the story of mankind-第50部分

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as　you　can。



2。　Encourage　foreign　trade　in　preference　to　domestic

trade。



3。　Encourage　those　industries　which　change　raw　materials

into　exportable　finished　products。



4。　Encourage　a　large　population；　for　you　will　need　workmen

for　your　factories　and　an　agricultural　community

does　not　raise　enough　workmen。



5。　Let　the　State　watch　this　process　and　interfere　whenever

it　is　necessary　to　do　so。





Instead　of　regarding　International　Trade　as　something

akin　to　a　force　of　nature　which　would　always　obey　certain　natural

laws　regardless　of　man's　interference；　the　people　of　the

sixteenth　and　seventeenth　centuries　tried　to　regulate　their

commerce　by　the　help　of　official　decrees　and　royal　laws　and　financial

help　on　the　part　of　the　government。



In　the　sixteenth　century　Charles　V　adopted　this　Mercantile

System　（which　was　then　something　entirely　new）　and　introduced

it　into　his　many　possessions。　Elizabeth　of　England

flattered　him　by　her　imitation。　The　Bourbons；　especially　King

Louis　XIV；　were　fanatical　adherents　of　this　doctrine　and　Colbert；

his　great　minister　of　finance；　became　the　prophet　of　Mercantilism

to　whom　all　Europe　looked　for　guidance。



The　entire　foreign　policy　of　Cromwell　was　a　practical

application　of　the　Mercantile　System。　It　was　invariably　directed

against　the　rich　rival　Republic　of　Holland。　For　the　Dutch

shippers；　as　the　common…carriers　of　the　merchandise　of　Europe；

had　certain　leanings　towards　free…trade　and　therefore　had

to　be　destroyed　at　all　cost。



It　will　be　easily　understood　how　such　a　system　must　affect

the　colonies。　A　colony　under　the　Mercantile　System　became

merely　a　reservoir　of　gold　and　silver　and　spices；　which　was

to　be　tapped　for　the　benefit　of　the　home　country。　The　Asiatic；

American　and　African　supply　of　precious　metals　and　the　raw

materials　of　these　tropical　countries　became　a　monopoly　of

the　state　which　happened　to　own　that　particular　colony。　No

outsider　was　ever　allowed　within　the　precincts　and　no　native

was　permitted　to　trade　with　a　merchant　whose　ship　flew　a

foreign　flag。



Undoubtedly　the　Mercantile　System　encouraged　the　development

of　young　industries　in　certain　countries　where　there

never　had　been　any　manufacturing　before。　It　built　roads

and　dug　canals　and　made　for　better　means　of　transportation。

It　demanded　greater　skill　among　the　workmen　and　gave　the

merchant　a　better　social　position；　while　it　weakened　the　power

of　the　landed　aristocracy。



On　the　other　hand；　it　caused　very　great　misery。　It　made

the　natives　in　the　colonies　the　victims　of　a　most　shameless

exploitation。　It　exposed　the　citizens　of　the　home　country　to　an

even　more　terrible　fate。　It　helped　in　a　great　measure　to　turn

every　land　into　an　armed　camp　and　divided　the　world　into　little

bits　of　territory；　each　working　for　its　own　direct　benefit；

while　striving　at　all　times　to　destroy　the　power　of　its　neighbours

and　get　hold　of　their　treasures。　It　laid　so　much　stress

upon　the　importance　of　owning　wealth　that　‘‘being　rich''　came

to　be　regarded　as　the　sole　virtue　of　the　average　citizen。　Economic

systems　come　and　go　like　the　fashions　in　surgery　and

in　the　clothes　of　women；　and　during　the　nineteenth　century　the

Mercantile　System　was　discarded　in　favor　of　a　system　of　free

and　open　competition。　At　least；　so　I　have　been　told。







THE　AMERICAN　REVOLUTION



AT　THE　END　OF　THE　EIGHTEENTH　CENTURY

EUROPE　HEARD　STRANGE　REPORTS　OF

SOMETHING　WHICH　HAD　HAPPENED　IN

THE　WILDERNESS；　OF　THE　NORTH　AMERICAN

CONTINENT。　THE　DESCENDANTS

OF　THE　MEN　WHO　HAD　PUNISHED　KING

CHARLES　FOR　HIS　INSISTENCE　UPON　HIS

‘‘DIVINE　RIGHTS''　ADDED　A　NEW　CHAPTER

TO　THE　OLD　STORY　OF　THE　STRUGGLE

FOR　SELF…GOVERNMENT





FOR　the　sake　of　convenience；　we　ought　to　go　back　a

few　centuries　and　repeat　the　early　history　of　the　great

struggle　for　colonial　possessions。



As　soon　as　a　number　of　European　nations　had　been

created　upon　the　new　basis　of　national　or　dynastic　interests；

that　is　to　say；　during　and　immediately　after　the　Thirty

Years　War；　their　rulers；　backed　up　by　the　capital　of

their　merchants　and　the　ships　of　their　trading　companies；

continued　the　fight　for　more　territory　in　Asia；　Africa　and　America。



The　Spaniards　and　the　Portuguese　had　been　exploring　the

Indian　Sea　and　the　Pacific　Ocean　for　more　than　a　century　ere

Holland　and　England　appeared　upon　the　stage。　This　proved

an　advantage　to　the　latter。　The　first　rough　work　had　already

been　done。　What　is　more；　the　earliest　navigators　had　so　often

made　themselves　unpopular　with　the　Asiatic　and　American　and

African　natives　that　both　the　English　and　the　Dutch　were

welcomed　as　friends　and　deliverers。　We　cannot　claim　any

superior　virtues　for　either　of　these　two　races。　But　they　were

merchants　before　everything　else。　They　never　allowed　religious

considerations　to　interfere　with　their　practical　common　sense。

During　their　first　relations　with　weaker　races；　all　European

nations　have　behaved　with　shocking　brutality。　The　English　and

the　Dutch；　however；　knew　better　where　to　draw　the　dine。　Provided

they　got　their　spices　and　their　gold　and　silver　and　their　taxes；

they　were　willing　to　let　the　native　live　as　it　best　pleased　him。



It　was　not　very　difficult　for　them　therefore　to　establish

themselves　in　the　richest　parts　of　the　world。　But　as　soon　as

this　had　been　accomplished；　they　began　to　fight　each　other　for

still　further　possessions。　Strangely　enough；　the　colonial　wars

were　never　settled　in　the　colonies　themselves。　They　were　decided

three　thousand　miles　away　by　the　navies　of　the　contending

countries。　It　is　one　of　the　most　interesting　principles　of　ancient

and　modern　warfare　（one　of　the　few　reliable　laws　of

history）　that　‘‘the　nation　which　commands　the　sea　is　also　the

nation　which　commands　the　land。''　So　far　this　law　has　never

failed　to　work；　but　the　modern　airplane　may　have　changed　it。

In　the　eighteenth　century；　however；　there　were　no　flying　machines

and　it　was　the　British　navy　which　gained　for　England

her　vast　American　and　Indian　and　African　colonies。



The　series　of　naval　wars　between　England　and　Holland　in

the　seventeenth　century　does　not　interest　us　here。　It　ended　as

all　such　encounters　between　hopelessly　ill…matched　powers　will

end。　But　the　warfare　between　England　and　France　（her　other

rival）　is　of　greater　importance　to　us；　for　while　the　superior

British　fleet　in　the　end　defeated　the　French　navy；　a　great　deal

of　the　preliminary　fighting　was　done　on　our　own　American

continent。　In　this　vast　country；　both　France　and　England

claimed　everything　which　had　been　discovered　and　a　lot　more

which　the　eye　of　no　white　man　had　ever　seen。　In　1497　Cabot

had　landed　in　the　northern　part　of　America　and　twenty…seven

years　later；　Giovanni　Verrazano　had　visited　these　coasts。　Cabot

had　flown　the　English　flag。　Verrazano　had　sailed　under　the

French　flag。　Hence　both　England　and　France　proclaimed

themselves　the　owners　of　the　entire　continent。



During　the　seventeenth　century；　some　ten　small　English

colonies　had　been　founded　between　Maine　and　the　Carolinas。

They　were　usually　a　haven　of　refuge　for　some　particular　sect

of　English　dissenters；　such　as　the　Puritans；　who　in　the　year

1620　went　to　New　England；　or　the　Quakers；　who　settled　in

Pennsylvania　in　1681。　They　were　small　frontier　communities；

nestling　close　to　the　shores　of　the　ocean；　where　people　had

gathered　to　make　a　new　home　and　begin　life　among　happier

surroundings；　far　away　from　royal　supervision　and　interference。



The　French　colonies；　on　the　other　hand；　always　remained

a　possession　of　the　crown。　No　Huguenots　or　Protestants　were

allowed　in　these　colonies　for　fear　that　they　might　contaminate

the　Indians　with　their　dangerous　Protestant　doctrines　and

would　perhaps　interfere　with　the　missionary　work　of　the　Jesuit

fathers。　The　English　colonies；　therefore；　had　been　founded

upon　a　much　healthier　basis　than　their　French　neighbours　and

rivals。　They　were　an　expression　of　the　commercial　energy　of

the　English　middle　classes；　while　the　French　settlements　were

inhabited　by　people　who　had　crossed　the　ocean　as　servants　of　the

king　and　who　expected　to　return　to　Paris　at　the　first　possible　chance。



Politically；　however；　the　position　of　the　English　colonies

was　far　from　satisfactory。　The　French　had　discovered　the

mouth　of　the　Saint　Lawrence　in　the　sixteenth　century。　From

the　region　of　the　Great　Lakes　they　had　worked　their　way　southward；

had　descended　the　Mississippi　and　had　built　several　fortifications

along　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　After　a　century　of　exploration；

a　line　of　sixty　French　forts　cut　off　the　English　settlements

along　the　Atlantic　seaboard　from　the　interior。



The　English　land　grants；　made　to　the　different　colonial

companies　had　given　them　‘‘all　land　from　sea　to　sea。''　This

sounded　well　on　paper；　but　in　practice；　British　territory

ended　where　the　line　of　French　fortifications　began。　To　break

through　this　barrier　was　possible　but　it　took　both　men　and

money　and　caused　a　series　of　horrible　border　wars　in　which

both　sides　murdered　their　white　neighbours；　with　the　help　of　the

Indian　tribes。



As　long　as　the　Stuarts　had　ruled　England　there　had　been

no　danger　of　war　with　France。　The　Stuarts　needed　the　Bourbons

in　their　attempt　to　establish　an　autocratic　form　of　government

and　to　break　the　power　of　Parliament。　But　in　1689　the

last　of　the　Stuarts　had　disappeared　from　British　soil　and　Dutch

William；　the　great　enemy　of　Louis　XIV　succeeded　him。　From

that　time　on；　until　the　Treaty　of　Paris　of　1763；　France　and

England　fought　for　the　possession　of　India　and　North　America。



During　these　wars；　as　I　have　said　before；　the　English　navies

invariably　beat　the　French。　Cut　off　from　her　colonies；　France

lost　most　of　her　possessions；　and　when　peace　was　declared；　the

entire　North　American　continent　had　fallen　into　British　hands

and　the　great　work　of　exploration　of　Cartier；　Champlain；　La

Salle；　Marquette　and　a　s