SECT. III.] GENIUS IN EVERY RACE. 363 



increasing intermixture of the various classes, becomes again 

 a powerful lever for progressive development, by producing a 

 corresponding difference in the pursuits and inclinations of in- 

 dividuals, and thus promotes a division of labour. 



Connected with these social contrasts and the distinctive 

 character of individual differences, is another circumstance, the 

 importance of which has, indeed, formerly been overvalued, 

 but which certainly plays no subordinate part in the progress 

 of civilization, which is, the emergence of highly gifted in- 

 dividuals from the mass of the people, who as rulers, heroes, 

 lawgivers, transform the position of their people, change its 

 relations with other nations, regulate its internal constitution, 

 expand its horizon in science and art, improve their morals, 

 and direct their attention to nobler objects. Whether these 

 objects are attained, whether the seed thus thrown falls upon 

 a productive soil, germinates, and grows to maturity, or de- 

 cays, depends upon the people ; for which reason the capacity 

 and the character of a whole people cannot exactly be deter- 

 mined from the intellectuality exhibited in individual instances. 



To form, however, a correct judgment, we must take into 

 consideration that the great mass occupies almost everywhere 

 a very inferior position as regards civilization, and that it is 

 by individual great teachers of humanity that the progress of 

 the mass is mostly effected. It cannot be denied that a 

 number of discoveries and inventions have also been made 

 among the coloured races, but it probably took them a longer 

 time than the Whites before the people appropriated and 

 applied them. Everything seems to depend upon the right 

 man appearing at the right time. Genius exists in every race 

 and in every period ; but there must be a mental susceptibility 

 among the people, and a happy combination of circumstances, 

 in order that the talents of an individual may lead to im- 

 portant results, and have their full effect on civilization. The 

 greater the individual disparity amongst peoples, and the 

 greater the difference in their respective modes of life, the less 

 is it to be feared that important inventions may be lost to 

 society ; but they will certainly remain neglected so long as 

 the people occupy a low scale in civilization. 



