PART V. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS. BASTIAT, in his 'Harmonies of Political Economy,' comences his 'Concluding Observations,' thus: "In the first part of this Work-alas! too hastily ritten--I have endeavored to keep the reader's attenon fixed upon the line of demarcation, always flexible, ut always marked, which separates the two regions of e economic world-natural co-operation, and human bor-the bounty of God, and the work of man—the ratuitous, and the onerous-that which in exchange is munerated, and that which is transferred without reuneration-aggregate utility, and the fractional and pplementary utility which constitutes value-absolute ealth, and relative wealth-the co-operation of chemil or mechanical forces, constrained to aid.production the instruments which render them available, and e just recompense of the labor which has created ese instruments themselves-Community, and Prorty." It would be hardly possible to find more appropriate rds than these are, for commencing the Concluding servations to the present imperfect work. The Author, too, has endeavored to keep the reader's ention fixed upon the line of demarcation between man labor, and its results through the bounty of God;-to preserve the marked distinction between labor and property, and also to preserve the just recompense of the labor which has created-Community and Property. Bastiat has marked these two orders of phenomena : he has also described their relations, and their harmonious evolutions. But he has left to others the task of showing their application to the practical purposes of the social government of mankind. No one more than the Author wishes that this task had fallen into hands more capable than his. As already noticed, he had undertaken it long before the name of this great Master was known to him. But be entered on his further attempt to elucidate these views with renewed confidence, and he submits the present result with an assured conviction that there are not wanting, in this country, and in other countries, good and able men who will hold fast, and follow out, the great economical truth here advocated;-namely, that it is unjust and unwise to tax the laborer in his own labor, or the trader in his own trade, until he has realised the fair reward of his industry, and skill. He too, like Bastiat, has "essayed to explain how the business of Property consists in conquering utility for the human race, and, casting it into the domain of Community, to move on to new conquests-so that each given effort, and consequently the aggregate of efforts, should continually be delivering over to mankind satisfactions which are always increasing." But he has gone further. He has essayed to show how human services, fairly exchanged, while preserving their relative value, may be made productive of an always increasing proportion of utility, which is gratuitous, and, therefore, common; and that in this consists, what may be truly called, progress—the progress of a nation in |