defence of usury-第13部分

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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　truth；　that　the　tendency　of　them　is　rather　to　pick　the　good　out　from　the　bad？　Thus　much　at　least　may　be　said；　and　it　comes　to　the　same　thing；　that　there　is　one　case　in　which；　be　the　project　what　it　may；　they　may　have　the　effect　of　checking　it；　and　another　in　which　they　can　have　no　such　effect；　and　that　the　first　has　for　its　accompaniment；　and　that　a　necessary　one；　a　circumstance　which　has　a　strong　tendency　to　separate　and　discard　every　project　of　the　injudicious　stamp；　but　which　is　wanting　in　the　other　case。　I　mean；　in　a　word；　the　benefit　of　discussion。　　　　　It　is　evident　enough；　that　upon　all　such　projects；　whatever　be　their　nature；　as　find　funds　sufficient　to　carry　them　on；　in　the　hands　of　him　whose　invention　gave　them　birth；　these　laws　are　perfectly；　and　if　by　this　time　you　will　allow　me　to　say　so；　very　happily；　without　power。　But　for　these　there　has　not　necessarily　been　any　other　judge；　prior　to　experience；　than　the　inventor's　own　partial　affection。　It　is　not　only　not　necessary　that　they　should　have　had；　but　it　is　natural　enough　that　they　should　not　have　had；　any　such　judge：　since　in　most　cases　the　advantage　to　be　expected　from　the　project　depends　upon　the　exclusive　property　in　it；　and　consequently　upon　the　concealment　of　the　principle。　Think；　on　the　other　hand；　how　different　is　the　lot　of　that　enterprize　which　depends　upon　the　good　opinion　of　another　man；　that　other；　a　man　possessed　of　the　wealth　which　the　projector　wants；　and　before　whom　necessity　forces　him　to　appear　in　the　character　of　a　suppliant　at　least：　happy　if；　in　the　imagination　of　his　judge；　he　adds　not　to　that　degrading　character；　that　of　a　visionary　enthusiast　or　an　impostor！　At　any　rate；　there　are；　in　this　case；　two　wits；　set　to　sift　into　the　merits　of　the　project；　for　one；　which　was　employed　upon　that　same　task　in　the　other　case：　and　of　these　two　there　is　one；　whose　prejudices　are　certainly　not　most　likely　to　be　on　the　favourable　side。　True　it　is；　that　in　the　jumble　of　occurrences；　an　over…sanguine　projector　may　stumble　upon　a　patron　as　over…sanguine　as　himself；　and　the　wishes　may　bribe　the　judgment　of　the　one；　as　they　did　of　the　other。　The　opposite　case；　however；　you　will　allow；　I　think；　to　be　by　much　the　more　natural。　Whatever　a　man's　wishes　may　be　for　the　success　of　an　enterprize　not　yet　his　own；　his　fears　are　likely　to　be　still　stronger。　That　same　pretty　generally　implanted　principle　of　vanity　and　self…conceit；　which　disposes　most　of　us　to　over…value　each　of　us　his　own　conceptions；　disposes　us；　in　a　proportionable　degree；　to　undervalue　those　of　other　men。　　　　　Is　it　worth　adding；　though　it　be　undeniably　true；　that　could　it　even　be　proved；　by　ever　so　uncontrovertible　evidence；　that；　from　the　beginning　of　time　to　the　present　day；　there　never　was　a　project　that　did　not　terminate　in　the　ruin　of　its　author；　not　even　from　such　a　fact　as　this　could　the　legislator　derive　any　sufficient　warrant；　so　much　as　for　wishing　to　see　the　spirit　of　projects　in　any　degree　repressed？　The　discouraging　motto；　Sic　vos　non　vobis；　may　be　matter　of　serious　consideration　to　the　individual；　but　what　is　it　to　the　legislator？　What　general；　let　him　attack　with　ever　so　superior　an　army；　but　knows　that　hundreds；　or　perhaps　thousands；　must　perish　at　the　first　onset？　Shall　he；　for　that　consideration　alone；　lie　inactive　in　his　lines？　〃Every　man　for　himself　　but　God；〃　adds　the　proverb　（and　it　might　have　added　the　general；　and　the　legislator；　and　all　other　public　servants）；　〃for　us　all。〃　Those　sacrifices　of　individual　to　general　welfare；　which；　on　so　many　occasions；　are　made　by　third　persons　against　men's　wills；　shall　the　parties　themselves　be　restrained　from　making；　when　they　do　it　of　their　own　choice？　To　tie　men　neck　and　heels；　and　throw　them　into　the　gulphs　I　have　been　speaking　of；　is　altogether　out　of　the　question：　but　if　at　every　gulph　a　Curtius　stands　mounted　and　caparisoned；　ready　to　take　the　leap；　is　it　for　the　legislator；　in　a　fit　of　old…womanish　tenderness；　to　pull　him　away？　laying　even　public　interest　out　of　the　question；　and　considering　nothing　but　the　feelings　of　the　individ