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list2-第48部分
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hence cannot serve as articles for a distant trade。
Owing to the limited market and the limited demand for such
products; no inducement for storing them or for the accumulation of
capital exists。 Hence the capital devoted by mere agricultural
nations to internal commerce is almost nil; hence all articles of
production; which depend especially on good or bad weather; are
subject to extraordinary fluctuation in prices; hence the danger of
scarcity and famine is therefore greater the more any nation
restricts itself to agriculture。
The internal commerce of a nation mainly arises in consequence
of and in proportion to the activity of its internal manufactures;
of the improved means of transport called forth by them; and of the
increase of population; and attains an importance which is ten to
twenty fold greater than the internal trade of a merely
agricultural nation; and five to ten fold that of the most
flourishing foreign trade。 If anyone will compare the internal
commerce of England with that of Poland or Spain; he will find this
observation confirmed。
The foreign commerce of agricultural nations of the temperate
zone; so long as it is limited to provisions and raw materials;
cannot attain to importance。
Firstly; because the exports of the agricultural nation are
directed to a few manufacturing nations; which themselves carry on
agriculture; and which indeed; because of their manufactures and
their extended commerce; carry it on on a much more perfect system
than the mere agricultural nation; that export trade is therefore
neither certain nor uniform。 The trade in mere products is always
a matter of extraordinary speculation; whose benefits fall mostly
to the speculating merchants; but not to the agriculturists or to
the productive power of the agricultural nation。
Secondly; because the exchange of agricultural products for
foreign manufactured goods is liable to be greatly interrupted by
the commercial restrictions of foreign states and by wars。
Thirdly; because the export of mere products chiefly benefits
countries which are situated near sea coasts and the banks of
navigable rivers; and does not benefit the inland territory; which
constitutes the greater part of the territory of the agricultural
nation。
Fourthly and finally; because the foreign manufacturing nation
may find it to its interest to procure its means of subsistence and
raw materials from other countries and newly formed colonies。
Thus the export of German wool to England is diminished by
importations into England from Australia; the exports of French and
German wines to England by importations from Spain; Portugal;
Sicily; the Spanish and Portuguese islands; and from the Cape; the
exports of Prussian timber by importations from Canada。
In fact; preparations have already been made to supply England
with cotton chiefly from the East Indies。 If the English succeed in
restoring the old commercial route; if the new State of Texas
becomes strong; if civilisation in Syria and Egypt; in Mexico and
the South American states progresses; the cotton planters of the
United States will also begin to perceive that their own internal
market will afford them the safest; most uniform; and constant
demand。
In temperate climates; by far the largest part of a nation's
foreign commerce originates in its internal manufactures; and can
only be maintained and augmented by means of its own manufacturing
power。
Those nations only which produce all kinds of manufactured
goods at the cheapest prices; can have commercial connections with
the people of all climates and of every degree of civilisation; can
supply all requirements; or if they cease; create new ones; can
take in exchange every kind of raw materials and means of
subsistence。 Such nations only can freight ships with a variety of
objects; such as are required by a distant market which has no
internal manufactured goods of its own。 Only when the export
freights themselves suffice to indemnify the voyage; can ships be
loaded with less valuable return freights。
The most important articles of importation of the nations of
the temperate zone consist in the products of tropical climates; in
sugar; coffee; cotton; tobacco; tea; dye stuffs; cacao; spices; and
generally in those articles which are known under the name of
colonial produce。 By far the greatest part of these products is
paid for with manufactured goods。 In this interchange chiefly
consists the cause of the progress of industry in manufacturing
Countries of the temperate zone; and of the progress of
civilisation and production in the countries of the torrid zone。
This constitutes the division of labour; and combination of the
powers of production to their greatest extent; as these never
existed in ancient times; and as they first originated from the
Dutch and English。
Before the discovery of the route round the Cape; the East
still far surpassed Europe in manufactures。 Besides the precious
metals and small quantities of cloth; linen; arms; iron goods; and
some fabrics of luxury; European articles were but little used
there。 The transport by land rendered both inward and outward
conveyance expensive。 The export of ordinary agricultural products
and common manufactured goods; even if they had been produced in
excess; in exchange for the silks and cotton stuffs; sugar; and
spices; of the East; could not be hoped for。 Whatever we may;
therefore; read of the importance of Oriental commerce in those
times; must always be understood relatively; it was important only
for that time; but unimportant compared with what it is now。
The trade in the products of the torrid zone became more
important to Europe through the acquisition of larger quantities of
the precious metals in the interior and from America; and through
the direct intercourse with the East by the route round the Cape。
It could not; however; attain to universal importance as long as
the East produced more manufactured goods than she required。
This commerce attained its present importance through the
colonisation of Europeans in the East and West Indies; and in North
and South America through the transplantation of the sugar cane; of
the coffee tree; of cotton; rice; indigo; &c。; through the
transportation of negroes as slaves to America and the West Indies;
then through the successful competition of the European with the
East Indian manufacturers; and especially through the extension of
the Dutch and English sovereignty in foreign parts
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