The improved means of internal communication in countries in modern times, have had a consider able effect upon the state of society. In ancient times free states were necessarily small, because when neither the press nor the post existed, that union of sentiment, necessary to control the con duct of men in power, could not be effected among a large population scattered over a wide space. A number of free states sprung up in Greece, because that country, perforated by mountains and arms of the sea, afforded natural means of defence to such small societies as could then exercise the functions necessary to the preservation of freedom. It is a mistake to suppose that, in these states, a greater extent of territory could have been united under one government by adopting the representative sys tem. The resolutions of a body of representatives would command no more respect from a government than those of as many private individuals, if they were not constantly supported by the opinions of the mass of society; and this requires such a rapid and general circulation of intelligence as could not then exist. The small size of the Grecian states was a necessary condition of their freedom ; but it was a serious disadvantage, not only because it lessened the commercial intercourse between the different parts of the country, but because such small com munities had not strength enough to resist a great three from without ; and hence these states fell a prey to the superior power of the Macedonian mo narchy. The whole of the south-west of Europe ex hibits the physical features of Greece upon a larger scale. Its surface is broken into numerous sections by gulfs and mountains, and abounds in natural bar riers. Favoured by these circumstances, the differ ent communities in this quarter of the world in mo dern times, enjoyed a certain degree of independence and security, which hastened their progress in civili zation. Russia, which occupies the only large plain in Europe, has been the last reclaimed from barbarism. So long, however, as the means of communication re mained very imperfect in modern Europe, free go vernments were confined to small states, and the large were abandoned to feudal tyranny or military despotism; but the science of government has gra dually improved, as knowledge, commerce, and the arts, have advanced ; and, at present, the admirable inventions of the post and the press give such an electric rapidity to the circulation of public senti ment, that twenty millions of men could be as easily united in defence of their rights as the small popu lation of Attica, in the time of Xerxes.
he progress of improvement tends to level all distinctions between states, but those founded on the extent of their natural resources. Capital, skill, in telligence, and all acquired advantages, tend to an equilibrium. When Europe was overrun with bar barism, the city of Venice, by its commercial wealth, was a counterpoise to two or three of the great mo narchies of the Continent. Tile discovery of Ame rice, and of a passage by sea to the East Indies, gave a new direction to commerce, and undermined the greatness of that city. The Dutch republic rose by its freedom and industry, and was able, in the time of Charles II. to dispute the empire of the sea with the combined powers of England and France. But England increased her commerce, and improved her constitution, and having a larger and more fer tile territory, as well as a greater population, she at length obtained an ascendancy over Holland, de prived her of the empire of the sea, and stript her of most of her colonies. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Spain and Turkey were the first powers in the west and east of Europe, and in spired their neighbours with the dread of conquest. Sweden ruled with undisputed sway in the north; and Russia, now so formidable, was scarcely known. Spain, under a better government, might recover a part of her influence, but the Turkish empire seems near its dissolution ; and the importance of Sweden and Holland is gone ieretrievably, in consequence of the growing strength of the neighbouring powers.
The extent of territory and immense natural sources of Russia must, in the end, raise her to a de cided superiority over all the other powers of Europe, if the empire does not fall to pieces from its own weight, or get into disorder from the vices of its go vernment. Its progress hitherto has been greatly aided by the personal characters of its sovereigns. If we were to judge merely from the advantages'which different states possess for raising and supporting population, we might predict that, in the course of a century and a half, Russia would rule with uncon trolled sway over the old Continent, and the United States over the new • and that the other states, which now figure in tile first rank in either hemi sphere, would then owe their existence, like the small principalities of Europe at the present day, to the forbearance, or the mutual jealousy of their powerful neighbours. But, in the course of events, many changes may occur to give a different destiny to both Continents.
The number of the inhabitants of Europe has been progressively increasing during last century, slow. ly in the earlier part of the century, but more ra pidly as we approach the present times. Apparent. ly it has been least considerable in Spain, Italy, Stye. den, France, and Germany ; rather greater in Pres. sia, Austria, and the British Isles • and greatest in Russia. Within the last thirty or forty years, the ad.. vance has been very perceptible, even in the coun tries which suffered by the war. When we compare the statements of the populations of the different dis.. tricts of Prussia, Austria, and Germany, as given in Hoeck's Tables, between 1790 and 1799, with those given by Hassel, in 1815, we find an increase almost everywhere. In 1787, Zimmermann estimated the population of Europe at 144,000,000; at present, ac cording to the best authorities, it is about 184,000,000. This exhibits an increase of 40,000,000 in 82 years, which implies an annual augmentation of 7,7 in the 1000, or 1,416,000 persons on the present population; and at this rate the number of inhabitants would double in about 90 years. There is no reason to think that this result differs materially from the true average during this period. In Britain, Russia, Si lesia, and sine other countries, the rate of increase has been still more rapid. The most obvious cause of this increase of population is the increase of pro duction, from the improvement of agriculture and the arts; but part of the effect may be ascribed to the general introduction of potatoes in many coun tries, by which the same portion of ground is made to support three or four times as many persons as it would under corn. In France, where Mr Young, in 1789, found the cultivation of potatoes extremely limited, it is now so much extended, that, accord ing to Chaptal, the annual produce is nearly 20,000,000 hectolitres, or 55,000,000 bushels,—a quantity fully as great in proportion to the popu lation as Mr Colquhoun assigns to Britain and Ire land. This augmentation of does not ap pear to have been accompanied with any deteriora tion in the habits of the people. On the contrary, the diminution in the rate of mortality which has taken place in Britain, France, and Sweden, is a de cisive proof of an improvement in the condition of these countries; and by analogy, we may extend the same conclusion to the other parts of Europe. It may be remarked, that the general extension of commerce, and the accumulation of capital, render a season of scarcity, in a particular country much less destructive now than formerly. In Britain, whose commerce and capital enable her to draw supplies from all parts of the world, the additional mortality, in the most severe scarcity, does not exceed one tenth; but, in Sweden, a poor country, it sometimes amounts to one-third. (Milne's Annuities, p. 400.) In ancient times, when each country depended en tirely on its own produce, the effects of a scarcity were' dreadful.