promotes　or　is　injurious　to　the



productive　power；　prosperity　and　institutions　of　the　nation；



depends　altogether　on　the　question　how　far　the　functions　of　the



consumers　tend　to　promote　or　to　injure　those　powers。



　　　　From　this　the　reason　is　evident　why　in　mere　agricultural　States



large　towns　can　exist；　which；　although　they　contain　a　large　number



of　wealthy　inhabitants　and　manifold　trades；　exercise　only　a　very



inconsiderable　influence　on　the　civilisation；　liberty；　and



productive　power　of　the　nation。　The　persons　engaged　in　those　trades



necessarily　participate　in　the　views　of　their　customers；　they　are



to　be　regarded　in　a　great　measure　as　mere　domestic　servants　of　the



rentiers　and　public　employees。　In　contrast　to　great　luxury　in　those



towns；　poverty；　misery；　narrow…mindedness；　and　a　slavish



disposition　are　found　among　the　inhabitants　of　the　surrounding



country　districts。　A　prosperous　effect　of　manufactures　on　the



civilisation；　the　improvement　of　public　institutions；　and　the



liberty　of　the　nation；　is　only　perceptible　if　in　a　country　a



manufacturing　power　is　established　which；　quite　independently　of



the　rentiers　and　public　servants；　works　for　the　large　mass　of　the



agricultural　population　or　for　export　trade；　and　consumes　the



products　of　that　population　in　large　quantities　for　working　up　in



manufacture　and　for　subsistence。　The　more　such　a　sound　and　healthy



manufacturing　power　increases　in　strength；　the　more　will　it　draw　to



its　side　the　manufacturing　power　which　originated　in　the



consumption　above　named；　and　also　the　rentiers　and　public　servants；



and　the　more　also　will　the　public　institutions　be　regulated　with　a



view　to　the　interest　of　the　commonwealth。



　　　　Let　us　consider　the　condition　of　a　large　town　in　which　the



manufacturers　are　numerous；　independent；　lovers　of　liberty；



educated；　and　wealthy　where　the　merchants　participate　in　their



interests　and　position；　where　the　rentiers　feel　themselves



compelled　to　gain　the　respect　of　the　public；　where　the　public



servants　are　subject　to　the　control　of　public　opinion；　where　the



men　of　science　and　art　work　for　the　public　at　large；　and　draw　from



it　their　means　of　subsistence；　let　us　consider　the　mass　of　mental



and　material　means　which　are　combined　together　in　such　a　narrow



space；　and　further　how　closely　this　mass　of　power　is　united　through



the　law　of　the　division　of　the　operations　of　business　and　the



confederation　of　powers；　we　may　note　again　how　quickly　every



improvement；　every　progress　in　public　institutions；　and　in　social



and　economical　conditions；　on　the　one　hand；　and　how；　on　the　other



hand；　every　retrogression；　every　injury　of　the　public　interests；



must　be　felt　by　this　mass；　then；　again；　how　easily　this　mass；



living　in　one　and　the　same　place；　can　come　to　an　agreement　as　to



their　common　objects　and　regulations；　and　what　enormous　means　it



can　concentrate　on　the　spot　for　these　purposes；　and　finally；　in