Thus we face to-day a new Balkan Peninsula, consisting of half a dozen little independent nations, all thoroughly democratic, except Turkey.  And even Turkey, we should remember, has made a long stride toward Democracy by substituting for the autocracy of the Sultan the constitutional rule of the “Young Turks,” These still retain their political control, though sorely shaken in power by the calamities their country has undergone under their brief regime.

From this semi-barbarity of southeastern Europe, let us turn to note the more peaceful progress which seemed promising the West.  Little Portugal suddenly declared herself a Republic in 1910.[2] She had been having much anarchistic trouble before, killing of kings and hurling of bombs.  Now there was a brief, almost bloodless, uprising; and the young new king fled.  Prophets freely predicted that the unpractical and unpractised Republic could not last.  But instead of destroying itself in petty quarrels, the new government has seemed to grow more able and assured with each passing year.

[Footnote 2:  See Portugal Becomes a Republic, page 28.]

In Spain also, the party favoring a Republic grew so strong that its leaders declared openly that they could overturn the monarchy any time they wished.  But they said the time was not ripe, they must wait until the people had become more educated politically, and had learned more about self-government, before they ventured to attempt it.  Here, therefore, we have Democracy taking a new and important step.  To man’s claim of the right of self-government was subjoined the recognition of the fact that until he reaches a certain level of intelligence he is unfit to exercise that right, and with it he is likely to bring himself more harm than happiness.

Perhaps even more impressive was the struggle toward Democracy in England.  Here, from the year 1905 onward, a “Liberal” government in nominal power was opposed at every turn persistently, desperately, sometimes hysterically, by a “Conservative” opposition.  The Liberals, after years of worsted effort, saw that they could make no possible progress unless they broke the power of the always Conservative House of Lords.  They accomplished this in 1911 amid the weeping and wailing of all Britain’s aristocracy, who are thoroughly committed to the doctrine of the mighty teacher, Carlyle, that men should find out their great leaders and then follow these with reverent obedience.  Of course the doctrine has in the minds of the British aristocracy the very natural addendum that they are the great leaders.[1]

[Footnote 1:  See Fall of the English House of Lords, page 133.]