50 Causes of its Success 



bridged within any period of time that we can foresee? 

 Can there be any doubt that the white man must, and 

 will, impose his superior civilization on the coloured 

 races? The rivalry of the principal European coun- 

 tries in extending their influence over other conti- 

 nents should lead naturally to the evolution of the 

 highest attainable type of government of subject 

 races by the superior qualities of their rulers.^ 



This is an excellent statement of the scientific 

 basis of Imperialism, including in its survey the 

 physical struggle between white races, the sub- 

 jugation of lower races by the white race, the ne- 

 cessity and the utility of this struggle and this 

 subjugation, and finally the right of domination 

 based upon this necessity. The white man believes 

 he is a more excellent type than any other man ; he 

 believes he is better able to assimilate any special 

 virtues others may have; he believes that this 

 character gives him a right to rule which no other 

 can possess. Thus, starting from natural history, 

 the doctrine soon takes on the outer garments of 

 ethical and even religious sanctions, and we soon 

 reach the elevated atmosphere of "Imperial 

 Christianity," the "mission of civilization," in 

 which our nation is called upon to teach the "arts 

 of good government," the "dignity of labour." 

 And not only our nation ; Mr. Hervey admits that 

 the patriotic Frenchman, the German, the Rus- 

 sian, feels in the same way his own sense of superi- 



' Memoir of Hubert Hervey, by Earl Grey (1899), quoted by 

 J. A. Hobson, in Imperialism, a Study, pp. 138-39. 



