than then, that even Clement Blaine was not
all bad. He was not even completely a charlatan. He believed he was
justified in making all the money he could, in any way that was
possible. It must be remembered, however, that at that time most people
really thought, whatever they might say, that the first and most obvious
duty in life was to make money for themselves.

Then, too, I think Blaine really believed that the sort of
anti-national, socialistic theories he advocated would make for the
happiness of the people; for the profit and benefit of the majority. He
was blinded by lack of knowledge of history and of human nature. He was
an extreme example, perhaps, but, after all, his mistaken idea that
happiness depended upon personal possession of this and that, upon
having and holding, was very generally accepted at that time. The old
saving sense of duty, love of country, national responsibility, and
pride of race, had faded and become unreal to a people feverishly bent
upon personal gain only. Nelson's famous signal and watchword was kept
alive, in inscriptions; in men's hearts and minds it no longer had any
meaning; it made no appeal. This is to speak broadly, of course, and of
the majority. We had some noble exceptions to the rule.

In looking back now upon that period, it seems to me, as I suppose to
all who lived through it, such a tragedy of confusion, of sordidness,
and of futility, that one is driven to take too sweepingly pessimistic a
view of the time. I have said a good deal of the anti-national
sentiment, because it was undoubtedly in the ascendant then. As history
shows us, this sentiment ruled; by it the ship of state was steered; by
it the defences of the Empire were cut down and down to the ultimate
breaking point. We call the administration of that period criminally
unpatriotic. As such "The Destroyers" must always figure in history. But
we must not forget that then, as now, we English people had as good a
Government as we deserved. The spirit of selfish irresponsibility was
not confined to Whitehall.

On the other hand, it must not be supposed that no patriotic party
existed. There was a patriotic party, and the exigencies of the time
inspired some of its leaders nobly. But the sheer weight of numbers, of
indifference, and of selfishness to which this party was opposed was too
much for it. The best method of realizing this nowadays is by the study
of the newspaper files for the early years of the cent