HadthegoverningclassesinFranceduringthelastcenturypaidasmuchheedtotheirproperbusinessastotheirpleasuresormanners，theguillotineneedneverhaveseveredthatspinalmarrowoforderlyandseculartraditionthroughwhichinanormallyconstitutedstatethebrainsympathizeswiththeextremitiesandsendswillandimpulsionthither。Itisonlywhenthereasonableandpracticablearedeniedthatmendemandtheunreasonableandimpracticable；
　　onlywhenthepossibleismadedifficultthattheyfancytheimpossibletobeeasy。Fairytalesaremadeoutofthedreamsofthepoor。No；thesentimentwhichliesattherootofdemocracyisnothingnew。Iamspeakingalwaysofasentiment，aspirit，andnotofaformofgovernment；forthiswasbuttheoutgrowthoftheotherandnotitscause。Thissentimentismerelyanexpressionofthenaturalwishofpeopletohaveahand，ifneedbeacontrollinghand，inthemanagementoftheirwonaffairs。Whatisnewisthattheyaremoreandmoregainingthatcontrol，andlearningmoreandmorehowtobeworthyofit。Whatweusedtocallthetendencyordrift-whatwearebeingtaughttocallmorewiselytheevolutionofthings-hasforsometimebeensettingsteadilyinthisdirection。Thereisnogoodinarguingwiththeinevitable。Theonlyargumentavailablewithaneastwindistoputonyourovercoat。Andinthiscase，also，theprudentwillpreparethemselvestoencounterwhattheycannotprevent。Somepeopleadviseustoputonthebrakes，asifthemovementofwhichweareconsciouswerethatofarailwaytrainrunningdownanincline。Butametaphorisnoargument，thoughitbesometimesthegunpowdertodriveonehomeandimbeditinthememory。
　　Ourdisquietcomesofwhatnursesandotherexperiencedpersonscallgrowingpains，andneednotseriouslyalarmus。Theyarewhateverygenerationbeforeus-certainlyeverygenerationsincetheinventionofprinting-hasgonethroughwithmoreorlessgoodfortune。Tothedoorofeverygenerationtherecomesaknocking，andunlessthehousehold，liketheThaneofCawdorandhiswife，havebeendoingsomedeedwithoutaname，theyneednotshudder。Itturnsoutatworsttobeapoorrelationwhowishestocomeinoutofthecold。Theporteralwaysgrumblesandisslowtoopen。
　　"Who'sthere，inthenameofBeelzebub？"hemutters。Notachangeforthebetterinourhumanhousekeepinghasevertakenplacethatwiseandgoodmenhavenotopposedit，-havenotprophesiedwiththealdermanthattheworldwouldwakeuptofinditsthroatcutinconsequenceofit。Theworld，onthecontrary，wakesup，rubsitseyes，yawns，stretchesitself，andgoesaboutitsbusinessasifnothinghadhappened。Suppressionoftheslavetrade，abolitionofslavery，tradeunions，atalloftheseexcellentpeopleshooktheirheadsdespondingly，andmurmured"Ichabod。"Butthetradeunionsarenowdebatinginsteadofconspiring，andweallreadtheirdiscussionswithcomfortandhope，surethattheyarelearningthebusinessofcitizenshipandthedifficultiesofpracticallegislation。
　　OneofthemostcuriousofthesefrenziesofexclusionwasthatagainsttheemancipationoftheJews。Allshareinthegovernmentoftheworldwasdeniedforcenturiestoperhapstheablest，certainlythemosttenacious，racethathadeverlivedinit-theracetowhomweowedourreligionandthepurestspiritualstimulusandconsolationtobefoundinallliterature-araceinwhichabilityseemsasnaturalandhereditaryasthecurveoftheirnoses，andwhoseblood，furtivelyminglingwiththebluestbloodsinEurope，hasquickenedthemwithitsownindomitableimpulsion。Wedrovethemintoacorner，buttheyhadtheirrevenge，asthewrongedarealwayssuretohaveitsoonerorlater。Theymadetheircornerthecounterandbanking-houseoftheworld，andthencetheyruleitanduswiththeignoblersceptreoffinance。
　　YourgrandfathersmobbedPriestleyonlythatyoumightsetuphisstatueandmakeBirminghamtheheadquartersofEnglishUnitarianism。Wehearitsaidsometimesthatthisisanageoftransition，asifthatmademattersclearer；butcananyonepointustoanagethatwasnot？Ifhecould，hewouldshowusanageofstagnation。Thequestionforus，asithasbeenforallbeforeus，istomakethetransitiongradualandeasy，toseethatourpointsarerightsothatthetrainmaynotcometogrief。Forweshouldrememberthatnothingismorenaturalforpeoplewhoseeducationhasbeenneglectedthantospellevolutionwithaninitial"r。"Agreatmanstrugglingwiththestormsoffatehasbeencalledasublimespectacle；butsurelyagreatmanwrestlingwiththesenewforcesthathavecomeintotheworld，masteringthemandcontrollingthemtobeneficentends，wouldbeayetsublimer。Hereisnotadanger，andiftherewereitwouldbeonlyabetterschoolofmanhood，anoblerscopeforambition。Ihavehintedthatwhatpeopleareafraidofindemocracyislessthethingitselfthanwhattheyconceivetobeitsnecessaryadjunctsandconsequences。Itissupposedtoreduceallmankindtoadeadlevelofmediocrityincharacterandculture，tovulgarizemen'sconceptionsoflife，andthereforetheircodeofmorals，manners，andconduct-toendangertherightsofpropertyandpossession。ButIbelievethattherealgravamenofthechargesliesinthehabitithasofmakingitselfgenerallydisagreeablebyaskingthePowersthatBeatthemostinconvenientmomentwhethertheyarethepowersthatoughttobe。Ifthepowersthatbeareinaconditiontogiveasatisfactoryanswertothisinevitablequestion，theyneedfeelinnowaydiscomfitedbyit。
　　Fewpeopletakethetroubleoftryingtofindoutwhatdemocracyreallyis。
　　Yetthiswouldbeagreathelp，foritisourlawlessanduncertainthoughts，itistheindefinitenessofourimpressions，thatfilldarkness，whethermentalorphysical，withspectresandhobgoblins。Democracyisnothingmorethananexperimentingovernment，morelikelytosucceedinanewsoil，butlikelytobetriedinallsoils，whichmuststandorfallonitsownmeritsasothershavedonebeforeit。Forthereisnotrickofperpetualmotioninpoliticsanymorethaninmechanics。PresidentLincolndefineddemocracytobe"thegovernmentofthepeoplebythepeopleforthepeople。"Thisisasufficientlycompactstatementofitasapoliticalarrangement。TheodoreParkersaidthat"Democracymeantnot'I'masgoodasyouare，'but'You'reasgoodasI
　　am。'"Andthisistheethicalconceptionofit，necessaryasacomplementoftheother；aconceptionwhich，coulditbemadeactualandpractical，wouldeasilysolvealltheriddlesthattheoldsphinxofpoliticalandsocialeconomywhositsbytheroadsidehasbeenproposingtomankindfromthebeginning，andwhichmankindhaveshownsuchasingulartalentforansweringwrongly。
　　InthissenseChristwasthefirsttruedemocratthateverbreathed，astheolddramatistDekkersaidhewasthefirsttruegentleman。Thecharactersmaybeeasilydoubled，sostrongisthelikenessbetweenthem。AbeautifulandprofoundparableofthePersianpoetJellaladeentellsusthat"OneknockedattheBeloved'sdoor，andavoiceaskedfromwithin'Whoisthere？'andheanswered'ItisI。'Thenthevoicesaid，'Thishousewillnotholdmeandthee'；
　　andthedoorwasnotopened。Thenwenttheloverintothedesertandfastedandprayedinsolitude，andafterayearhereturnedandknockedagainatthedoor；andagainthevoiceasked'Whoisthere？'andhesaid'Itisthyself；'andthedoorwasopenedtohim。"Butthatisidealism，youwillsay，andthisisanonlytoopracticalworld。Igrantit；butIamoneofthosewhobelievethattherealwillneverfindanirremovablebasistillitrestsontheideal。
　　Itusedtobethoughtthatademocracywaspossibleonlyinasmallterritory，andthisisdoubtlesstrueofademocracystrictlydefined，forinsuchallthecitizensdecidedirectlyuponeveryquestionofpublicconcerninageneralassembly。
　　AnexamplestillsurvivesinthetinySwisscantonofAppenzell。Butthisimmediateinterventionofthepeopleintheirownaffairsisnotoftheessenceofdemocracy；itisnotnecessary，norindeed，inmostcases，practicable。
　　DemocraciestowhichMr。Lincoln'sdefinitionwouldfairlyenoughapplyhaveexisted，andnowexist，inwhich，thoughthesupremeauthorityresideinthepeople，yettheycanactonlyindirectlyonthenationalpolicy。Thisgenerationhasseenademocracywithanimperialfigurehead，andinallthathaveeverexistedthebodypolitichasneverembracedalltheinhabitantsincludedwithinitsterritory，therighttoshareinthedirectionofaffairshasbeenconfinedtocitizens，andcitizenshiphasbeenfurtherrestrictedbyvariouslimitations，sometimesofproperty，sometimesofnativity，andalwaysofageandsex。