defence of usury-第14节

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ingularity；　as　serving　to　distinguish　a　man　from　other　men。　Even　where　it　requires　no　genius；　no　peculiarity　of　talent；　as　where　it　consists　in　nothing　more　than　the　finding　out　a　new　market　to　buy　or　sell　in；　it　requires　however　at　least　a　degree　of　courage；　which　is　not　to　be　found　in　the　common　herd　of　men。　What　shall　we　say　of　it；　where；　in　addition　to　the　vulgar　quality　of　courage；　it　requires　the　rare　endowment　of　genius；　as　in　the　instance　of　all　those　successive　enterprizes　by　which　arts　and　manufactures　have　been　brought　from　their　original　nothing　to　their　present　splendor？　Think　how　small　a　part　of　the　community　these　must　make；　in　comparison　of　the　race　of　prodigals；　of　that　very　race；　which；　were　it　only　on　account　of　the　smallness　of　its　number；　would　appear　too　inconsiderable　to　you　to　deserve　attention。　Yet　prodigality　is　essentially　and　necessarily　hurtful；　as　far　as　it　goes；　to　the　opulence　of　the　state：　projecting；　only　by　accident。　Every　prodigal；　without　exception；　impairs；　by　the　very　supposition　impairs；　if　he　does　not　annihilate；　his　fortune。　But　it　certainly　is　not　every　projector　that　impairs　his：　it　is　not　every　projector　that　would　have　done　so；　had　there　been　none　of　those　wise　laws　to　hinder　him：　for　the　fabric　of　national　opulence；　that　fabric　of　which　you　proclaim；　with　so　generous　an　exultation；　the　continual　increase；　that　fabric；　in　every　apartment　of　which；　innumerable　as　they　are；　it　required　the　reprobated　hand　of　a　projector　to　lay　the　first　stone；　has　required　some　hands　at　least　to　be　employed；　and　successfully　employed。　When　in　comparison　of　the　number　of　prodigals；　which　is　too　inconsiderable　to　deserve　notice；　the　number　of　projectors　of　all　kinds　is　so　much　more　inconsiderable…and　when　from　this　inconsiderable　number；　must　be　deducted；　the　not　inconsiderable　proportion　of　successful　projectors　　and　from　this　remainder　again；　all　those　who　can　carry　on　their　projects　without　need　of　borrowing　　think　whether　it　be　possible；　that　this　last　remainder　could　afford　a　multitude；　the　reducing　of　which　would　be　an　object；　deserving　the　interposition　of　government　by　its　magnitude；　even　taking　for　granted　that　it　were　an　object　proper　in　its　nature？　　　　　If　it　be　still　a　question；　whether　it　be　worth　while　for　government；　by　its　reason；　to　attempt　to　controul　the　conduct　of　men　visibly　and　undeniably　under　the　dominion　of　passion；　and　acting；　under　that　dominion；　contrary　to　the　dictates　of　their　own　reason；　in　short；　to　effect　what　is　acknowledged　to　be　their　better　judgment；　against　what　every　body；　even　themselves；　would　acknowledge　to　be　their　worse；　is　it　endurable　that　the　legislator　should　by　violence　substitute　his　own　pretended　reason；　the　result　of　a　momentary　and　scornful　glance；　the　offspring　of　wantonness　and　arrogance；　much　rather　than　of　social　anxiety　and　study；　in　the　place　of　the　humble　reason　of　individuals；　binding　itself　down　with　all　its　force　to　that　very　object　which　he　pretends　to　have　in　view？　　Nor　let　it　be　forgotten；　that；　on　the　side　of　the　individual　in　this　strange　competition；　there　is　the　most　perfect　and　minute　knowledge　and　information；　which　interest；　the　whole　interest　of　a　man's　reputation　and　fortune；　can　ensure：　on　the　side　of　the　legislator；　the　most　perfect　ignorance。　All　that　he　knows；　all　that　he　can　know；　is；　that　the　enterprize　is　a　project；　which；　merely　because　it　is　susceptible　of　that　obnoxious　name；　he　looks　upon　as　a　sort　of　cock；　for　him；　in　childish　wantonness；　to　shie　at。　　Shall　the　blind　lead　the　blind？　is　a　question　that　has　been　put　of　old　to　indicate　the　height　of　folly：　but　what　then　shall　we　say　of　him　who；　being　necessarily　blind；　insists　on　leading；　in　paths　he　never　trod　in；　those　who　can　see？　　　　　It　must　be　by　some　distinction　too　fine　for　my　conception；　if　you　clear　yourself　from　the　having　taken；　on　another　occasion；　but　on　the　very　point　in　question；　the　side；　on　which　it　would　be　my　ambition　to　see　you　fix。　　　　　〃What　is　the　species　of　domestic　industry　which　his　capital　can　employ；　and　of　which　the　produce　is　likely　to　be　of　the　greatest　value；　every　individual〃　（you　say（30*））；　〃it　is　evident；　can；　in　his　local　situation；　judge　much　better　than　any　statesman　or　lawgiver　can　do　for　him。　The　statesman；　who　should　attempt　to　direct　private　people　in　what　manner　they　ought　to　employ　their　capitals；　would　not　only　load　himself　with　a　most　unnecessary　attention；　but　assume　an　authority　which　could　safely　be　trusted；　not　only　to　no　single　person；　but　to　no　council　or　senate　whatsoever；　and　which　would　no　where　be　so　dangerous　as　in　the　hands　of　a　man　who　had　folly　and　presumption　enough　to　fancy　himself　fit　to　exercise　it。　　　　　〃To　give　the　monopoly　of　the　home　market　to　the　produce　of　domestic　industry；　in　any　particular　art　or　manufacture；　is　in　some　measure　to　direct　private　people　in　what　manner　they　ought　to　employ　their　capitals；　and　must　in　almost　all　cases　be　either　a　useless　or　a　hurtful　regulation。〃　　Thus　far　you：　and　I　add；　to　limit　the　legal　interest　to　a　rate　at　which　the　carriers　on　of　the　oldest　and　best　established　and　least　hazardous　trades　are　always　glad　to　borrow；　is　to　give　the　monopoly　of　the　money…market　to　those　traders；　as　against　the　projectors　of　new…imagined　trades；　not　one　of　which　but；　were　it　only　from　the　circumstance　of　its　novelty；　must；　as　I　have　already　observed；　appear　more　hazardous　than　the　old。　　　　　These；　in　comparison；　are　but　inconclusive　topics。　I　touched　upon　them　merely　as　affording；　what　appeared　to　me　the　only　shadow　of　a　plea；　that　could　be　brought；　in　defence　of　the　policy　I　am　contending　against。　I　come　back　therefore　to　my　first　ground；　and　beg　you　once　more　to　consider；　whether；　of　all　that　host　of　manufactures；　which　we　both　exult　in　as　the　causes　and　ingredients　of　national　prosperity；　there　be　a　single　one；　that　could　have　existed　at　first　but　in　the　shape　of　a　project。　But；　if　a　regulation；　the　tendency　and　effect　of　which　is　merely　to　check　projects；　in　as　far　as　they　are　projects；　without　any　sort　of　tendency；　as　I　have　shewn；　to　weed　out　the　bad　ones；　is　defensible　in　its　present　state　of　imperfect　efficacy；　it　should　not　only　have　been　defensible；　but　much　more　worthy　of　our　approbation；　could　the　efficacy　of　it　have　been　so　far　strengthened　and　compleated　as　to　have　opposed；　from　the　beginning；　an　unsurmountable　bar　to　all　sorts　of　projects　whatsoever：　that　is　to　say；　if；　stretching　forth　its　hand　over　the　first　rudiments　of　society；　it　had　confined　us；　from　the　beginning。　to　mud　for　our　habitations；　to　skins　for　our　cloathing；　and　to　acorns　for　our　food。　　　　　I　hope　you　may　by　this　time　be　disposed　to　allow　me；　that　we　have　not　been　ill　served　by　the　projects　of　time　past。　I　have　already　intimated；　that　I　could　not　see　any　reason　why　we　should　apprehend　our　being　worse　served　by　the　projects　of　time　future。　I　will　now　venture　to　add；　that　I　think　I　do　see　reason；　why　we　should　expect　to　be　still　better　and　better　served　by　these　projects；　than　by　those。　I　mean　better　upon　the　whole；　in　virtue　of　the　reduction　which　experience；　if　experience　be　worth　any　thing；　should　make　in　the　proportion　of　the　number　of　the　ill…grounded　and　unsuccessful；　to　that　of　the　well…grounded　and　successful　ones。　　　　　The　career　of　art；　the　great　road　which　receives　the　footsteps　of　projectors；　may　be　considered　as　a　vast；　and　perhaps　unbounded；　plain；　bestrewed　with　gulphs；　such　as　Curtius　was　swallowed　up　in。　Each　requires　an　human　victim　to　fall　into　it　ere　it　can　close；　but　when　it　once　closes；　it　closes　to　open　no　more；　and　so　much　of　the　path　is　safe　to　those　who　follow。　If　the　want　of　perfect　information　of　former　miscarriages　renders　the　reality　of　human　life　less　happy　than　this　picture；　still　the　similitude　must　be　acknowledged：　and　we　see　at　once　the　only　plain　and　effectual　method　for　bringing　that　similitude　still　nearer　and　nearer　to　perfection；　I　mean；　the　framing　the　history　of　the　projects　of　time　past；　and　（what　may　be　executed　in　much　greater　perfection　were　but　a　finger　held　up　by　the　hand　of　government）　the　making　provision　for　recording；　and　collecting　and　publishing　as　they　are　brought　forth；　the　race　of　those　with　which　the　womb　of　futurity　is　still　pregnant。　But　to　pursue　this　idea；　the　execution　of　which　is　not　within　my　competence；　would　lead　me　too　far　from　the　purpose。　　　　　Comfortable　it　is　to　reflect；　that　this　state　of　continually…improving　security；　is　the　natural　state　not　only　of　the　road　to　opulence；　but　of　every　other　track　of　human　life。　In　the　war　which　industry　and　ingenuity　maintain　with　fortune；　past　ages　of　ignorance　and　barbarism　form　the　forlorn　hope；　which　has　been　detached　in　advance；　and　made　a　sacrifice　of　for　the　sake　of　future。　The　golden　age；　it　is　but　too　true；　is　not　the　lot　of　the　generation　in　which　we　live：　but；　if　it　is　to　be　found　in　any　part　of　the　track　marked　out　for　human　existence；　it　will　be　found；　I　trust；　not　in　any　part　which　is　past；　but　in　some　part　which　is　to　come。　　　　　But　to　return　to　the　laws　against　usury；　and　their　restraining　influence　on　projectors。　I　have　made　it；　I　hope；　pretty　apparent；　that　these　restraints　have　no　power　or　tendency　to　pick　out　bad　projects　from　the　good。　Is　it　worth　while　to　add；　which　I　think　I　may　do　with　some