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Massachusetts (Massachusetts, United States) (search for this): entry 1598
ors, by peoples not only homogeneous, but characterized within by the existence among their members of a quick sympathy and easy neighborly knowledge of each other. Not foreseeing steam and electricity or the diffusion of news and knowledge which we have witnessed, our fathers were right in thinking it impossible for the government which they had founded to spread without strain or break over the whole of the continent. Were not California now as near neighbor to the Atlantic States as Massachusetts then was to New York, national self-government on our present scale would assuredly hardly be possible, or conceivable even. Modern science, scarcely less than our pliancy and steadiness in political habit, may be said to have created the United States of to-day. Upon some aspects of this growth it is very pleasant to dwell, and very profitable. It is significant of a strength which it is inspiring to contemplate. The advantages of bigness accompanied by abounding life are many and
Switzerland (Switzerland) (search for this): entry 1598
mories of the year 1789 are as far as possible removed from the memories which Europe retains of that pregnant year. We manifested 100 years ago what Europe lost, namely, selfcommand, self-possession. Democracy in Europe, outside of closeted Switzerland, has acted always in rebellion, as a destructive force: it can scarcely be said to have had, even yet, any period of organic development. It has built such temporary governments as it has had opportunity to erect on the old foundations and outo the man. Monarchies may be made, but democracies must grow. It is a deeply significant fact, therefore, again and again to be called to mind, that only in the United States, in a few other governments begotten of the English race, and in Switzerland, where old Teutonic habit has had the same persistency as in England, have examples yet been furnished of successful democracy of the modern type. England herself is close upon democracy. Her backwardness in entering upon its full practice i
Maine (Maine, United States) (search for this): entry 1598
les, less justified in it than are our own. One cannot help marvelling that facts so obvious as these should have escaped the perception of some of the sagest thinkers and most thorough historical scholars of our day. Yet so it is. Sir Henry Maine, even, the great interpreter to Englishmen of the historical forces operative in law and social institutions, has utterly failed, in his plausible work on Popular government, to distinguish the democracy, or rather the popular government, of the that the admiration for our institutions which has during the past few years so suddenly grown to large proportions among publicists abroad is almost all of it directed to the restraints we have effected upon the action of government. Sir Henry Maine thought our federal Constitution an admirable reservoir, in which the mighty waters of democracy are held at rest, kept back from free destructive course. Lord Rosebery has wondering praise for the security of our Senate against usurpation of it
France (France) (search for this): entry 1598
ave co-operated with systematic popular education to accomplish this diffusion. The progress of popular education and the progress of democracy have been inseparable. The publication of their great encyclopaedia by Diderot and his associates in France in the last century, was the sure sign of the change that was setting in. Learning was turning its face away from the studious few towards the curious many. The intellectual movement of the modern time was emerging from the narrow courses of schted States, we are at once made aware that there is no communion between their democracy and the radical thought and restless spirit called by that name in Europe. There is almost nothing in common between popular outbreaks such as took place in France at her great Revolution and the establishment of a government like our own. Our memories of the year 1789 are as far as possible removed from the memories which Europe retains of that pregnant year. We manifested 100 years ago what Europe lost,
America (Netherlands) (search for this): entry 1598
tand in the dusty matterof-fact world of to-day, there is a touch of pathos in recollections of the ardor for democratic liberty that filled the air of Europe and America a century ago with such quickening influences. We may sometimes catch ourselves regretting that the inoculations of experience have closed our systems against th out a history— inventing nothing, only establishing a specialized species of English government; that we founded, not democracy, but constitutional government in America. 3. That the government which we thus set up in a perfectly normal manner has nevertheless changed greatly under our hands, by reason both of growth and of theor a season to the throne, but securing almost as little as ever of that every-day local self-government which lies so near to the heart of liberty. Democracy in America, on the other hand, and in the English colonies has had, almost from the first, a truly organic growth. There was nothing revolutionary in its movements; it had
Tippecanoe (Indiana, United States) (search for this): entry 1598
Greece and Rome which haunted all our earlier and even some of our more mature years. Recall, too, that familiar story of Daniel Webster which tells of his coming home exhausted from an interview with the first President-elect Harrison, whose Secretary of State he was to be, and explaining that he had been obliged in the course of the conference, which concerned the inaugural address about to be delivered, to kill nine Roman consuls whom it had been the intention of the good conqueror of Tippecanoe publicly to take into office with him. The truth is that we long imagined ourselves related in some unexplained way to all ancient republicans. Strangely enough, too, we at the same time accepted the quite incompatible theory that we were related also to the French philosophical radicals. We claimed kinship with democrats everywhere— with all democrats. We can now scarcely realize the atmosphere of such thoughts. We are no longer wont to refer to the ancients or to the French for san
Duluth (Minnesota, United States) (search for this): entry 1598
ry pleasant to dwell, and very profitable. It is significant of a strength which it is inspiring to contemplate. The advantages of bigness accompanied by abounding life are many and invaluable. It is impossible among us to hatch in a corner any plot which will affect more than a corner. With life everywhere throughout the continent, it is impossible to seize illicit power over the whole people by seizing any central offices. To hold Washington would be as useless to a usurper as to hold Duluth. Self-government cannot be usurped. A French writer has said that the autocratic ascendency of Andrew Jackson illustrated anew the long-credited tendency of democracies to give themselves over to one hero. The country is older now than it was when Andrew Jackson delighted in his power, and few can believe that it would again approve or applaud childish arrogance and ignorant arbitrariness like his; but even in his case, striking and ominous as it was, it must not be overlooked that he w
California (California, United States) (search for this): entry 1598
retains its self-possession, must be governments by neighbors, by peoples not only homogeneous, but characterized within by the existence among their members of a quick sympathy and easy neighborly knowledge of each other. Not foreseeing steam and electricity or the diffusion of news and knowledge which we have witnessed, our fathers were right in thinking it impossible for the government which they had founded to spread without strain or break over the whole of the continent. Were not California now as near neighbor to the Atlantic States as Massachusetts then was to New York, national self-government on our present scale would assuredly hardly be possible, or conceivable even. Modern science, scarcely less than our pliancy and steadiness in political habit, may be said to have created the United States of to-day. Upon some aspects of this growth it is very pleasant to dwell, and very profitable. It is significant of a strength which it is inspiring to contemplate. The advan
Europe (search for this): entry 1598
should regulate its conduct— in the crisis of Europe, as Sydney Smith said, he safely brought the c for democratic liberty that filled the air of Europe and America a century ago with such quickeningish constitutional government. If we suffered Europe to study our institutions as instances in poinght and restless spirit called by that name in Europe. There is almost nothing in common between poar as possible removed from the memories which Europe retains of that pregnant year. We manifested y, selfcommand, self-possession. Democracy in Europe, outside of closeted Switzerland, has acted aline, from English experience rather than from European thought; while it is evident that our institu, year after year, pours into the country from Europe. Our own temperate blood, schooled to self-poo preserve and freshly adjust our government. Europe has sent her habits to us, and she has sent alwell as by reason of our vast immigration from Europe. What, now, are the new problems which have b[4 more...]
United States (United States) (search for this): entry 1598
Democracy in the United States, character of. by courtesy of Messrs. Charles Scribner's Sons. Prof. Woodrow Wilson of Princeton University (Professor of Jurment of the men to whom we owe the establishment of our institutions in the United States, we are at once made aware that there is no communion between their democraant fact, therefore, again and again to be called to mind, that only in the United States, in a few other governments begotten of the English race, and in Switzerlan pliancy and steadiness in political habit, may be said to have created the United States of to-day. Upon some aspects of this growth it is very pleasant to dwells, we have been able to rear colossal structures like the government of the United States as easily as the ancients gave political organization to a city; and our grfe. An acute English historical scholar has said that the Americans of the United States are a nation because they once obeyed a king; we shall remain a nation only
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