634 POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS, 



extend to the other world, as it is even now supposed to do 

 in China, has had no parallel in the West; but still, among 

 European peoples in past times, that confidence in the soldier- 

 king essential to the militant type, displayed itself among 

 other ways in exaggerated conceptions of his ability to rectify 

 mischiefs, achieve benefits, and arrange things as he willed. 

 If we compare present opinion among ourselves with opinion 

 in early days, we find a decline in these credulous expecta 

 tions. Though, during the late retrograde movement towards 

 militancy, State-power has been invoked for various ends, 

 and faith in it has increased ; yet, up to the commencement 

 of this reaction, a great change had taken place in the other 

 direction. After the repudiation of a State-enforced creed, 

 there came a denial of the State s capacity for determining 

 religious truth, and a growing movement to relieve it from 

 the function of religious teaching ; held to be alike needless 

 and injurious. Long ago it had ceased to be thought that 

 Government could do any good by regulating people s food, 

 clothing, and domestic habits ; and over the multitudinous 

 processes carried on by producers and distributors, constitut 

 ing immensely the larger part of our social activities, we no 

 longer believe that legislative dictation is beneficial. More 

 over, every newspaper by its criticisms on the acts of ministers 

 and the conduct of the House of Commons, betrays the 

 diminished faith of citizens in their rulers. JSTor is it only 

 by contrasts between past and present among ourselves that 

 we are shown this trait of a more developed industrial state. 

 It is shown by kindred contrasts between opinion here and 

 opinion abroad. The speculations of social reformers in 

 France and in Germany, prove that the hope for benefits to 

 be achieved by State-agency is far higher with them than 

 with us. 



Along with decrease of loyalty and concomitant decrease of 

 faith in the powers of governments, has gone decrease of 

 patriotism patriotism, that is, under its original form. To 

 fight &quot; for king and country &quot; is an ambition which now-a- 



