he army on a war footing. Less will answer neither for peace
nor war, for the nation has, in spite of herself, to maintain
henceforth the rank of a first-class military and maritime power, and
take a leading part in political movements of the civilized world, and,
to a great extent, hold in her hand the peace of Europe.

Canning boasted that he had raised up the New World to redress the
balance of the Old: a vain boast, for he simply weakened Spain and gave
the hegemony of Europe to Russia, which the Emperor of the French is
trying, by strengthening Italy and Spain, and by a French protectorate
in Mexico, to secure to France, both in the Old World and the New--a
magnificent dream, but not to be realized. His uncle judged more
wisely when he sold Louisiana, left the New World to itself, and sought
only to secure to France the hegemony of the Old. But the hegemony of
the New World henceforth belongs to the United States, and she will
have a potent voice in adjusting the balance of power even in Europe.
To maintain this position, which is imperative on her, she must always
have a large armed force, either on foot or in reserve, which she can
call out and put on a war footing at short notice. The United States
must henceforth be a great military and naval power, and the old
hostility to a standing army and the old attempt to bring the military
into disrepute must be abandoned, and the country yield to its destiny.

Of the several tendencies mentioned, the humanitarian tendency,
egoistical at the South, detaching the individual from the race and
socialistic at the North, absorbing the individual in the race, is the
most dangerous. The egoistical form is checked, sufficiently weakened
by the defeat of the rebels; but the social form believes that it has
triumphed, and that individuals are effaced in society, and the States
in the Union. Against this, more especially should public opinion and
American statesmanship be now directed, and territorial democracy and
the division of the powers of government be asserted and vigorously
maintained. The danger is that while this socialistic form of democracy
is conscious of itself, the territorial democracy has not yet arrived,
as the Germans say, at self consciousness--_selbsbewusstseyn_--and
operates only instinctively. All the dominant theories and
sentimentalities are against it, and it is only Providence that can
sustain it.

CHAPTER XV.

DESTINY--POLITICAL AND RELI