The Influence of Commerce on Manners

How does commerce influence the people’s manners?

Whenever commerce is introduced into any country, probity and punctuality always accompany it. These virtues are almost unknown in a rude and barbarous country.

Advantages Created by the Commercial System

Of all the European nations, the Dutch are:

• the most commercial, and
• the most faithful to their word.

The English are more so than the Scotch, but much inferior to the Dutch.

In the remote parts of Britain, they are far less so than in its commercial parts.

This is not at all to be imputed to national character, as some pretend. There is no natural reason why an Englishman or a Scotchman should not be as punctual in performing agreements as a Dutchman. It is far more reducible to self-interest.

It is the general principle which:

• regulates every man’s actions
• leads men to act in a certain way from views of advantage, and
• is as deeply implanted in an Englishman as a Dutchman.

A dealer is afraid of losing his character.

• He is scrupulous in observing every engagement.

When a person makes perhaps 20 contracts in a day, he cannot gain so much by trying to impose on his neighbours.

• The very appearance of a cheat would make him lose.

When people seldom deal with one another, they are somewhat disposed to cheat. This is because they can gain more by a smart trick than they can lose by the injury to their character.

Politicians are not the most remarkable men in the world for probity and punctuality.

Ambassadors from different nations are still less so.

• They are praised for any little advantage they can take.
• They pique themselves a good deal on this degree of refinement.

This is because nations treat with each other not more than twice or thrice in a century.

• They may gain more by one piece of fraud, than they lose by having a bad character.

France has had this character with us ever since Lewis 14th’s reign.

• Yet it has never hurt France’s interest or splendour.

But if states were obliged to treat once or twice a day as merchants do, it would be necessary to be more precise, in order to preserve their character.

Wherever dealings are frequent, a man does not expect to gain so much by any one contract, as by probity and punctuality in the whole.

A prudent dealer, who is sensible of his real interest, would rather lose what he has a right to, than give any ground for suspicion.

• Everything of this kind is odious as it is rare.

When most of the people are merchants, they always bring probity and punctuality into fashion.

Therefore, these are the principal virtues of a commercial nation.