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INTERESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 365It is most ungrounded to suppose that because an insularstate issupported by a navy, it is therefore to take no sharein the politicaltransactions of other states. It is certainlyby its navy rendered more secure, but by no means perfectly so. Even with numerous fleets it is not always possible to cover widely-extended coasts and when it is besides;necessary for such a power to defend many and distant possessions, on the preservation of which its existence, or atleast its wealth, depends, the difficulty is greatly increased.It is true, an insular power has not much to fear from thegrowth of one which is powerful only by land but on the;other hand, the danger is doubly increased when this poweris also a naval power, and as such copeswith it In thisrelation stood France and Englandto each other. Theproximity of their situations, the contiguity of their foreignpossessions, the national hatred which for centuries had received constant nourishment, necessarily produced a rivalrysuch as does not and could not exist elsewhere.But when such an insular is atpower the same time acommercial state, there becomes connected with the politicalinterest a commercial one, which will not permitcontinental relations to be neglected.This commercial interestcan have no other objectthan keeping open, and as muchas possible enlarging,the market for the disposalof its merchandise ;and from this necessarily follows a closer alliancewith those nations who will encourage or promote such disposal Prudence forbids indifference to the fortunes of theseallies ;and thus arises of itself the connexion between political and commercial interests. But notwithstanding thetruth of this, it cannot be denied that this connexion has inmodern politicsbeen frequentlyconsidered as more bindingthan it really is. It is sufficiently proved by experience,that the progressof commerce depends immediately on thewants of the buyer and the interest of the seller. Politicalrelations may impede or promote, but they can neither create or destroyit. In countries where the means of communication are, as in Europe, so various and so easy, commerce will find a channel even in the hottest wars, andunder the severest restrictions. Where demand exists onone side, and the love of gain on the other, they easily overcome or evade the impediments thrown in their way by go-