CHAP, iv THE APPEAL TO HISTORY 41 



stop, which is no less important. When the first rail- 

 way tubular bridges were erected the Britannia Bridge 

 over the Menai Straits, the Victoria Bridge at Montreal 

 they were made much heavier than has been found 

 necessary in the light of fuller knowledge. What should 

 we say of the wiseacre who proposed to carry out the 

 principle of lightening railway bridges by constructing 

 them of lace or gossamer ? In material affairs such 

 proposals are never made. One glance would show 

 their absurdity. But as mankind, especially in an age 

 of prevailing Agnosticism, stumble hither and thither 

 in search of social guidance, no absurdity is too crude to 

 find supporters ; and many a tendency which was good 

 within limits is urged upon us without any limit 

 as the plain teaching of history. We have recently 

 emerged, or are emerging, from a period of emancipating 

 legislation, in which unwise or obsolete laws have been 

 abolished, and individual freedom has grown wider. The 

 tendency was doubtless good within limits; but does 

 this fact constitute any presumption whatever in favour 

 of the anarchist, revolutionary or philosophical, who bids 

 us entirely abolish organised government, and promises 

 in return a golden age of perfect happiness ? The mere 

 fact that a policy was wise or was inevitable up till now 

 is no proof that it ought to be further persevered in. 

 The surgeon may have removed first a finger, then the 

 hand, then the forearm, as he found gangrene appearing 

 and reappearing; but that is no reason whatever for 

 operating at the shoulder if the upper arm is healthy. 



Again, we may quote Mr. Mackenzie's statement of 

 the objections to the policy under discussion, the policy 

 of pushing on along the lines where nature or history has 

 shown us the way. If we could be certain of distinguish- 

 ing the master tendency of an age from the crowd of 



