Spread of English-Speaking Peoples 221 



any race with our opportunities could have done as 

 well as we have done. Undoubtedly our opportuni- 

 ties have been great; undoubtedly we have often 

 and lamentably failed in taking advantage of them. 

 But what nation ever has done all that was possible 

 with the chances offered it? The Spaniards, the 

 Portuguese, and the French, not to speak of the 

 Russians in Siberia, have all enjoyed, and yet have 

 failed to make good use of, the same advantages 

 which we have turned to good account. The truth 

 is, that in starting a new nation in a new country, as 

 we have done, while there are exceptional chances 

 to be taken advantage of, there are also excep- 

 tional dangers and difficulties to be overcome. None 

 but heroes can succeed wholly in the work. It is 

 a good thing for us at times to compare what we 

 have done with what we could have done, had we 

 been better and wiser; it may make us try in the 

 future to raise our abilities to the level of our op- 

 portunities. Looked at absolutely, we must frankly 

 acknowledge that we have fallen very far short 

 indeed of the high ideal we should have reached. 

 Looked at relatively, it must also be said that we 

 have done better than any other nation or race work- 

 ing under our conditions. 



The Watauga settlers outlined in advance the 

 nation's work. They tamed the rugged and shaggy 

 wilderness, they bid defiance to outside foes, and 

 they successfully solved the difficult problem of self- 

 government. 



