[81] 'Cabanis' (_Rapports du Physique et du Moral_, p. 313) says, 'Dans les temps et dans les pays froids on mange et l'on agit davantage.' That much food is eaten in cold countries, and little in hot ones, is mentioned by numerous travellers, none of whom are aware of the cause. See _Simpson's Discov. on North Coast of America_, p. 218; _Custine's Russie_, vol. iv. p. 66; _Wrangel's Expedition_, pp. 21, 327; _Crantz_, _History of Greenland_, vol. i. pp. 145, 360; _Richardson's Central Africa_, vol. ii. p. 46; _Richardson's Sahara_, vol. i. p. 137; _Denham's Africa_, p. 37; _Journal of Asiatic Society_, vol. v. p. 144, vol. viii. p. 188; _Burckhardt's Travels in Arabia_, vol. ii. p. 265; _Niebuhr_, _Description de l'Arabie_, p. 45; _Ulloa's Voyage to South America_, vol. i. pp. 403, 408; _Journal of Geograph. Society_, vol. iii. p. 283, vol. vi. p. 85, vol. xix. p. 121; _Spix and Martius's Travels in Brazil_, vol. i. p. 164; _Southey's History of Brazil_, vol. iii. p. 848; _Volney_, _Voyage en Syrie et en Egypte_, vol. i. pp. 379, 380, 460; _Low's Sarawak_, p. 140.
Applying now this great principle to the general course of history, we shall find proofs of its accuracy in every direction. Indeed, there is not a single instance to the contrary. In Asia, in Africa, and in America, all the ancient civilizations were seated in hot climates; and in all of them the rate of wages was very low, and therefore the condition of the labouring classes very depressed. In Europe, for the first time, civilization arose in a colder climate: hence the reward of labour was increased, and the distribution of wealth rendered more equal than was possible in countries where an excessive abundance of food stimulated the growth of population. This difference produced, as we shall presently see, many social and political consequences of immense importance. But before discussing them, it may be remarked that the only apparent exception to what has been stated is one which strikingly verifies the general law. There is one instance, and only one, of a great European people possessing a very cheap national food. This people, I need hardly say, are the Irish. In Ireland the labouring classes have for more than two hundred years been principally fed by potatoes, which were introduced into their country late in the sixteenth, or early in the seventeenth century.[82] Now, the peculiarity of the potato is, that until the appearance of the late disease, it was and perhaps still is, cheaper than any other food equally wholesome. If we compare its reproductive power with the amount of nutriment contained in it, we find that one acre of average land sown with potatoes will support twice as many persons as the same quantity of land sown with wheat.[83] The consequence is, that in a country where men live on potatoes, the population will, if other things are tolerably equal, increase twice as fast as in a country where they live on wheat. And so it has actually occurred. Until a very few years ago, when the face of affairs was entirely altered by pestilence and emigration, the population of Ireland was, in round numbers, increasing annually three per cent.; the population of England during the same period increasing one and a half per cent.[84] The result was, that in these two countries the distribution of wealth was altogether different. Even in England the growth of population is somewhat too rapid; and the labour-market being overstocked, the working classes are not sufficiently paid for their labour.[85] But their condition is one of sumptuous splendour, compared to that in which only a few years ago the Irish were forced to live. The misery in which they were plunged has no doubt always been aggravated by the ignorance of their rulers, and by that scandalous misgovernment which, until very recently, formed one of the darkest blots on the glory of England. The most active cause, however, was, that their wages were so low as to debar them, not only from the comforts, but from the common decencies of civilized life; and this evil condition was the natural result of that cheap and abundant food, which encouraged the people to so rapid an increase, that the labour-market was constantly gorged.[86] So far was this carried, that an intelligent observer who travelled through Ireland twenty years ago, mentioned that at that time the average wages were fourpence a day, and that even this wretched pittance could not always be relied upon for regular employment.[87]