7 22 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



cestors, wandering with their herds over the plains of Central Asia, 

 encouraged, by the habits and necessities of their lives, that liberty of 

 action and individual freedom which have characterized those of their 

 descendants who by their emigrations have peopled Europe and 

 America. It seems more than probable, also, that this spirit has been 

 strengthened by the natural selection of those individuals as emigrants 

 in whom the feelings of discontent and curiosity were associated with 

 a temperament that neither hesitated through fear nor turned back 

 from obstacles. These it was who braved and triumphed over the 

 natural hardships of an unbroken wilderness and the not less fearful 

 supernatural obstacles which occupy all unknown countries in the 

 minds of uncivilized man. Century after century were these hardy 

 and indomitable characters strengthened by use and transmitted by 

 inheritance. Whether we consider the ancient civilized nations, the 

 rude Germanic tribes, or their modern descendants, illustrations will 

 everywhere be presented of the universal tendency to independence 

 and change among all the Indo-European peoples. We are told by 

 Heeren, in the " Political History of Ancient Greece," * that, " while 

 Asia, during all the changes in its extensive empires, shows only the 

 continued reproduction of despotism, it was in Europe that the germ 

 of political freedom unfolded itself, and, under the most various forms, 

 in so many parts of the same soil, bore the noblest fruits ; which again 

 were transplanted thence to other parts of the world." Similar testi- 

 mony is borne by Hume to the character of the uncivilized tribes of 

 the north of Europe. f " The government of the Germans," he says, 

 " and that of all the northern nations who established themselves on 

 the ruins of Rome, was always extremely free. . . . The free consti- 

 tutions then established, however impaired by the encroachments of 

 succeeding princes, still preserve an air of independence and legal ad- 

 ministration which distinguish the European nations ; and, if that part 

 of the globe maintains sentiments of liberty, honor, equity, and valor 

 superior to the rest of mankind, it owes these advantages chiefly to the 

 seeds implanted by those generous barbarians." 



That the modern descendants of these ancient nations and tribes 

 still possess the predominant characters of their ancestors, is sufficiently 

 illustrated by the estimate given by Buckle of his own countrymen. 

 " We, in England," he says, " are a critical, dissatisfied, and captious 

 people, constantly complaining of our rulers, suspecting their schemes, 

 discussing their measures in a hostile spirit, allowing very little power 

 either to the church or to the crown, and managing our own affairs in 

 our own way." J By the complete possession of these characters, the 

 American people involuntarily acknowledge their English descent. 



It is unnecessary to multiply examples ; from the earliest history 

 of our race to the present generation, similar impulses have prevailed 



* Oxford, 1833, p. 1. f "History of England," chap, iii, appendix. 



% " History of Civilization in England," vol. ii, p. 29. 



