The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-01
Circulation Statement.
The Nineteenth Century.

measuring of events by centuries than
there is an up or down In infinite space,
yet historians can trace the course of
certain movements which seem to be
identified with certain eras. The four
centuries seem to have characters of their
own, and this is no less true of each sue
ceeding century. Perspective is needed
for the proper estimate of all historical
events, and perhaps only the historian of
the future can know just what the nine
tenth century has done in the great work
of world building; but ii is possible even
now to see what some of its tendencies
have been, as marked by events which
have been given prominence by common
consent.
Most marked among these epcchal Incl
dents are these which have been the re-
suit of war. There is a meaning in this.
Warfare is in these days a struggle be-
tween world powers; the days of petty
feuds are mostly past. The war of the
present determines, not the right of some
particular sovereign or dynasty to control
the future of a country, but the compare
tive strength of two forms of civilization.
The latest and perhaps the strongest
proof of this is the war in South Africa.
which is trial of strength and cndur-
aace between the forces of progress and
conservatism in an obscure South African
province. 1t is not without Significance
that this conflict. intrinsically of small
Importance, has occupied the attention of
the entire civilized world. 1t is charac-
terlstic example of the form which war
has taken in the nineteenth century.
The century began with struggle far
greater in scope and intensity, but of es-
sentially the same nature. 1t was the
greatest military event of the century
the recasting of the map of Europe by the
unifying force of Napoleon's personality.
The greatest military genius in all his
tory seems, in the light of the present, to
have set himself to discover what one
man could do to change the course of in
ternational affairs in Europe The result
was magnificent, unprecedented, appall-
ing. He had Europe by the throat. The
fate of nations seemed to hang on the will
of one man. Some dim intuition of the
real source of his power made him call
himself the Man of Destiny. Then it was
proved that the history of Europe depend
ed, not on Napoleon, but apparently on
the turn Of a card He did all that one
man could do. but it was not enough. He
alone could not force an artificial unity
for which the world was not ready.
With the president power of a colossal
mir
unity was possible; he had laid hold on
the underlying forces which reconcile
Earring interests, and SO far as he did
this, he was successful. When destiny
deserted him-that is, when ne attempted
the impossible-he failed On the other
side Of the world, in the Republic which
was then in its infancy, the same expert
ment was under way, with totally diff
ferent method. Here We see the thirteen
colonies of America, calling themselves
the United States, increasing. gathering
colony after colony, Of French. Spanish
or English extraction, under the flag
which, like the French tricolor meant
liberty, fraternity, equality. Even in the
earliest years Of the nineteenth century
We thus ind indicated, clearly and
strongly. the tendency toward union. to-
ward the breaking down of lines of sepa-
ration. which has been characteristic of
nearly every great epoch-making move
ment Of the last hundred years. The
eighteenth century set up caste lines.
separated, defined, laid stress upon small
things. Just at the close Of 1t the reac-
ton came, appearing, as such emotional
epidemics do, in three or four countries
at nearly the same time In France IL
bred the revolution; in America It gave
birth to Paine, Jefferson and Franklin,
and to the Declaration of Independence;
in England, the reaction manifested itself
mainly in literature, and the artificial
verse OF Pope and Dryden was swept away
on wave of romanticism of which Scott.
Burns. and afterward Byron, we're the
exponents.
1t must be borne in mind that all world
movements are subject to reactionary in
fuence. 1t would seem that no good
thing is suffered TO be lost. and that no
matter how fierce and complete may have
been the revolution, II there is any fea-
ture Of the old regime which is wise and
good. the people will retain it, and drift
back to it, till it sometimes seems as IL
the revolution was In vain So. after
Napoleon. came the swift changes. which
found a climax in the luxury and sDlendor
Of the Second Empire Romanticism
chivalry and sristocracy refused to be
crushed out; the people of France would
have none OF a regime which reduced them
all 10 plain citizens" and chung to their
aristocrats as the Highlander sticks to his
laird
The second great war of the nineteenth
century was the-Crimean war. There was
unifying force in that also. It made
England one, uniting Jacobite and Puri-
tan, Scotch and English and Irish, as they
never had teen quite united before. More
over, it made plain the fact that there
are, broscls speaking. two great forces in
Europe. lae.ly pitted against each other,
those forces icing England and Russia.
Close af;er this came our own war be-
tween the North and South. and here be-
yond doubt was a trial between two civ
ilizations, for the Northern and Southern
States were no more alike in their GUS
toms. traditions. and ideals than If they
had been separated by the Atlantic Ocean.
The whole civilized world was in doubt for
q time whether two sections so totally at