New inventions and improvements in the mere agricultural Stateare of but little value.Those who occupy themselves with suchthings in such a State fall themselves, as a rule, a sacrifice totheir investigations and endeavours, while in the manufacturingState there is no path which leads more rapidly to wealth andposition than that of invention and discovery.Thus, in themanufacturing State genius is valued and rewarded more highly thanskill, and skill more highly than mere physical force.In theagricultural State, however, excepting in the public service, thereverse is almost the rule.
As, however, manufactures operate beneficially on thedevelopment of the mental powers of the nation, so also do they acton the development of the physical power of labour, by affording tothe labourers means of enjoyment, inducements to exert theirpowers, and opportunities for making use of them.It is anundisputed observation, that in flourishing manufacturing Statesthe workman, irrespective of the aid which he obtains from bettermachinery and tools, accomplishes a far larger day's work than inmere agricultural countries.
Moreover, the circumstance that in manufacturing States thevalue of time is recognised much more than in agricultural States,affords proof of the higher standing in the former of the power oflabour.The degree of civilisation of a nation and the value of itslabour power cannot be estimated more accurately than according tothe degree of the value which it attributes to time.The savagelies for days idle in his hut.How can the shepherd learn toestimate the value of time, to whom time is simply a burden whichhis pastoral pipe or sleep alone makes tolerable to him? How can aslave, a serf, a peasant, subject to tributes of forced labour,learn to value time, he to whom labour is penalty, and idlenessgain? Nations only arrive at the recognition of the value of timethrough industry.At present time gained brings gain of profit;loss of time, loss of profit.The zeal of the manufacturer toutilise his time in the highest possible degree imparts itself tothe agriculturist.Through the increased demand for agriculturalproducts caused by manufactures, the rent and therefore the valueof land is raised, larger capital is employed in cultivating it,profits are increased, a larger produce must be obtained from thesoil in order to be able to provide for the increased rent andinterest of capital, and for the increased consumption.One is ina position to offer higher wages, but one also requires more workto be done.The workman begins to feel that he possesses in hisbodily powers, and in the skill with which he uses them, the meansof improving his condition.He begins to comprehend why theEnglishman says, 'Time is money.'
Owing to the isolation in which the agriculturist lives, and tohis limited education, he is but little capable of adding anythingto general civilisation or learning to estimate the value ofpolitical institutions, and much less still to take an active partin the administration of public affairs and of justice, or todefend his liberty and rights.Hence he is mostly in a state ofdependence on the landed proprietor.Everywhere merely agriculturalnations have lived in slavery, or oppressed by despotism,feudalism, or priestcraft.The mere exclusive possession of thesoil gave the despot, the oligarchy, or the priestly caste a powerover the mass of the agricultural population, of which the lattercould not rid themselves of their own accord.
Under the powerful influence of habit, everywhere among merelyagricultural nations has the yoke which brute force or superstitionand priestcraft imposed upon them so grown into their very flesh,that they come to regard it as a necessary constituent of their ownbody, as a condition of their very existence.
On the other hand, the separation and variety of the operationsof business, and the confederation of the productive powers, presswith irresistible force the various manufacturers towards oneanother.Friction produces sparks of the mind, as well as those ofnatural fire.Mental friction, however, only exists where peoplelive together closely, where frequent contact in commercial,scientific, social, civil, and political matters exists, wherethere is large interchange both of goods and ideas.The more menlive together in one and the same place, the more every One ofthese men depends in his business on the co-operation of allothers, the more the business of every one of these individualsrequires knowledge, circumspection, education, and the less thatobstinacy, lawlessness, oppression and arrogant opposition tojustice interfere with the exertions of all these individuals andwith the objects at which they aim, so much the more perfect willthe civil institutions be found, so much larger will be the degreeof liberty enjoyed, so much more opportunity will be given forself-improvement and for co-operation in the improvement of others.
Therefore liberty and civilisation have everywhere and at all timesemanated from towns; in ancient times in Greece and Italy; in theMiddle Ages in Italy, Germany, belgium, and Holland; later on inEngland, and still more recently in North America and France.
