spring up between the two Powers, and that they may yet become the friendly representatives of the two leading ideas of the world.

It is quite evident that the popular opinion of the great Northern Power, does not correspond either with her past history or her present position. Her power and resources have been underrated even in Europe. France and England have miscalculated the strength of their antagonist. Europe has misjudged her, because the sources of her vitality are but imperfectly known. Yet it is manifest that she has interior springs, whose copious flow supplies a broad and steady stream of national life. Russia presents every external sign of a living organism-not merely an aggregation of tribes, of fragments bound into a mass by present circumstances, which in any important change may fall asunder. The resistance which, in 1812, she offered to western Europe, was that of an organized body, animated by a national life. There was a national heart beating with hot enthusiasm in the midst of her snows; there was a national feeling smarting under a national wound; there was unyielding resolution-ready to sacrifice all things for the preservation of their country, determined to make of that country a desert, if the invader could not be otherwise expelled; and it was the result of a living force that at last swept her foes away. It was not a subdued or dispirited people, not a people fired with no love of country, that pressed upon and bore down the retreating forces of Bonaparte. Since that period there has been a steady enlargement and increase of vigor, as by growth from a strong central life.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF NATIONAL POWER.

In this age of the world, when civilization, instead of being confined to a single luminous point, is diffused over so large a portion of the world's surface, and a universal empire is no longer possible, there are certain conditions without which no great nation can come into existencecertain elements of strength necessary to procure for a people the first rank among the Powers of earth. The first of these conditions is an extensive territory. In the midst of the powerful kingdoms of modern times, no petty state, with limited domain, could exercise any important sway. Greece, placed on her ancient territorial footing, and possessed again of her former resources, would now be but a "little one" among the nations. Egypt could not now sway the world's sceptre from the valley of the Nile, nor could old Chaldea be in this age the "Lady of Kingdoms." Even if Rome should arise once more, possessed of all her Italian and Eastern power, leaving Russia, France, England, and the German states, as they now are, she would no longer be the mistress of the world. To hold rank among the present "great Powers" of Europe, a territory is required, capable of sustaining a population of at least

thirty millions with the ordinary cultivation and modes of life, and therefore the "four great Powers" must remain at the head of affairs. But it is easy to see that if any one of these should possess a territory capable of supporting a population equal to that of France, England, and Austria, combined, without being more densely peopled than they now are, then, other things being equal, such a power would hold all Europe at her control, because all know that the other remaining nations could not be consolidated into a permanent union, though they may become allies in an hour of danger.

In estimating, therefore, the future position of the present powers of earth, extent of territory and capacity for population must be the basis of the calculation; for a state of thirty millions, of to-day, may, in a few years, stand in the presence of another with one hundred millions of people. But there must be not only extent of territory, but it must be so situated as to be easily and safely controlled by one central government. It is evident that India, Canada, and Australia add little to the effective strength of England. In proportion as they wax strong and prosperous will their sympathy with the home government be weakened; and therefore England, even with her great possessions, may be regarded as having reached the zenith of her power-because she can not construct from her separated dependencies one consolidated dominion. When it is said, however, that she has reached her culminating point, the meaning is not that she is now destined to an absolute decline; it is not necessary, even, to suppose that she will make no progress hereafter, but if another Power shall soon appear in Europe, with one hundred millions of people, with a common nationality, occupying one connected territory, and directed by one sufficiently strong central government; if, indeed, such an one has already taken its position on the theatre of Europe, then, not only England, but France and Austria, may be regarded as having passed the height of their influence, though their absolute power may yet continue to increase. Against such a Power, the balance could not long

be preserved by any combination of western Europe. Moreover, to secure national greatness, based upon national independence, the territory of a people should stretch through so many degrees of latitude, and should embrace such a variety of position and climate as to procure within itself the main productions of the globe. In this respect, neither England, France, nor Austria, are so situated as to remain the very foremost nations of the world, though France and England, but especially the latter, have thus far been able to supply the deficiency by a command of the open commerce of the globe. But it is easy to perceive, that, in case of long-continued war, or if other states should adopt a restricted commercial policy, every nation incapable of extensive home production, would suffer severely, and perhaps be permanently crippled. A nation then, to become not only great, but independent and secure, must possess the means of a self-sustaining life, and this can only be when its territory stretches through several degrees of latitude.

Again, this territory must possess the means, natural or artificial, of free and extensive internal communication. Large lakes, or a chain of inland seas, and navigable rivers, will probably always afford the most important and cheapest channels for commercial exchanges, and a country thus furnished by the Creator will possess great advantages over one not thus favored; for, although modern science has put it in the power of any people to supply an adequate means of cheap and rapid transit, yet navigable rivers, and internal lakes and seas, are an additional advantage, conferring a superiority upon the nation possessing them. Any country may be traversed by rail roads, but when, in addition to these, God has scooped out the rivers and beds of navigable waters, there is a double system and a double advantage. Inasmuch, therefore, as God has designed the earth as the theater of national life, we are led to believe that those great divisions of its surface which are provided with adequate systems of lakes and navigable rivers, bringing all parts into connection with each other, were thus

constructed in order to become the seats of national power; and even though such a territory may be now unoccupied, or but thinly inhabited, we are assured that the design of God will be accomplished. The future of America may, for this reason, be correctly inferred from the structure of its territory, although large portions of it are lying waste, without an inhabitant; and if we would form an opinion. of the prospects of Russia, we must study her systems of rivers, and her general means of carrying on an interior trade, by which her remote provinces may be united by common interests, and bound to a common head.

Moreover, since modern skill and science have converted the seas into the great thoroughfares of the world, no nation with an interior position can hereafter hold the first rank among the powers of earth. The great nation of the future must have free access to the ocean-must not only hold free communication with the sea from all points, but must possess sufficient and convenient harbors as commercial marts, and depots of maritime power.

The admirable position of England, in the midst of the seas, has given free scope to the genius of her people, and enabled her to exert a controlling influence upon the affairs of nations; but should a nation arise in Europe, with a population many times greater than her own—equal in intelligence and skill-with a proportionate control of the ocean-in that case England, though still prosperous and advancing, would hold but a secondary position; and this would be equally true both of Austria and France. Whether there is a probability of the rise of such an empire, will be one of the questions to be discussed in these pages.

Again, a nation will be great and powerful, other things being equal, in proportion as its growth is the progress of a single race, instead of a mere aggregation of dissimilar communities, brought by conquest under the dominion of a single head. The one is a dead mass, tending ever to dissolution; the other is an animate body, unfolding a life, and tending toward maturity. Every mighty nation of earth has become great through the central life-power of one