WHITINGS OF DR. SMITH. XXXXIX

a way lels direct and lefs manifeft, but equallyprejudicial to the ftates that have adopted it.

On this fyftem, as it took its rife from the pre-judices, or rather from the interefted views of mer-cantile {peculators, Mr. Smith bellows the title ofthe Commercial or Mercantile Syftem ; and he hasconiidered at great length its two principal expe-dients for enriching a nation ; reftraints upon im-portation , and encouragements to exportation.Part of thefe expedients, he obferves , have beendictated by the fpirit of monopoly , and part bya fpirit ofjealoufy againftthofe countries with whichthe balance of trade is fuppofed to be difadvan-tageous. All of them appear clearly, from his rea-fonings, to have a tendency unfavorable to thewealth of the nation which impofes them. — Hisremarks with refpedf to thejealoufy of commerceare expreffed in a tone of indignation, which hefeldom alfumes in his political writings.

“ In this manner (fays he) the fneaking arts of<£ underling tradefmen are ere£ted into political“ maxims for the conduif of a great empire. By“ fuch maxims as thefe, nations have been taught“ that their intereft confifted in beggaring all their“ neighbours. Each nation has been made to look“ with an invidious eye upon the profperity of all“ the nations with which it trades, and to confider<{ their gain as its own lofs. Commerce, which

ought naturally to be among nations as among