第 2 节
作者:
嘟嘟 更新:2021-04-30 16:07 字数:9322
contribute to render it altogether impossible that they who take
the field should maintain themselves at their own expense。 Those
two causes are; the progress of manufactures; and the improvement
in the art of war。
Though a husbandman should be employed in an expedition;
provided it begins after seed…time and ends before harvest; the
interruption of his business will not always occasion any
considerable diminution of his revenue。 Without the intervention
of his labour; nature does herself the greater part of the work
which remains to be done。 But the moment that an artificer; a
smith; a carpenter; or a weaver; for example; quits his
workhouse; the sole source of his revenue is completely dried up。
Nature does nothing for him; he does all for himself。 When he
takes the field; therefore; in defence of the public; as he has
no revenue to maintain himself; he must necessarily be maintained
by the public。 But in a country of which a great part of the
inhabitants are artificers and manufacturers; a great part of the
people who go to war must be drawn from those classes; and must
therefore be maintained by the public as long as they are
employed in its service。
When the art of war; too; has gradually grown up to be a
very intricate and complicated science; when the event of war
ceases to be determined; as in the first ages of society; by a
single irregular skirmish or battle; but when the contest is
generally spun out through several different campaigns; each of
which lasts during the greater part of the year; it becomes
universally necessary that the public should maintain those who
serve the public in war; at least while they are employed in that
service。 Whatever in time of peace might be the ordinary
occupation of those who go to war; so very tedious and expensive
a service would otherwise be far too heavy a burden upon them。
After the second Persian war; accordingly; the armies of Athens
seem to have been generally composed of mercenary troops;
consisting; indeed; partly of citizens; but partly too of
foreigners; and all of them equally hired and paid at the expense
of the state。 From the time of the siege of Veii; the armies of
Rome received pay for their service during the time which they
remained in the field。 Under the feudal governments the military
service both of the great lords and of their immediate dependants
was; after a certain period; universally exchanged for a payment
in money; which was employed to maintain those who served in
their stead。
The number of those who can go to war; in proportion to the
whole number of the people; is necessarily much smaller in a
civilised than in a rude state of society。 In a civilised
society; as the soldiers are maintained altogether by the labour
of those who are not soldiers; the number of the former can never
exceed what the latter can maintain; over and above maintaining;
in a manner suitable to their respective stations; both
themselves and the other officers of government and law whom they
are obliged to maintain。 In the little agrarian states of ancient
Greece; a fourth or a fifth part of the whole body of the people
considered themselves as soldiers; and would sometimes; it is
said; take a field。 Among the civilised nations of modern Europe;
it is commonly computed that not more than one…hundredth part of
the inhabitants in any country can be employed as soldiers
without ruin to the country which pays the expenses of their
service。
The expense of preparing the army for the field seems not to
have become considerable in any nation till long after that of
maintaining it in the field had devolved entirely upon the
sovereign or commonwealth。 In all the different republics of
ancient Greece; to learn his military exercises was a necessary
part of education imposed by the state upon every free citizen。
In every city there seems to have been a public field; in which;
under the protection of the public magistrate; the young people
were taught their different exercises by different masters。 In
this very simple institution consisted the whole expense which
any Grecian state seems ever to have been at in preparing its
citizens for war。 In ancient Rome the exercises of the Campus
Martius answered the same purpose with those of the Gymnasium in
ancient Greece。 Under the feudal governments; the many public
ordinances that the citizens of every district should practise
archery as well as several other military exercises were intended
for promoting the same purpose; but do not seem to have promoted
it so well。 Either from want of interest in the officers
entrusted with the execution of those ordinances; or from some
other cause; they appear to have been universally neglected; and
in the progress of all those governments; military exercises seem
to have gone gradually into disuse among the great body of the
people。
In the republics of ancient Greece and Rome; during the
whole period of their existence; and under the feudal governments
for a considerable time after their first establishment; the
trade of a soldier was not a separate; distinct trade; which
constituted the sole or principal occupation of a particular
class of citizens。 Every subject of the state; whatever might be
the ordinary trade or occupation by which he gained his
livelihood; considered himself; upon all ordinary occasions; as
fit likewise to exercise the trade of a soldier; and upon many
extraordinary occasions as bound to exercise it。
The art of war; however; as it is certainly the noblest of
all arts; so in the progress of improvement it necessarily
becomes one of the most complicated among them。 The state of the
mechanical; as well as of some other arts; with which it is
necessarily connected; determines the degree of perfection to
which it is capable of being carried at any particular time。 But
in order to carry it to this degree of perfection; it is
necessary that it should become the sole or principal occupation
of a particular class of citizens; and the division of labour is
as necessary for the improvement of this; as of every other art。
Into other arts the division of labour is naturally introduced by
the prudence of individuals; who find that they promote their
private interest better by confining themselves to a particular
trade than by exercising a great number。 But it is the wisdom of
the state only which can render the trade of a soldier a
particular trade separate and distinct from all others。 A private
citizen who; in time of profound peace; and without any
particular encouragement from the public; should spend the
greater part of his time in military exercises; might; no doubt;
both improve himself very much in them; and amuse himself very
well; but he certainly would not promote his own interest。 It is
the wisdom of the state only which can render it for his interest
to give up the greater part of his time to this peculiar
occupation: and states have not always had this wisdom; even when
their circumstances had become such that the preservation of
their existence required that they should have it。
A shepherd has a great deal of leisure; a husbandman; in the
rude state of husbandry; has some; an artificer or manufacturer
has none at all。 The first may; without any loss; employ a great
deal of his time in martial exercises; the second may employ some
part of it; but the last cannot employ a single hour in them
without some loss; and his attention to his own interest
naturally leads him to neglect them altogether。 These
improvements in husbandry too; which the progress of arts and
manufactures necessarily introduces; leave the husbandman as
little leisure as the artificer。 Military exercises come to be as
much neglected by the inhabitants of the country as by those of
the town; and the great body of the people becomes altogether
unwarlike。 That wealth; at the same time; which always follows
the improvements of agriculture and manufactures; and which in
reality is no more than the accumulated produce of those
improvements; provokes the invasion of all their neighbours。 An
industrious; and upon that account a wealthy nation; is of all
nations the most likely to be attacked; and unless the state
takes some new measures for the public defence; the natural
habits of the people render them altogether incapable of
defending themselves。
In these circumstances there seem to be but two methods by
which the state can make any tolerable provision for the public
defence。
It may either; first; by means of a very rigorous police;
and in spite of the whole bent of the interest; genius; and
inclinations of the people; enforce the practice of military
exercises; and oblige either all the citizens of the military
age; or a certain number of them; to join in some measure the
trade of a soldier to whatever other trade or profession they may
happen to carry on。