peace of the world will ultimately be secured.
Illustrations from the early struggles of European
civilization with outer barbarism, and with aggressive
civilizations of lower type. Greece and Persia.
Keltic and Teutonic enemies of Rome. The defensible
frontier of European civilization carried northward
and eastward to the Rhine by Caesar; to the Oder by
Charles the Great; to the Vistula by the Teutonic Knights;
to the Volga and the Oxus by the Russians. Danger
in the Dark Ages from Huns and Mongols on the one
hand, from Mussulmans on the other. Immense increase
of the area and physical strength of European civilization,
which can never again be in danger from outer barbarism.
Effect of all this secular turmoil upon the political
institutions of Europe. It hindered the formation
of closely coherent nations, and was at the same time
an obstacle to the preservation of popular liberties.
Tendency towards the Asiaticization of European
life. Opposing influences of the Church, and
of the Germanic tribal organizations. Military
type of society on the Continent. Old Aryan self-government
happily preserved in England. Strategic position
of England favourable to the early elimination of
warfare from her soil. Hence the exceptionally
normal and plastic political development of the English
race. Significant coincidence of the discovery
of America with the beginnings of the Protestant revolt
against the asiaticizing tendency. Significance
of the struggle between Spain, France, and England
for the possession of an enormous area of virgin soil
which should insure to the conqueror an unprecedented
opportunity for future development. The race which
gained control of North America must become the dominant
race of the world, and its political ideas must prevail
in the struggle for life. Moral significance
of the rapid increase of the English race in America.
Fallacy of the notion that centralized governments
are needed for very large nations. It is only
through federalism, combined with local self-government,
that the stability of so huge an aggregate as the
United States can be permanently maintained. What
the American government really fought for in the late
Civil War. Magnitude of the results achieved.
Unprecedented military strength shown by this most
pacific and industrial of peoples. Improbability
of any future attempt to break up the Federal Union.
Stupendous future of the English race,—in
Africa, in Australia, and in the islands of the Pacific
Ocean. Future of the English language. Probable
further adoption of federalism. Probable effects
upon Europe of industrial competition with the United
States: impossibility of keeping up the present
military armaments. The States of Europe will
be forced, by pressure of circumstances, into some
kind of federal union. A similar process will
go on until the whole of mankind shall constitute a
single political body, and warfare shall disappear
forever from the face of the earth.