The Lesson of History 131 



herein lies the force which has secured permanence, 

 and we are entitled to believe will continue in our 

 Western civilisation. And why ? Because for the first 

 time in the history of the ages we are approaching to a 

 form of government which " maketh for righteousness." 

 Governors and statesmen are endeavouring to rule the 

 people after the pattern of the conception of the 

 " Eternal," which has been evolved in the Old Testa- 

 ment. The Eternal was the " not ourselves who maketh 

 for righteousness " ; conjoined with this great idea of 

 the Supreme Power, under whose control and guidance 

 they lived and moved, we have the altruism of Chris- 

 tianity. The teachings of Jesus, inculcating the sup- 

 pression of the purely selfish element in human nature 

 and the idealisation of love towards all men, regardless 

 of class or power or wealth, has so permeated the minds 

 of men that all governments have been compelled, 

 consciously or unconsciously, to yield to this new 

 influence. This has resulted in the admission of the 

 masses of the people to the electorate which selects the 

 government and moulds the laws of the nation, and has 

 brought within near distance the consummation of the 

 idea of " equality of opportunity " for all. The aboli- 

 tion of slavery, the extended franchise, the gradual 

 concession of the rights of man as man have been 

 granted by rulers possessed of power and every means 

 of maintaining their autocracy ; the " haves," from 

 time to time, have resigned their rights and privileges 

 to the " have-nots," notwithstanding the fact that there 

 was no compelling force urging them so to act ; they 

 could quite well have refused, and used the means at 

 their disposal in order to retain their wealth and power. 

 The instinct of self-preservation would have led them 

 to act solely in their own material interest, but they 

 have been led to disregard it, and to act in a manner 

 unknown hitherto in the world's history ; a new in- 



