Thoughts on the mechanism of societies

The scene of this combat does not lie in England; we have seen that there they think of nothing more than to keep the balance even, and make up, as fast as possible, each in his own department, for the injustice granted to the importunity and cupidity of others, without any other inconvenience arising therefrom, than that of having a very large surplus, excessively dear, and that of not being able to procure what is wanted at the lowest rate, nor of the best quality. Even Smuggling, which follows certain regulations, with bludgeons and pistols in hand, cannot produce any great effect on the sum of national labour, though it may perhaps considerably influence the revenue of the Exchequer; it is probable that the smuggler exports as much English work into France as he imports of French work into England; and that, in this respect, the gain of the most fortunate individual comes to very little: my intention is, to speak here of a combat, which has lasted a hundred years between the French fair trader and the American smuggler.

The system of administration adopted under Mons. Sartine, for the French colonies, a system, for which they are indebted to ten years labour of Mr. Malouit, the present Intendant of Toulon, permits us to speak now of that combat, and to descry the dawn of a more serene day, opening upon those colonies; till then, I should not have hesitated to call them unfortunate, in regard to their means, if the private interest of the inhabitants, as well as that of the general-officers, Intendants and Directors of the Domain, (interests never combined but amongst the latter) had not moderated the effects of that dreadful punishment the galleys, denounced at the request of the French merchants, against any one who should presume to import a negro or a cheese from the English islands into the French colonies, however good the one, however industrious the other might be; and whatever advantage might be gained by paying for both in molasses which the planter was obliged to throw away, because the French merchants would not buy it.

It is true, that the humanity of the great smugglers has often suffered the little ones to escape, before or after sentence, (the negro and the cheese being duly seised); and that a dozen of the little smugglers whom the policy of the great ones sacrificed by installments to the clamours of the merchant, were nearly the only victims of that barbarous law, the strict execution of which would have deprived France,

First, Of the fifth part, at least, of the present revenue arising to her from her colonies;

Secondly, Of all those branches of industry to which such an addition of revenue gives constant life;

Thirdly, Of all the profit which the fair trader, the instigator of that barbarous law, gets annually on the importations and exportations which that additional income requires;

Fourthly, Of the duties which the King’s treasury receives directly, or indirectly, from the one and the other; (it is impossible to estimate this article.)

Fifthly, and in fine, of the assistance which the State derives for the Royal navy, from that increase in its trading one, which became necessary after the increase of a revenue, due to people who should have been sent to the galleys, had they been caught in the flagrancy of such a crime. One half of the cotton and coffee which is gathered at St. Domingo, Martinico, Guadaloupe, and Grand Terre above all, owes its existence to negroes, constantly furnished to the French smuggler, both great and small, by the English merchant, the natural, and as it plainly appears, the necessary enemy to France and her trade; the quantity of sugar and indigo which in the said colonies owes its existence to the same means, is much more than necessary to make up that fifth of the revenue, the glory of which may be claimed by the smuggler, though the fair trader comes in for a share in the profits.

Any one desirous to have this fact confirmed, may be informed of it by nine tenths of the French planters, provided they be taught that the time is now come, when every useful truth may be spoken, even with energy, when accompanied by decency. This once ascertained, he is no native of America who will refuse his evidence; an American believes in every thing that is just and reasonable, the very instant that it is pronounced.

I sincerely wish that smuggling might produce in England the same good it has done to the French colonies; this would appear to me very just, and the more so, since it will not be the fault of the British commerce, if that blessed contraband, after having given life to America, does not spread the same animation every where, Great Britain excepted. I have heard an English manufacturer prove at the bar of the House of Lords, that his manufactory was in want of a special patronage, by so much the more, as the size and brittleness of his ware made it a difficult point for him to smuggle it over to the continent, and as a duty of 30 per cent. had been lately laid upon it, in the two countries where it concerned him most to have it exported. Amongst other questions that were put to him, I remarked four, which would have stunned me, had I been in his place. One of these questions was as follows: “Have you not heard that that 30 per cent. of which you complain, was laid in consequence of some prohibitions, or extra duties imposed in England on some articles imported from those very countries which you allude to?” I could make nothing of the manufacturer’s answers; they were so long-winded, they had been so carefully studied, they were so very full of a policy which I do not understand, that it became impossible for me to class them under any heads in my memory.