It was before observed, that it is reasonably expected, every Man should, some way or other, maintain himself and Family honestly; and that, to this End, the Affairs of the World must be so wisely constituted in their own Nature, as to furnish sufficient Employment for every Body; since any considerable Defect in this Respect must leave some unimploy'd and consequently without Maintenance: And further, that there is no Employment in the World, but what the People mutually cause each other.
These Employments arise solely out of the several Wants, etc.
of Mankind, which constitute all the various Trades, Professions, and Occupations of Men; to which I will add, and hereafter prove, that these are so wisely proportioned, as fully to employ all that need or will be employed; and therefore these are the natural Foundations of all commerce amongst Mankind and sufficient to subsist them all, if not obstructed by any Means.
All Nations of the World, therefore, should be regarded as one Body of Tradesmen, exercising their various Occupations for the mutual Benefit and Advantage of each other.
A very considerable Part of these Employments relate to maritime Affairs and Commerce, by transporting the Commodities of the several Nations from one Nation to another.
This makes ships needful, which, considering all things that any way relate to them, furnish Employment for a prodigious Part of Mankind; besides the inland Carriage of the Goods which the ships are loaded with, and the Merchants, and Writers, and all the Trades that depend on them; which must needs enable every Nation to support a prodigious Number of Inhabitants, more than the same Territory could support, if there were not this Commerce between the several Nations to employ the People.
Now since Mankind never complained of having too much Trade, but many do really want Business sufficient to get a Livelihood, Prohibitions do, in the very Nature of them, cut off so much Employment from the People, as there would be more, if there were no such Prohibitions. And though this will, I think, chiefly affect the Nations who prohibit the Exportation of their own Commodities, because other Nations will either raise those Things themselves, or substitute something else of their own, if they can't get the same Things from other Nations, which I believe one way or other they almost always may; yet hence 'tis evident, such Prohibitions lessen the Number of Merchants and Ships, with all their Appendages, so far as such Prohibitions can affect them;which undoubtedly must cut off a Livelihood from abundance of People, who therefore must be obliged to seek their Livelihood in domestick Affairs; which being not sufficient to subsist so many People, upon the same Territory, without proportionable maritime Trade, must bring great Inconvenience on such a Nation, for want of so much of this Branch of Employment for the People.
And as other Nations, for want of looking thoroughly into the foundation of the Trade of the World, will certainly make Reprisals by Prohibitions,(9*) as we know they actually do, the Calamity of every Nation, that is no wiser, will increase; since they cut off so much Trade and Employment from Mankind, as these mutual Prohibitions can affect.
But no Inconvenience can arise by an unrestrained Trade, but very great Advantage; since if the Cash of the Nation be decreased by it, which Prohibitions are designed to prevent, those Nations that get the Cash will certainly find every thing advance in Price, as the Cash increases amongst them. And if we, who part with the Money, make our Plenty great enough to make Labour sufficiently cheap, which is always constituted of the Price of Victuals and Drink, our Manufactures, and everything else, will soon become so moderate as to turn the Balance of Trade in our Favour, and thereby fetch the Money back again. Thus Money, on which Trade floats, like a Tide, by ebbing and flowing, will bring vast Business to our People, and furnish them with Employment and Happiness. But all this doth absolutely depend on cultivating such large Tracts of Land, as will make the Plenty great enough to reduce the Price of Labour, and all other Things in consequence thereof, so as to enable us to trade on Terms as reasonable as any other Nation; without which we must shut ourselves in a great Measure out of the foreign Trade of the World; as Merchants very well know, and every body will easily believe; since they that can work cheapest, must and will have the Trade.
