stood, however, that no prophecy of any such consummate
moment has been made. Something of the kind may happen, in case the
American or any other democracy seeks patiently and intelligently to
make good a complete and a coherent democratic ideal. For better or
worse, democracy cannot be disentangled from an aspiration toward human
perfectibility, and hence from the adoption of measures looking in the
direction of realizing such an aspiration. It may be that the attempt
will not be seriously made, or that, if it is, nothing will come of it.
Mr. George Santayana concludes a chapter on "Democracy" in his "Reason
in Society" with the following words: "For such excellence to grow
general mankind must be notably transformed. If a noble and civilized
democracy is to subsist, the common citizen must be something of a saint
and something of a hero. We see, therefore, how justly flattering and
profound, and at the same time how ominous, was Montesquieu's saying
that the principle of democracy is virtue." The principle of democracy
_is_ virtue, and when we consider the condition of contemporary
democracies, the saying may seem to be more ominous than flattering. But
if a few hundred years from now it seems less ominous, the threat will
be removed in only one way. The common citizen can become something of a
saint and something of a hero, not by growing to heroic proportions in
his own person, but by the sincere and enthusiastic imitation of heroes
and saints, and whether or not he will ever come to such imitation will
depend upon the ability of his exceptional fellow-countrymen to offer
him acceptable examples of heroism and saintliness.

INDEX

A

Abolitionism,
the good American democratic view of, 49;
belief of supporters of, regarding slavery, 78-79;
a just estimate of work of, 80-81;
perverted conception of democracy held by party of, 80-81, 86;
baleful spirit of, inherited by Republicans, and its later effects, 95;
was the one practical result of the struggle of American intelligence
for emancipation, during the Middle Period, 422;
strength and weakness of the intellectual ferment shown by, 423.

Administrative reform in states, 333 ff.

"Admirable Crichton,"
trait of the English character illustrated by, 14.

Africans,
as proper subjects for colonizing, 259.

Agricultural community,
the Middle West at first primarily a, 62-63;
passage from, into an urban and industrial communit