A true view of the
life of Socrates gives us an accurate idea of Athens and the Athenian
people. The protectorate of Cromwell, the great event in all English
history, presents a view of the British nation while passing from an
absolute government to a limited monarchy, slowly but certainly tending
to republicanism.
The American Revolution was a clear indication in itself of what the
colonies had been, and what the republic was destined to be. Had the
Revolution been delayed, no history, however minute, could have given
to the world as accurate knowledge of the colonists from 1770 to 1780
as it now possesses. It was the full development of all their history;
it was the concise, vigorous, intelligible introduction to their
future. It was a great illustration of pre-existing American
character. Neither religious nor political fanaticism was an element
of the American Revolution. It was altogether defensive--defensive
in its assertion of principles--defensive in its warlike operations.
It is true that the Revolution was an important step towards freedom
and equality, but the Revolutionists did not primarily contemplate the
destruction or abandonment of the principles of the British government,
but rather their preservation and perpetuity; and this is a great
degree they accomplished. The two governments are dissimilar in many
respects, but the principles which lie at the foundation of the one led
to the formation of the other.
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