this liberality of Nature? NOT THESE REGIONS, for they are
forced by competition to receive remuneration simply for their labor.
It is MANKIND who is the gainer; for the result of this
liberality is _cheapness_, and cheapness belongs to the world.

Here in the temperate zone, we find coal and iron ore on the surface
of the soil; we have but to stoop and take them. At first, I grant,
the immediate inhabitants profit by this fortunate circumstance. But
soon comes competition, and the price of coal and iron falls, until
this gift of nature becomes gratuitous to all, and human labor is only
paid according to the general rate of profits.

Thus, natural advantages, like improvements in the process of
production, are, or have, a constant tendency to become, under the law
of competition, the common and _gratuitous_ patrimony of consumers, of
society, of mankind. Countries, therefore, which do not enjoy these
advantages, must gain by commerce with those which do; because the
exchanges of commerce are between _labor and labor_, subtraction being
made of all the natural advantages which are combined with these
labors; and it is evidently the most favored countries which can
incorporate into a given labor the largest proportion of these
_natural advantages_. Their produce representing less labor, receives
less recompense; in other words, is _cheaper_. If then all the
liberality of Nature results in cheapness, it is evidently not the
producing, but the consuming country, which profits by her benefits.

Hence we may see the enormous absurdity of the consuming country,
which rejects produce precisely because it is cheap. It is as though
we should say: "We will have nothing of that which Nature gives you.
You ask of us an effort equal to two, in order to furnish ourselves