Corn Laws

Corn Laws by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The work critiques the reliance on foreign grain supplies, arguing that such dependence undermines national self-sufficiency and agricultural integrity. It posits that prioritizing imports over domestic production compromises the essential needs of society for the sake of luxury and comfort. The author contends that once a nation becomes reliant on external sources for vital resources, it faces vulnerability to price manipulation and supply instability. The text emphasizes the intrinsic value of agriculture, asserting that it is not merely a means to an economic end but a fundamental aspect of national identity and well-being. The author warns against the dangers of transforming the populace into a mere workforce for manufacturing, which could foster resentment from foreign competitors and lead to detrimental international relations. The argument extends to the moral implications of economic practices, suggesting that a nation that undermines foreign industries for its gain ultimately harms its own reputation and economic stability. The work advocates for a balanced approach that values both agriculture and manufacturing, promoting a sustainable and self-reliant economy that prioritizes the welfare of its citizens over transient luxuries. In summary, the text presents a robust defense of agricultural policy, urging a reconsideration of economic strategies that favor foreign dependency at the expense of domestic production and societal health. It calls for a recognition of agriculture as a cornerstone of national strength and a necessary component of a well-rounded economy.

By Samuel Taylor Coleridge · First published 1816 · Genre: Political Essay, Economic Critique, Social Commentary · 213 words

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Those who argue that England may safely depend upon a supply of foreign corn, if it grow none or an insufficient quantity of its own, forget that they are subjugating the necessaries of life itself to the mere luxuries or comforts of society. Is it not certain that the price of corn abroad will be raised upon us as soon as it is once known that we _must_ buy? -- and when that fact is known, in what sort of a situation shall we be? Besides this, the argument supposes that agriculture is not a positive good to the nation, taken in and by itself, as a mode of existence for the people, which supposition is false and pernicious; and if we are to become a great horde of manufacturers, shall we not, even more than at present, excite the ill will of all the manufacturers of other nations? It has been already shown, in evidence which is before all the world, that some of our manufacturers have acted upon the accursed principle of deliberately injuring foreign manufactures, if they can, even to the ultimate disgrace of the country and loss to themselves.

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Corn Laws · Samuel Taylor Coleridge · Agriculture · Economics · Trade · Foreign Supply · Manufacturing · National Policy · Food Security · Economic Theory · Social Commentary · Political Philosophy

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