There is no need to ask whether the result of the establishment of the American Republic has been good or bad.  The republican form of government is really the making of the United States of America.  But it should be remembered that long before the establishment of the republic, the American people had already learned the good laws and ordinances of England, and the constitution and parliamentary system of England had been long in use in America for over a hundred years.  Therefore the change in 1789 from a colony into a Republic was not a sudden change from a monarchy to a republic.  Thorough preparations had been made and self-government was well practised before the establishment of the republic.  Not only this, but the intellectual standard of the American people was then already very high; for ever since the beginning of American history attention was given to universal education.  No youth could be found who could not read, and the extent of education can thus be gauged.

Soon after the formation of the American Republic, the French Republic followed in her footsteps.  Now in France a monarchical government was in existence before the declaration of independence, and the supreme power of administration was in the hands of the King.  The people, having never participated in the administration and lacking experience in self-government, made a poor experiment of the republican system which they suddenly set up.  The result was that for many years disorder reigned, and the tyranny of the military governments held sway one after another.  After the defeat of Napoleon, the monarchical system was restored as a result of the intervention of other Powers.  The second revolution in 1830 again resulted in the restoration of the monarchy but the power of the common people was considerably increased.  The monarchy was again overthrown in 1848 and a Republic formed in its stead—­the nephew of Napoleon was then made President.  This President, however, once more discarded republicanism and set up a monarchy for himself.  It was not until after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 that Napoleon III was overthrown and the final Republic established which has lived for half a century now, there being every likelihood of its continuing in its present form.

Indeed the Republic of France has every prospect of being permanent, but the permanency is only the result of a hundred years’ political revolution.  For a hundred years the foundations were being laid by means of an energetic and persistent campaign of education, which increased the political knowledge of the people.  The people were also allowed to participate in political affairs, and so gained experience in self-government.  This is why the French Republic is a success.  Then in France and America they have found a solution for the difficult problem of the nation, that is the problem of succession of the government in power.  The President of France is elected by the Parliament while the President of America is elected by the people.  The people of these two countries are all experienced in self-government as a result of participation in political affairs.  Furthermore, for the last fifty years these two countries have all laid emphasis on universal education by having an extensive system of schools, subsidized by the Government.  The intellectual standard of these two people is therefore fairly high.