262 THE EXPANSION OF ENGLAND 



because they knew nothing of the railroad or the telegraph or the 

 modern newspaper. The United States, as we know it, is, for polit- 

 ical i)urposes, a vastly smaller thing tlian the United States which 

 elected George Washington President. The occurrences of the last 

 two years have taught us much geography and some new things about 

 politics. They have not always kept at the Iront, 1 fear, the one great 

 principle of our Monroe doctrine, that important side of it which com- 

 mands that this re{)ublic should stand for democracy throughout this 

 hemisphere. That shipwreck of this })rinciple of friendship for self- 

 government has so often been made for political purposes is Indeed 

 to be regretted ; but the vicissitudes of the last two 3'ears have taught 

 us in America that there are no longer for i)olitical purposes two 

 hemispheres, but onl}' one' round world. In 1823 the ocean was a 

 barrier; today it is a bridge. America toda}' has no res[)onsibilities 

 and no rights in Bolivia or Venezuela that she does not have in Hol- 

 land, in Japan, or in the islands of the Pacific. That is one great lesson 

 that is being taught us in this day. ^\'e hear a great deal of a feder- 

 ated British emi»ire. Such a federation as that of the United States 

 today would have seemed impossible to tiie founders of the republic. 

 The thought of a federated empire, in wiiose parliament represent- 

 atives from Canada and Australia should sit side by side with the 

 representatives from London and Liver[)ool and Birmingham, would 

 have seemed impossible to Sir George Grey in his earlier life ; yet it 

 is a thought which became familiar to him and is now dawning upon 

 England. Such a federation is one great thing to which we look for- 

 ward. It may be that it is not important. If the British empire goes 

 to pieces, the great work of the English race will go on much the 

 same. The independence of Canada, of Australia, and of South Africa 

 may come as the independence of tlie United States came. 1 confess, 

 liowever, that I should like to see a federation of the British empire. 

 I think it might be a forerunner of that federation of the world of 

 which the poet dreams. By virtue of tiie universal order, who.se com- 

 ing that might promote, the banners shall be furled and the war drums 

 cease to throb. 



Amidst all the wonderful expansion of territor}', amidst all the 

 grasping of filibusters all the way from Sir John Hawkins down to 

 Jameson, the vision in English minds of freedom, of independence, 

 and of an orderly world has l)een the great and real expander of 

 England, the source of that in Englisli growth which is most welcome 

 and which we most love to consider. A great Swiss scholar, in the 

 home of Calvin, has written better than any Englishman or American, 



