116 MARRIAGE AND HEREDITY 



Warren Hastings began life as clerks in the service 

 of the East India Company. The dangers and diffi- 

 culties in the midst of which they were cast brought 

 out their military and administrative talents. But 

 what youngster in the Indian Civil Service of to-day 

 can hope to emulate their example ? 



Opportunity makes the great man as it makes the 

 thief, especially the great man who is born not to 

 create but to rule. 



The American Civil War was rich in improvised 

 generals of a high order of ability. General Grant's 

 chief of the staff, Eawlins, was a young lawyer who was 

 destitute of military training, but proved perfectly 

 equal to his position. Butterfield, a pure civilian when 

 the war began, ended by commanding an army corps 

 and acting as chief of the staff to Meade at Gettysburg. 

 Sheridan's miKtary genius was developed on the 

 battle-field, never in the study. Grant himself gave 

 little promise as a student, and for seven years before 

 the outbreak of hostilities was an obscure civilian. 

 But for the accident of the rebellion of the southern 

 states, what would have become of this latent fund of 

 American military capacity ? If the " mute inglori- 

 ous Milton " is a myth, because pens and paper are 

 always within reach, we may conclude that there are 



