The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-06 00:00:00

I.NFLUENCE OF INDUSTRY AND
COMMERCE UFON CIVAAJISATION.
(From the French of C. Du pin.)
Commerce can not exitl in any country without in-
:tw]try ; therefore it follous that the fruits of industry
iaust find consumers. But production alone will not con-
:111e industry. Its empire is more extensive, and com-
merce may be considered only as one of the branches by
which it exchanges its products against a representative

value.
If we look fox' a definition of the word industry, we
find that this mother of riches is the instinct which leads
us to invent objects, or new processes necessary to arts
and trades, in order that we may obtain in ex-
change the products of foreign cour.tries, or by culture
of the earth, produce greater abundance. Such.
is industry as we can understand it. This rotation of
The creation of exchange existed in the most
remete ages. It owes its birth to the first na-
tural wants of man ; who worked to obtain the means
of satisfying his wants as we find Abel and Cain did
with their flocks and harvests. The exchanges at that
period were natural or in kind, but they were subse-
quently operated upon by a value which men placed upon
the precious metals, gold and silver, and also copper.
From the moment when these metals represented other
products, a commencement of civilisation was observed.
By this civilisation society was naturally divided into
two classes. The poor having little, and the rich having
much. It followed that the industry of both classes
procured necessaries and superfluities. The establish-
ment of the most industrious upon one geographical
point gave rise to the most remarkable states. Asia,
that mother of great empires and luxury, was not in-
debted for her riches to the pride and conquests of
kings, but to commerce, of which she was the first
theatre. Tyr, or Tyrus the superb, was the fruit of the
commercial industry of the Phoenicians. Carthage had
the same origin ; in short, Greece, after having been
invaded by the Persians, had no ground to fear her
masters, in consequence of the power she could obtain
at all times by her industry. Without wishing to enu-
merate all the nations which existed before, or rose
after the wars of Alexander, we may merely glance at
Marseilles. That colony of merchants carried to Rome
the industry and civilization of Greece, with the riches
of the Gauls and Spain. If, as we must all see, the
birth of several great empires upon geological points,
emanated from industry, their civilisation was moreover
she result of the same influence. England, turbulent
e.-ed cruel beore the discovery of the East Indies, has
siecti become rich, wise, and the mistress of the sea.
Ceminerce and industry have made her one of the great
empires to which we have alluded. Industry, in these
ill present to us one of the motives of the
human mind, which can apply its force to labour and
the sciences. Moreover, its genius surmounts all diffi-
culties---its living image is seen in the bee, culling
Prole all the flowers the pollen which it requires.
But in this march of power industry is often led by
cline° or necessity ; yet, whatever be the cause which
gives birth to the movement, it invariably brings opu-
lence to a country and advancement to civilisation. We
reey add, that its power acts not only upon the first de-
veleprnent of this civilisation, but that it can change the
inerel of a whole nation. For example, the stupid be-
s-oine ingeni,,us, the idle active, and the warrior pacific.
nailer., warlike under Napoleon, is become a new na-
tion. Miiitery, :eel brilliant in glory, she has changed
ber feerels, equelly disastrous for the conqueror and
cell:meted, agaiost the olive crowns, less dazzling, with-
eeit deuht, but far more precious for the people.
‘Vithout offering many examples of this change of
melee! of the people, produced by the influence of
iedest.ry; We may look at Russia. That horde of
;Ad e., .niane (slaves), allied to other hordes of Scan-
Avian,-,,, began by degrees to receive laws
melee Ivan IV. Their political education was
ilsrhe that in the reign of Peter the Great they
chi, +,t ur censidered half savage, when compared with
fee' !e'ele airing nations. That illustrious Monarch enter-
tained the noble design of civilising them. In short, to
ec,:oinplish that obi, ct, he felt that he himself must learn
seeitt others ,vere ignorant of. He quitted his Court ;
11-d into all countries ; visited all factories, and dis-
eee;,s-d his person to gain admittance into dockyards. 'ln
is the greatest Sovereign of Europe was at work
tee ,quare and the axe, receiving lessons in the
eeecei and ihe companion of a crowd of workmen
„L„ I.eowleds^ lie envied and desired to possess. Fur
ith imaruction And useful observations, he re
:ereee ie his empire, united round him learned men and
ere:. ins, whose advice he wished !o fellow, and whom lie
eea, siiteefied to command. He ordered his people to be
enteed, end, to promote civilisation, laid the founds-
lee of e new city ; but death took hire away at the
reemefit when industry flourished at St. Petersburgh,
glvMg to that city the eclat which it possesses at the pre-
t day.
Qui aim,: old Europe, we shall still see civilisation keep
tins pace with industry. The United States of America,
taking advantage of the lights held out by experience,
Lad I) e,i,(1!14,1' conquered and obtained their liberty under
ilr et airierd of 'Washington, than they applied them-
ere io active industry, which has for years been the
reed of :.-hat of England. The last picture we offer is
a stronger pecof of this influence of commerce and
ilelestre. Egypt, formerly so brilliant, and so bar-
baeotis at the present day; and Greece, the country
of the fine arts in ancii times, and latterly that of
servitude, are indebted for the change to the loss of
industry, which fled when oppress.'en subdued the spirit
of the people Since, however, Mehere:.`t Ali has begun
to despi.--e :he brutal system of his prideceesore and
3.1 sonic measure thrown off the yoke of the Otteman
rirevernreent, Egypt may revive, tied prove to its gover-
r.ors the real source et the riches of nations. With re-
.,peet te tile int-I:AI:limit:: of Attica, and the Peloponnessus,
eeviecil not lung s'nee by the ignorance of the Ottoman
Pore, to the most ignoble servitude, they have only had
erielserse to commerce since the commencement of the
present century. By degrees this commerce may pro-
slece riches. The Greeks, under the new state of their
country, con now procure better education for their chil-
diem Man well instructed and industrious cannot avoid
feeliee a noble pride, which must awaken his courage.
is the power of industry on the morals of the
spie, that it will always animate their spirit, however
it, ietly be culled or chained to the yoke of an unjust
oppressive pop/tr.