HadthegoverningclassesinFranceduringthelastcenturypaidasmuchheedtotheirproperbusinessastotheirpleasuresormanners，theguillotineneedneverhaveseveredthatspinalmarrowoforderlyandseculartraditionthroughwhichinanormallyconstitutedstatethebrainsympathizeswiththeextremitiesandsendswillandimpulsionthither。Itisonlywhenthereasonableandpracticablearedeniedthatmendemandtheunreasonableandimpracticable；
onlywhenthepossibleismadedifficultthattheyfancytheimpossibletobeeasy。Fairytalesaremadeoutofthedreamsofthepoor。No；thesentimentwhichliesattherootofdemocracyisnothingnew。Iamspeakingalwaysofasentiment，aspirit，andnotofaformofgovernment；forthiswasbuttheoutgrowthoftheotherandnotitscause。Thissentimentismerelyanexpressionofthenaturalwishofpeopletohaveahand，ifneedbeacontrollinghand，inthemanagementoftheirwonaffairs。Whatisnewisthattheyaremoreandmoregainingthatcontrol，andlearningmoreandmorehowtobeworthyofit。Whatweusedtocallthetendencyordrift-whatwearebeingtaughttocallmorewiselytheevolutionofthings-hasforsometimebeensettingsteadilyinthisdirection。Thereisnogoodinarguingwiththeinevitable。Theonlyargumentavailablewithaneastwindistoputonyourovercoat。Andinthiscase，also，theprudentwillpreparethemselvestoencounterwhattheycannotprevent。Somepeopleadviseustoputonthebrakes，asifthemovementofwhichweareconsciouswerethatofarailwaytrainrunningdownanincline。Butametaphorisnoargument，thoughitbesometimesthegunpowdertodriveonehomeandimbeditinthememory。
Ourdisquietcomesofwhatnursesandotherexperiencedpersonscallgrowingpains，andneednotseriouslyalarmus。Theyarewhateverygenerationbeforeus-certainlyeverygenerationsincetheinventionofprinting-hasgonethroughwithmoreorlessgoodfortune。Tothedoorofeverygenerationtherecomesaknocking，andunlessthehousehold，liketheThaneofCawdorandhiswife，havebeendoingsomedeedwithoutaname，theyneednotshudder。Itturnsoutatworsttobeapoorrelationwhowishestocomeinoutofthecold。Theporteralwaysgrumblesandisslowtoopen。
\"Who\'sthere，inthenameofBeelzebub？\"hemutters。Notachangeforthebetterinourhumanhousekeepinghasevertakenplacethatwiseandgoodmenhavenotopposedit，-havenotprophesiedwiththealdermanthattheworldwouldwakeuptofinditsthroatcutinconsequenceofit。Theworld，onthecontrary，wakesup，rubsitseyes，yawns，stretchesitself，andgoesaboutitsbusinessasifnothinghadhappened。Suppressionoftheslavetrade，abolitionofslavery，tradeunions，atalloftheseexcellentpeopleshooktheirheadsdespondingly，andmurmured\"Ichabod。\"Butthetradeunionsarenowdebatinginsteadofconspiring，andweallreadtheirdiscussionswithcomfortandhope，surethattheyarelearningthebusinessofcitizenshipandthedifficultiesofpracticallegislation。
OneofthemostcuriousofthesefrenziesofexclusionwasthatagainsttheemancipationoftheJews。Allshareinthegovernmentoftheworldwasdeniedforcenturiestoperhapstheablest，certainlythemosttenacious，racethathadeverlivedinit-theracetowhomweowedourreligionandthepurestspiritualstimulusandconsolationtobefoundinallliterature-araceinwhichabilityseemsasnaturalandhereditaryasthecurveoftheirnoses，andwhoseblood，furtivelyminglingwiththebluestbloodsinEurope，hasquickenedthemwithitsownindomitableimpulsion。Wedrovethemintoacorner，buttheyhadtheirrevenge，asthewrongedarealwayssuretohaveitsoonerorlater。Theymadetheircornerthecounterandbanking-houseoftheworld，andthencetheyruleitanduswiththeignoblersceptreoffinance。
YourgrandfathersmobbedPriestleyonlythatyoumightsetuphisstatueandmakeBirminghamtheheadquartersofEnglishUnitarianism。Wehearitsaidsometimesthatthisisanageoftransition，asifthatmademattersclearer；butcananyonepointustoanagethatwasnot？Ifhecould，hewouldshowusanageofstagnation。Thequestionforus，asithasbeenforallbeforeus，istomakethetransitiongradualandeasy，toseethatourpointsarerightsothatthetrainmaynotcometogrief。Forweshouldrememberthatnothingismorenaturalforpeoplewhoseeducationhasbeenneglectedthantospellevolutionwithaninitial\"r。\"Agreatmanstrugglingwiththestormsoffatehasbeencalledasublimespectacle；butsurelyagreatmanwrestlingwiththesenewforcesthathavecomeintotheworld，masteringthemandcontrollingthemtobeneficentends，wouldbeayetsublimer。Hereisnotadanger，andiftherewereitwouldbeonlyabetterschoolofmanhood，anoblerscopeforambition。Ihavehintedthatwhatpeopleareafraidofindemocracyislessthethingitselfthanwhattheyconceivetobeitsnecessaryadjunctsandconsequences。Itissupposedtoreduceallmankindtoadeadlevelofmediocrityincharacterandculture，tovulgarizemen\'sconceptionsoflife，andthereforetheircodeofmorals，manners，andconduct-toendangertherightsofpropertyandpossession。ButIbelievethattherealgravamenofthechargesliesinthehabitithasofmakingitselfgenerallydisagreeablebyaskingthePowersthatBeatthemostinconvenientmomentwhethertheyarethepowersthatoughttobe。Ifthepowersthatbeareinaconditiontogiveasatisfactoryanswertothisinevitablequestion，theyneedfeelinnowaydiscomfitedbyit。
Fewpeopletakethetroubleoftryingtofindoutwhatdemocracyreallyis。
Yetthiswouldbeagreathelp，foritisourlawlessanduncertainthoughts，itistheindefinitenessofourimpressions，thatfilldarkness，whethermentalorphysical，withspectresandhobgoblins。Democracyisnothingmorethananexperimentingovernment，morelikelytosucceedinanewsoil，butlikelytobetriedinallsoils，whichmuststandorfallonitsownmeritsasothershavedonebeforeit。Forthereisnotrickofperpetualmotioninpoliticsanymorethaninmechanics。PresidentLincolndefineddemocracytobe\"thegovernmentofthepeoplebythepeopleforthepeople。\"Thisisasufficientlycompactstatementofitasapoliticalarrangement。TheodoreParkersaidthat\"Democracymeantnot\'I\'masgoodasyouare，\'but\'You\'reasgoodasI
am。\'\"Andthisistheethicalconceptionofit，necessaryasacomplementoftheother；aconceptionwhich，coulditbemadeactualandpractical，wouldeasilysolvealltheriddlesthattheoldsphinxofpoliticalandsocialeconomywhositsbytheroadsidehasbeenproposingtomankindfromthebeginning，andwhichmankindhaveshownsuchasingulartalentforansweringwrongly。
InthissenseChristwasthefirsttruedemocratthateverbreathed，astheolddramatistDekkersaidhewasthefirsttruegentleman。Thecharactersmaybeeasilydoubled，sostrongisthelikenessbetweenthem。AbeautifulandprofoundparableofthePersianpoetJellaladeentellsusthat\"OneknockedattheBeloved\'sdoor，andavoiceaskedfromwithin\'Whoisthere？\'andheanswered\'ItisI。\'Thenthevoicesaid，\'Thishousewillnotholdmeandthee\'；
andthedoorwasnotopened。Thenwenttheloverintothedesertandfastedandprayedinsolitude，andafterayearhereturnedandknockedagainatthedoor；andagainthevoiceasked\'Whoisthere？\'andhesaid\'Itisthyself；\'andthedoorwasopenedtohim。\"Butthatisidealism，youwillsay，andthisisanonlytoopracticalworld。Igrantit；butIamoneofthosewhobelievethattherealwillneverfindanirremovablebasistillitrestsontheideal。
Itusedtobethoughtthatademocracywaspossibleonlyinasmallterritory，andthisisdoubtlesstrueofademocracystrictlydefined，forinsuchallthecitizensdecidedirectlyuponeveryquestionofpublicconcerninageneralassembly。
AnexamplestillsurvivesinthetinySwisscantonofAppenzell。Butthisimmediateinterventionofthepeopleintheirownaffairsisnotoftheessenceofdemocracy；itisnotnecessary，norindeed，inmostcases，practicable。
DemocraciestowhichMr。Lincoln\'sdefinitionwouldfairlyenoughapplyhaveexisted，andnowexist，inwhich，thoughthesupremeauthorityresideinthepeople，yettheycanactonlyindirectlyonthenationalpolicy。Thisgenerationhasseenademocracywithanimperialfigurehead，andinallthathaveeverexistedthebodypolitichasneverembracedalltheinhabitantsincludedwithinitsterritory，therighttoshareinthedirectionofaffairshasbeenconfinedtocitizens，andcitizenshiphasbeenfurtherrestrictedbyvariouslimitations，sometimesofproperty，sometimesofnativity，andalwaysofageandsex。