PARTisans of free trade, we are accused of being theorists, and not.
relying sufficiently upon practice.
What a powerful argument against Mr.Say (says Mr.Ferrier,) is the long succession of distinguished ministers, the imposing league of writers who have all differed from him; and Mr.Say is himself conscious of this, for he says: "It has been said, in support of old errors, that there must necessarily be some foundation for ideas so generally adopted by all nations.

Ought we not, it is asked, to distrust observations and reasoning which run counter to every thing which has been looked upon as certain up to this day, and which has been regarded as undoubted by so many who were to be confided in, alike on account of their learning and of their philanthropic intentions?
This argument is, I confess, calculated to make a profound impression, and might cast a doubt upon the most incontestable facts, if the world had not seen so many opinions, now universally recognized as false, as universally maintain, during a long series of ages, their dominion over the human mind.

The day is not long passed since all nations, from the most ignorant to the most enlightened, and all men, the wisest as well as the most uninformed, admitted only four elements.

Nobody dreamed of disputing this doctrine, which is, nevertheless, false, and to-day universally decried." Upon this passage Mr.Ferrier makes the following remarks: "Mr.Say is strangely mistaken, if he believes that he has thus answered the very strong objections which he has himself advanced.

It is natural enough that, for ages, men otherwise well informed, might mistake upon a question of natural history; this proves nothing.