How easy would it have been for them during the period of theirmaritime supremacy, in combination with the cities of NorthGermany, to have founded a powerful Lower House as a counterpoiseto the aristocracy of the empire, and by means of the imperialpower to have thus brought about national unity -- to have unitedunder one nationality the whole sea-coast from Dunkirk to Riga --and by these means to have won and maintained for the German nationsupremacy in manufactures, commerce, and maritime power.But infact, when the sceptre of the seas fell from their grasp, they hadnot sufficient influence left to induce the German Reichstag toregard their commerce as a matter of national concern.On thecontrary, the German aristocracy did all in their power thoroughlyto oppress these humbled citizens.Their inland cities fellgradually under the absolute dominion of the various princes, andhence their maritime ones were deprived of their inlandconnections.
All these faults had been avoided by England.Her merchantshipping and her foreign commerce rested on the solid basis of hernative agriculture and native industry; her internal tradedeveloped itself in just proportion to her foreign trade, andindividual freedom grew up without prejudice to national unity orto national power: in her case the interests of the Crown, thearistocracy, and the people became consolidated and united in thehappiest manner.
If these historical facts are duly considered, can anyonepossibly maintain that the English could ever have so widelyextended their manufacturing power, acquired such an immeasurablygreat commerce, or attained such overwhelming naval power, save bymeans of the commercial policy which they adopted and pursued? No;the assertion that the English have attained to their presentcommercial eminence and power, not by means of their commercialpolicy, but in spite of it, appears to us to be one of the greatestfalsehoods promulgated in the present century.
Had the English left everything to itself -- 'Laiss?faire etlaiss?aller,' as the popular economical school recommends -- themerchants of the Steelyard would be still carrying on their tradein London, the Belgians would be still manufacturing cloth for theEnglish, England would have still continued to be the sheep-farm ofthe Hansards, just as Portugal became the vineyard of England, andhas remained so till our days, owing to the stratagem of a cunningdiplomatist.Indeed, it is more than probable that without hercommercial policy Eng1and would never have attained to such a largemeasure of municipal and individual freedom as she now possesses,for such freedom is the daughter of industry and of wealth.
