88 The Destiny of Man. 



political bodies was that of conquest with 

 incorporation. The conquering tribe, while 

 annexing its neighbours, gradually admit- 

 ted them to a share in the government. 

 In this way arose the Roman empire, the 

 largest, the most stable, and in its best 

 days the most pacific political aggregate 

 the world had as yet seen. Throughout 

 the best part of Europe, its conquests suc- 

 ceeded in transforming the ancient preda- 

 tory type of society into the modern in- 

 dustrial type. It effectually broke up the 

 primeval clan-system, with its narrow ethi- 

 cal ideas, and arrived at the broad concep- 

 tion of rights and duties coextensive with 

 Humanity. But in the method upon which 

 Rome proceeded there was an essential 

 element of weakness. The simple device 

 of representation, by which political power 

 is equally retained in all parts of the com- 

 munity while its exercise is delegated to a 

 central body, was entirely unknown to the 

 Romans. Partly for this reason, and partly 

 because of the terrible military pressure to 



