In contrast with the witty Italian is the illustrious philosopher and
writer of Scotland, Adam Smith, who was born 5th June, 1723, and died
17th July, 1790. His fame is so commanding that any details of life or
works would be out of place. He was thinker and inventor, through whom
mankind was advanced in knowledge.
I say nothing of his “Theory of Moral Sentiments,” constituting an
important contribution to the science of Ethics, but come at once to
his great work of political economy, entitled “An Inquiry into the
Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations,” which first appeared in
1776. Its publication marks an epoch described by Mr. Buckle, when
he says that Adam Smith, “by the publication of this single work,
contributed more towards the happiness of man than has been effected
by the united abilities of all the statesmen and legislators of whom
history has preserved an authentic account.”[495] The work is full
of prophetic knowledge, and especially with regard to the British
Colonies. Writing while the debate with the mother country was still
pending, Adam Smith urged that they should be admitted to Parliamentary
representation in proportion to taxation, so that their representation
would enlarge with their growing resources; and here he predicts
nothing less than the transfer of empire:--
“The distance of America from the seat of government, the
natives of that country might flatter themselves, with
some appearance of reason too, would not be of very long
continuance. Such has hitherto been the rapid progress of that
country in wealth, population, and improvement, that, in the
course of little more than a century, perhaps, the produce of
American might exceed that of British taxation. _The seat of
the empire would then naturally remove itself to that part of
the empire which contributed most to the general defence and
support of the whole._”[496]
In these tranquil words of assured science the great author carries the
seat of government across the Atlantic.
Did Adam Smith in this remarkable passage do more than follow a hint
from our own prophet? The prophecy of the great economist first
appeared in 1776. In the course of 1774, and down to April 19, 1775,
John Adams published in the “Boston Gazette” a series of weekly
articles, under the signature of “Novanglus,” which were abridged in
Almon’s “Remembrancer” for 1775, with the following title: “History of
the Dispute with America, from its Origin in 1754 to the Present Time.”
Although this abridged edition stops before the prophetic passage, it
is not impossible that the whole series was known to Adam Smith. After
speculating, as the latter did afterwards, on the extension of the
British Constitution and Parliamentary representation to the outlying
British dominions, our prophet says:--
“If in twenty years more America should have six millions of
inhabitants, as there is a boundless territory to fill up, she
must have five hundred representatives. Upon these principles,
if in forty years she should have twelve millions, a thousand;
and if the inhabitants of the three kingdoms remain as they
are, being already full of inhabitants, what will become of
your supreme legislative? _It will be translated, crown and
all, to America._ This is a sublime system for America. It will
flatter those ideas of independency which the Tories impute
to them, if they have any such, more than any other plan of
independency that I have ever heard projected.”[497]
Thus plainly was John Adams precursor of Adam Smith.
In 1784 these papers were reprinted from the “Remembrancer,” by
Stockdale, in London, bearing the same title, substantially, as before,
“History of the Dispute with America, from its Origin in 1754,” with
the addition, “Written in the Year 1774, by John Adams, Esq.” The
“Monthly Review,” in a notice of the publication, after speaking of
“the inauspicious system of American taxation,” says, “Mr. Adams
foretold the consequence of obstinately adhering to it, and the event
hath too well verified his predictions. They were, however, predictions
which required no inspiration.”[498] So that his wise second-sight was
recognized in England much beyond the prevision of Adam Smith.
The idea of transferring the seat of government to America was often
attributed to Franklin by Dean Tucker. The former, in a letter, as
early as 25th November, 1767, reports the Dean as saying, “That is his
constant plan.”[499] In one of his tracts, the Dean attributes it not
only to Franklin, but also to our people. With strange exaggeration he
says: “It has been the unanimous opinion of the North Americans for
these fifty years past, that the seat of empire ought to be transferred
from the lesser to the greater country,--that is, from England to
America, or, as Dr. Franklin elegantly phrased it, from the cock-boat
to the man-of-war.”[500] It is impossible to say how much of this was
from the excited brain of the Dean.