Show alie b i amity ity personal influence 1 yes how that survives and defies all attempts to render it ineffective I 1 men who disbelieve in it and set up socialist or communist ideas denying to any individual any priority or advantage over his big fellows see bee with astonishment and mortification that the hated thing enters into their most secret circles and sways swaya all their action it was supposed that it was only in the unenlightened ages of the world that any one man could have any personal command in great affairs with contempt it was pronounced that the heroes of antiquity or the great captains of bygone centuries must have had bad an inferior crew to deal with when so 60 paramount a position was given to any individual englishmen in moro more recent times thought that it was only frenchmen who could let bony ride so eo roughshod over them when liberty equality and fraternity had but just been inscribed over the doors of every public building in france who but unenlightened russians would allow a czar to have absolute dominion nowadays ada ta surely it was argued w when hen intelligence telli gence culture and education are so generally diffused nono none could arrogate to himself any large share of the admiration m mi and worship of fellow countrymen Is this so do we not rather see that men even if raised to a high level of knowledge of material things are yet us as emotional as ever as apt to follow like sheep the lead of one as incapable of weighing and judging the faults of those who by appeals to their pride their passion and prejudice may rise to the head of affairs except in the very rare cases where great wars oy 0 convulsions of the political world are in progress it is most difficult to get electors to value the high politics at atako at their proper measure of importance rather bather will they discuss the obar character acter of a candidate and bis big affairs his big position in society the influence he may be able to use for their in individual benefit nay even his appearance seema seeing often to them of more account than his bis principles tho the personal factor seema to be almost as great as ever the marquis of 0 lome a in north american review |