258 THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR 



stone in the lead, was in the democratic direc 

 tion. Following the extension of the suffrage 

 to the lower classes came the adoption of the 

 secret ballot, to secure the independence of the 

 new voters; and a great increase of state and 

 rate supported education, to promote intel 

 ligence among them. Aristocratic privilege was 

 summarily suppressed in one of its most cher 

 ished strongholds by the abolition of the pur 

 chase of commissions in the army. Disestab 

 lishment of the Irish church, and the Irish Land 

 Act of 1870, whatever other factors played a 

 part in their enactment, were for the benefit of 

 the masses as against the classes. In the sup 

 port that Mr. Gladstone derived from public 

 opinion for all these great measures it is quite 

 impossible that no influence was traceable to 

 the example of the American democracy, now 

 so recently triumphant over the dangers that 

 had been considered certain to insure its ruin. 

 Conservatism could no longer point a warning 

 finger, as in the early days of the war, to the 

 fate of a nation that should follow American 

 examples. France also just at this time re 

 newed her republican experimentation, and 

 furnished the world again with illustrations of 

 the working of popular government. In En- 



