A SUNDAY IN CHEYNE ROW. 261 



or thing? I have always understood that true worth, 

 in any department, was difficult to recognize ; that 

 the worthiest, if he appealed to universal suffrage, 

 would have but a poor chance." 



Upon these facts Carlyle planted himself, and the 

 gulf which he saw open between them and the beau- 

 ties of universal suffrage was simply immense. With- 

 out disputing the facts here, we may ask if they really 

 bear upon the question of popular government, of a 

 free ballot? If so, then the ground is clean shot 

 away from under it. The world is really governed 

 and led by minorities, and always will be. The many, 

 sooner or later, follow the one. We have all become 

 abolitionists in this country, some of us much to our 

 surprise and bewilderment ; we hardly know yet how 

 it happened ; but the time was when abolitionists were 

 hunted by the multitude. Marvelous to relate, also, 

 civil service reform has become popular among our 

 politicians. Something has happened ; the tide has 

 risen while we slept, or while we mocked and laughed, 

 and away we all go on the current. Yet it is equally 

 true that, under any form of government, nothing 

 short of events themselves, nothing short of that com- 

 bination of circumstances which we name fate or for- 

 tune, can place that exceptional man, the hero, at the 

 head of affairs. If there are no heroes, then woe to 

 the people who have lost the secret of producing 

 great men. 



The worthiest man usually has other work to do, 

 and avoids politics. Carlyle himself could not be in- 



