2 DARWINISM AND RACE PROGRESS. 



The Romans then developed and established an 

 empire, which men believed would be everlasting, 

 but it, too, disappeared, to give place to the Teutonic 

 states of modern Europe. So strikingly alike in 

 their progression have been the histories of the 

 peoples of the past that it is quite a commonplace to 

 hear the life of a nation compared to that of a man 

 as being a history of growth, maturity and decay. 



But the analogy is at most a very imperfect one, 

 and, if content with having made it, we leave the 

 subject, we shall fail to note the real facts of racial 

 development as indicated in the pages of history. 



We may regard a nation from two points of view. 

 First, we may look at the muscle and brain power 

 of the individuals who comprise it ; secondly, we 

 may view it as a political organisation struggling 

 against the effects of climate, geographical position 

 and other rival organisations. These aspects are, 

 of course, not mutually exclusive, for the success 

 of a nation in its political struggle will depend in 

 great measure upon its innate muscle and brain 

 power ; but, on the other hand, a nation possessing 

 admirable innate or organic qualities may fail as 

 a political organisation on account of insurmountable 

 obstacles placed in its way. When therefore we 

 read of the fall of the Roman Empire or the con- 

 quest of the Greek states, we may be dealing with 

 a question of actual racial and organic deterioration 



