Thecaseinwhichitmaysometimesbeamatterofdeliberationhowfaritispropertocontinuethefreeimportationofcertainforeigngoodsis，whensomeforeignnationrestrainsbyhighdutiesorprohibitionstheimportationofsomeofourmanufacturesintotheircountry。Revengeinthiscasenaturallydictatesretaliation，andthatweshouldimposethelikedutiesandprohibitionsupontheimportationofsomeoralloftheirmanufacturesintoours。Nations，accordingly，seldomfailtoretaliateinthismanner。TheFrenchhavebeenparticularlyforwardtofavourtheirownmanufacturesbyrestrainingtheimportationofsuchforeigngoodsascouldcomeintocompetitionwiththem。InthisconsistedagreatpartofthepolicyofMr。Colbert，who，notwithstandinghisgreatabilities，seemsinthiscasetohavebeenimposeduponbythesophistryofmerchantsandmanufacturers，whoarealwaysdemandingamonopolyagainsttheircountrymen。ItisatpresenttheopinionofthemostintelligentmeninFrancethathisoperationsofthiskindhavenotbeenbeneficialtohiscountry。Thatminister，bythetariffof1667，imposedveryhighdutiesuponagreatnumberofforeignmanufactures。UponhisrefusingtomoderatetheminfavouroftheDutch，theyin1671prohibitedtheimportationofthewines，brandies，andmanufacturesofFrance。Thewarof1672
seemstohavebeeninpartoccasionedbythiscommercialdispute。
ThepeaceofNimeguenputanendtoitin1678bymoderatingsomeofthosedutiesinfavouroftheDutch，whoinconsequencetookofftheirprohibition。ItwasaboutthesametimethattheFrenchandEnglishbeganmutuallytooppresseachother’sindustrybythelikedutiesandprohibitions，ofwhichtheFrench，however，seemtohavesetthefirstexample。Thespiritofhostilitywhichhassubsistedbetweenthetwonationseversincehashithertohinderedthemfrombeingmoderatedoneitherside。In1697theEnglishprohibitedtheimportationofbonelace，themanufactureofFlanders。Thegovernmentofthatcountry，atthattimeunderthedominionofSpain，prohibitedinreturntheimportationofEnglishwoollens。In1700，theprohibitionofimportingbonelaceintoEnglandwastakenoffuponconditionthattheimportanceofEnglishwoollensintoFlandersshouldbeputonthesamefootingasbefore。
Theremaybegoodpolicyinretaliationsofthiskind，whenthereisaprobabilitythattheywillprocuretherepealofthehighdutiesorprohibitionscomplainedof。Therecoveryofagreatforeignmarketwillgenerallymorethancompensatethetransitoryinconveniencyofpayingdearerduringashorttimeforsomesortsofgoods。Tojudgewhethersuchretaliationsarelikelytoproducesuchaneffectdoesnot，perhaps，belongsomuchtothescienceofalegislator，whosedeliberationsoughttobegovernedbygeneralprincipleswhicharealwaysthesame，astotheskillofthatinsidiousandcraftyanimal，vulgarlycalledastatesmanorpolitician，whosecouncilsaredirectedbythemomentaryfluctuationsofaffairs。Whenthereisnoprobabilitythatanysuchrepealcanbeprocured，itseemsabadmethodofcompensatingtheinjurydonetocertainclassesofourpeopletodoanotherinjuryourselves，notonlytothoseclasses，buttoalmostalltheotherclassesofthem。Whenourneighboursprohibitsomemanufactureofours，wegenerallyprohibit，notonlythesame，forthatalonewouldseldomaffectthemconsiderably，butsomeothermanufactureoftheirs。Thismaynodoubtgiveencouragementtosomeparticularclassofworkmenamongourselves，andbyexcludingsomeoftheirrivals，mayenablethemtoraisetheirpriceinthehomemarket。Thoseworkmen，however，whosufferedbyourneighbours’prohibitionwillnotbebenefitedbyours。Onthecontrary，theyandalmostalltheotherclassesofourcitizenswilltherebybeobligedtopaydearerthanbeforeforcertaingoods。Everysuchlaw，therefore，imposesarealtaxuponthewholecountry，notinfavourofthatparticularclassofworkmenwhowereinjuredbyourneighbours’prohibition，butofsomeotherclass。
Thecaseinwhichitmaysometimesbeamatterofdeliberation，howfar，orinwhatmanner，itispropertorestorethefreeimportationofforeigngoods，afterithasbeenforsometimeinterrupted，is，whenparticularmanufactures，bymeansofhighdutiesorprohibitionsuponallforeigngoodswhichcancomeintocompetitionwiththem，havebeensofarextendedastoemployagreatmultitudeofhands。Humanitymayinthiscaserequirethatthefreedomoftradeshouldberestoredonlybyslowgradations，andwithagooddealofreserveandcircumspection。