The situation of Great Britain, the character of her people, and the nature of her government fit her for trade and commerce. Her climate and her soi… - Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke

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The situation of Great Britain, the character of her people, and the nature of her government fit her for trade and commerce. Her climate and her soil make them necessary to her well being. By trade and commerce we grew a rich and powerful nation, and by their decay we are growing poor and impotent. As trade and commerce enrich, so they fortify our country. The sea is our barrier, ships are our fortresses, and the mariners, that trade and commerce alone can furnish, are the garrisons to defend them.