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We see a somewhat prevalent epidemic disease in English 
life, probably a natural product of the competitive race or 
struggle which is the great characteristic of both national 
and individual life in our day, — the race for wealth, — the 
greed to get more. Some call it megalomania. There is an 
unconscionable symptom manifested in the exploitation, or 
more euphemistically, in the development of races and countries 
without strict regard to any higher moral considerations. 
History has set up a sign-post as a warning to a national 
admixture of cupidity and pride. 
A state or community we shall take to mean an aggregation 
of free human beings bound together by common ties, some 
of which are natural and others artificial. In the former 
there is a oneness of race, language, religion, sentiment, 
historical associations ; and in the latter of law, custom, 
executive government, etc. The natural ties are more cohesive 
and produce greater stability. It is clear, too, that the object 
of the earlier forms of society was life and the object of the 
state is good life. Inasmuch as a state is an aggregation, 
the common factor of the units is an index of the state. 
In Athens, Rome and Carthage we had city states including 
only the city and the adjoining territory. Life and energy, 
political, religious and intellectual, are focussed at one point 
under a very perfect form of social union. We find an intense 
civic patriotism, a homogeneity, a virulent spirit of indepen- 
dence from other states, a proud sentiment, expressed by the 
Roman for example : “ Civis Romanus sum.” Athens vied 
with Thebes, Thebes with Sparta, and Florence with Venice 
and Genoa. It is superfluous to introduce the interminable 
discussion and comparisons between the ancient city state 
and the modern state, but the universally accepted dictum 
may be expressed : “ It may be doubted whether any modern 
state has realised the full force of the various ties in the 
same degree as did the city states of ancient Greece and 
Italy.” 
What is the true test of the historical greatness of a nation 
or community ? Is it the amount of “ red ” on the map ? By 
this standard what mighty empires were those of Alexander, 
of Spain, and to-day of China and Russia ! Nay, rather the 
student of history treats them much like the writers of heroic 
verses, who introduce high sounding names only to kdl them. 
The true test is the pregnancy of the state or community, 
the magnitude of the consequences that ensue, the permanent 
impress and mould of the human character and destinies. 
Bigness is not greatness, and militarism is as ephemeral and 
shadowy as a dream. 
