he
oppressed subject will glow like the rest with patriotic ardour, and
will decry as dead to duty and honour anyone who points out how perverse
is this helpless allegiance to a government representing no public
interest.

[Sidenote: Exclusive patriotism rational only when the government
supported is universally beneficent.]

In proportion as governments become good and begin to operate for the
general welfare, patriotism itself becomes representative and an
expression of reason; but just in the same measure does hostility to
that government on the part of foreigners become groundless and
perverse. A competitive patriotism involves ill-will toward all other
states and a secret and constant desire to see them thrashed and
subordinated. It follows that a good government, while it justifies this
governmental patriotism in its subjects, disallows it in all other men.
For a good government is an international benefit, and the prosperity
and true greatness of any country is a boon sooner or later to the whole
world; it may eclipse alien governments and draw away local populations
or industries, but it necessarily benefits alien individuals in so far
as it is allowed to affect them at all.

Animosity against a well-governed country is therefore madness. A
rational patriotism would rather take the form of imitating and
supporting that so-called foreign country, and even, if practicable, of
fusing with it. The invidious and aggressive form of patriotism, though
inspired generally only by local conceit, would nevertheless be really
justified if such conceit happened to be well grounded. A dream of
universal predominance visiting a truly virtuous and intelligent people
would be an aspiration toward universal beneficence. For every man who
is governed at all must be governed by others; the point is, that the
others, in ruling him, shall help him to be himself and give scope to
his congenial activities. When coerced in that direction he obeys a
force which, in the best sense of the word, _represents_ him, and
consequently he is truly free; nor could he be ruled by a more native
and rightful authority than by one that divines and satisfies his true
necessities.

[Sidenote: Accidents of birth and training affect the ideal.]

A man's nature is not, however, a quantity or quality fixed unalterably
and _a priori_. As breeding and selection improve a race, so every
experience modifies the individual and offers a changed basis for fu