友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
恐怖书库 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

list2-第34部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!





not perceive what rich fruits such a system would have yielded to



the Polish nation? By the aid of large and industrious towns; the



crown would have been rendered hereditary; the nobility would have



been obliged to make it convenient to take part in legislation in



a House of Peers; and to emancipate their serfs; agriculture would



have developed itself; as it has developed itself in England; the



Polish nobility would now be rich and respected; the Polish nation



would; even if not so respected and influential in the affairs of



the world as the English nation is; would have long ago become so



civilised and powerful as to extend its influence over the less



cultivated East。 Without a manufacturing power she has become



ruined and partitioned; and were she not so already she must have



become so。 Of its own accord and spontaneously no manufacturing



power was developed in her; it could not be so; because its efforts



would have been always frustrated by further advanced nations。



Without a system of protection; and under a system of free trade



with further advanced nations; even if Poland had retained her



independence up to the present time; she could never have carried



on anything more than a crippled agriculture; she could never have



become rich; powerful; and outwardly influential。



    By the circumstance that so many natural resources and natural



powers are converted by the manufacturing power into productive



capital is the fact chiefly to be accounted for; that protective



regulations act so powerfully on the augmentation of national



wealth。 This prosperity is not a false appearance; like the effects



of restrictions on the trade in mere natural products; it is a



reality。 They are natural powers which are otherwise quite dead 



natural resources which are otherwise quite valueless; which an



agricultural nation calls to life and renders valuable by



establishing a manufacturing power of its own。







    It is an old observation; that the human race; like the various



breeds of animals; is improved mentally and bodily by crossings;



that man; if a few families always intermarry amongst one another;



just as the plant if the seed is always sown in the same soil;



gradually degenerates。 We seem obliged to attribute to this law of



nature the circumstance that among many wild or half…wild tribes in



Africa and Asia; whose numbers are limited; the men choose their



wives from foreign tribes。 The fact which experience shows; that



the oligarchies of small municipal republics; who continually



intermarry among themselves; gradually die out or visibly



degenerate; appears similarly attributable to such a natural law。



It is undeniable that the mixing of two quite different races



results; almost without exception; in a powerful and fine future



progeny; and this observation extends to the mixing of the white



race with the black in the third and the fourth generation。 This



observation seems to confirm more than any other thing the fact;



that those nations which have emanated from a crossing of race



frequently repeated and comprising the whole nation; have surpassed



all other nations in power and energy of the mind and character; in



intelligence; bodily strength; and personal beauty。(2*)



    We think we may conclude from this that men need not



necessarily be such dull; clumsy; and unintellectual beings as we



perceive them to be when occupied in crippled agriculture in small



villages; where a few families have for thousands of years



intermarried only with one another; where for centuries it has



occurred to no one to make use of an implement of a new form; or to



adopt a new method of culture; to alter the style of a single



article of clothing; or to adopt a new idea; where the greatest art



consisted; not in exerting one's bodily and mental powers in order



to obtain as much enjoyment as possible; but to dispense with as



much of it as possible。



    This condition of things is entirely changed (and for the best



purposes of the improvement of race of a whole nation) by



establishing a manufacturing power。 While a large portion of the



increase of the agricultural population goes over into the



manufacturing community; while the agricultural population of



various districts becomes mixed by marriages between one another



and with the manufacturing population; the mental; moral; and



physical stagnation of the population is broken up。 The intercourse



which manufactures and the commerce between various nations and



districts which is based upon them bring about; brings new blood



into the whole nation as well as into separate communities and



families。



    The development of the manufacturing power has no less



important an influence on the improvement of the breeds of cattle。



Everywhere; where woollen manufactures have been established; the



race of sheep has quickly been improved。 Owing to a greater demand



for good meat; which a numerous manufacturing population creates;



the agriculturist will endeavour to introduce better breeds of



cattle。 The greater demand for 'horses of luxury' is followed by



the improvement of the breeds of horses。 We shall then no longer



see those wretched primitive breeds of cattle; horses; and sheep;



which having resulted from the crippled state of agriculture and



everywhere from neglect of crossing of breeds; exhibit a side



spectacle worthy of their clumsy owners。



    How much do the productive powers of the nations already owe to



the importation of foreign breeds of animals and to the improvement



of the native breeds; and how much has yet to be done in this



respect! All the silkworms of Europe are derived from a few eggs;



which (under Constantine) were brought to Constantinople in hollow



sticks; by Greek monks from China; where their exportation was



strictly prohibited。 France is indebted to the importation of the



Thibet goat for a beautiful product of her industry。 It is very



much to be regretted; that hitherto the breeding and improving of



animals has been chiefly carried on in order to satisfy the



requirements of luxury; and not in order to promote the welfare of



the large masses。 The descriptions of travellers show that in some



countries of Asia a race of cattle has been seen which combines



considerable draught power with great swiftness of pace; so that



they can be used with almost the same advantage as horses for



riding and driving。 What immense advantages would such a breed of



cattle confer on the smaller agriculturists of Europe! What an



increase in means of subsistence; productive power; and



convenience; would the working classes
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 4 3
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!