state　　is　its　gentlemen；　or　persons　not　disposed　or　not　fitted　to　　support　themselves　by　their　own　hands；　more　necessary　in　a　　democratic　government　than　in　any　other。　　The　civil　387　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　service；　　divinity；　law；　and　medicine；　together　with　literature；　science；　　and　art；　cannot　absorb　the　whole　of　this　ever…increasing　class；　　and　the　army　and　navy　would　be　an　economy　and　a　real　service　to　　the　state　were　they　maintained　only　for　the　sake　of　the　rank　and　　position　they　give　to　their　officers；　and　the　wholesome　influence　　these　officers　would　exert　on　society　and　the　politics　of　the　　countrythis　even　in　case　there　were　no　wars　or　apprehension　of　　wars。　　They　supply　an　element　needed　in　all　society；　to　sustain　　in　it　the　chivalric　and　heroic　spirit；　perpetually　endangered　by　　the　mercantile　and　political　spirit；　which　has　in　it　always　　something　low　and　sordid。
  But　wars　are　inevitable；　and　when　a　nation　has　no　surrounding　　nations　to　fight；　it　will；　as　we　have　just　proved；　fight　itself。　　　When　it　can　have　no　foreign　war；　it　will　get　up　a　domestic　war；　　for　the　human　animal；　like　all　animals；　must　work　off　in　some　way　　its　fighting　humor；　and　the　only　sure　way　of　maintaining　peace　is　　always　to　be　prepared　for　war。　　A　regular　standing　army　of　forty　　thousand　men　would　have　prevented　the　Mexican　war；　and　an　army　of　　fifty　thousand　well…disciplined　and　efficient　troops　at　the　　command　of　the　President　on　his　inauguration　in　March；　1861；　　would　have　pre…　388　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　vented　the　rebellion；　or　have　instantly　suppressed　　it。　　The　cost　of　maintaining　a　land　army　of　even　a　hundred　　thousand　men；　and　a　naval　force　to　correspond；　would　have　been；　　in　simple　money　value；　only　a　tithe　of　what　the　rebellion　has　　cost　the　nation；　to　say　nothing　of　the　valuable　lives　that　have　　been　sacrificed　for　the　losses　on　the　rebel　side；　as　well　as　　those　on　the　side　of　the　government；　are　equally　to　be　counted。　　　The　actual　losses　to　the　country　have　been　not　less　than　six　or　　eight　thousand　millions　of　dollars；　or　nearly　one…half　the　　assessed　value　of　the　whole　property　of　the　United　States　　according　to　the　census　returns　of　1860；　and　which　has　only　been　　partially　cancelled　by　actual　increase　of　property　since。　　To　　meet　the　interest　on　the　debt　incurred　will　require　a　heavier　sum　　to　be　raised　annually　by　taxation；　twice　over；　without　　discharging　a　cent　of　the　principal；　than　would　have　been　　necessary　to　maintain　an　army　and　navy　adequate　to　the　protection　　of　peace　and　the　prevention　of　the　rebellion。
  The　rebellion　is　now　suppressed；　and　if　the　government　does　not　　blunder　much　more　in　its　civil　efforts　at　pacification　than　it　　did　in　its　military　operations；　before　1868　things　will　settle　　down　into　their　normal　order；　but　a　regular　armynot　militia　or　　volunteers；　who　are　　389　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　too　expensiveof　at　least　a　hundred　thousand　　men　of　all　arms；　and　a　navy　nearly　as　large　as　that　of　England　or　　France；　will　be　needed　as　a　peace　establishment。　　The　army　of　a　　hundred　thousand　men　must　form　a　cadre　of　an　army　of　three　times　　that　number；　which　will　be　necessary　to　place　the　army　on　a　war　　footing。　　Less　will　answer　neither　for　peace　nor　war；　for　the　　nation　has；　in　spite　of　herself；　to　maintain　henceforth　the　rank　　of　a　first…class　military　and　maritime　power；　and　take　a　leading　　part　in　political　movements　of　the　civilized　world；　and；　to　a　　great　extent；　hold　in　her　hand　the　peace　of　Europe。
  Canning　boasted　that　be　had　raised　up　the　New　World　to　redress　　the　balance　of　the　Old：　a　vain　boast；　for　he　simply　weakened　　Spain　and　gave　the　hegemony　of　Europe　to　Russia；　which　the　　Emperor　of　the　French　is　trying；　by　strengthening　Italy　and　　Spain；　and　by　a　French　protectorate　in　Mexico；　to　secure　to　　France；　both　in　the　Old　World　and　the　Newa　magnificent　dream；　　but　not　to　be　realized。　　His　uncle　judged　more　wisely　when　he　　sold　Louisiana；　left　the　New　World　to　itself；　and　sought　only　to　　secure　to　France　the　hegemony　of　the　Old。　　But　the　hegemony　of　　the　New　World　henceforth　belongs　to　the　United　States；　and　she　　will　have　390　　　　　　　　　　　a　potent　voice　in　adjusting　the　balance　of　power　even　　in　Europe。　　To　maintain　this　position；　which　is　imperative　on　　her；　she　must　always　have　a　large　armed　force；　either　on　foot　or　　in　reserve；　which　she　can　call　out　and　put　on　a　war　footing　at　　short　notice。　　The　United　States　must　henceforth　be　a　great　　military　and　naval　power；　and　the　old　hostility　to　a　standing　　army　and　the　old　attempt　to　bring　the　military　into　disrepute　　must　be　abandoned；　and　the　country　yield　to　its　destiny。
  Of　the　several　tendencies　mentioned；　the　humanitarian　tendency；　　egoistical　at　the　South；　detaching　the　individual　from　the　race　　and　socialistic　at　the　North；　absorbing　the　individual　in　the　　race；　is　the　most　dangerous。　　The　egoistical　form　is　checked；　　sufficiently　weakened　by　the　defeat　of　the　rebels；　but　the　social　　form　believes　that　it　has　triumphed；　and　that　individuals　are　　effaced　in　society；　and　the　States　in　the　Union。　　Against　this；　　more　especially　should　public　opinion　and　American　statesmanship　　be　now　directed；　and　territorial　democracy　and　the　division　of　　the　powers　of　government　be　asserted　and　vigorously　maintained。　　　The　danger　is　that　while　this　socialistic　form　of　democracy　is　　conscious　of　itself；　the　territorial　democracy　has　not　yet　　arrived；　as　the　Germans　391　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　say；　at　self　　consciousnessselbsbewusstseynand　operates　only　instinctively。　　　All　the　dominant　theories　and　sentimentalities　are　against　it；　　and　it　is　only　Providence　that　can　sustain　it。
  392　CHAPTER　XV。
  DESTINY…POLITICAL　AND　RELIGIOUS。
  It　has　been　said　in　the　Introduction　to　this　essay　that　every　　living　nation　receives　from　Providence　a　special　work　or　mission　　in　the　progress　of　society；　to　accomplish　which　is　its　destiny；　　or　the　end　for　which　it　exists；　and　that　the　special　mission　of　　the　United　States　is　to　continue　and　complete　in　the　political　　order　the　Graeco…Roman　civilization。
  Of　all　the　states　or　colonies　on　this　continent；　the　American　　Republic　alone　has　a　destiny；　or　the　ability　to　add　any　thing　to　　the　civilization　of　the　race。　　Canada　and　the　other　British　　Provinces；　Mexico　and　Central　America；　Columbia　and　Brazil；　and　　the　rest　of　the　South　American　States；　might　be　absorbed　in　the　　United　States　without　being　missed　by　the　civilized　world。　　They　　represent　no　idea；　and　the　work　of　civilization　could　go　on　　without　them　as　well　as　with　them。　　If　they　keep　up　with　the　　progress　of　civilization；　it　is　all　that　can　be　expected　of　them。　　　France；　England；　Germany；　and　Italy　might　absorb　the　rest　of　　Europe；　and　393　　　　　　　　　　　　　all　Asia　and　Africa；　without　withdrawing　a　single　　laborer　from　the　work　of　advancing　the　civilization　of　the　race；　　and　it　is　doubtful　if　these　nations　themselves　can　severally　or　　jointly　advance　it　much　beyond　the　point　reached　by　the　Roman　　Empire；　except　in　abolishing　slavery　and　including　in　the　　political　people　the　whole　territorial　people。　　They　can　only　　develop　and　give　a　general　application　to　the　fundamental　　principles　of　the　Roman　constitution。　　That　indeed　is　much；　but　　it　adds　no　new　element　nor　new　combination　of　preexisting　　elements。　　But　nothing　of　this　can　be　said　of　the　United　States。
  In　the　Graeco…Roman　civilization　is　found　the　state　proper；　and　　the　great　principle　of　the　territorial　constitution　of　power；　　instead　of　the　personal　or　the　genealogical；　the　patriarchal　or　　the　monarchical；　and　yet　with　true　civil　or　political　principles　　it　mixed　up　nearly　all　the　elements　of　the　barbaric　constitution。　　　The　gentile　system　of　Rome　recalls　the　patriarchal；　and　the　　relation　that　subsisted　between　the　patron　and　his　clients　has　a　　striking　resemblance　to　that　which　subsists　between　the　feudal　　lord　and　his　retainers；　and　may　have　had　the　same　origin。　　The　　three　tribes；　Ramnes；　Quirites；　and　Luceres；　into　which　the　Roman　394　people　were　divided　before　the　rise　of　the　plebs；　may　have　been；　　as　Niebuhr　contends；　local；　not　genealogical；　in　their　origin；　　but　they　were　not　strictly　territorial　distinctions；　and　the　　division　of　each　tribe　into　a　hundred　houses　or　gentes　was　not　　local；　but　personal；　if　not；　as　the　name　implies；　genealogical。　　　No　doubt　the　individuals　or　families　composing　the　house　or　gens　　were　not　all　of　kindred　blood；　for　the　Oriental　custom　of　　adoption；　so　frequent　with　our　North　American　Indians；　and　with　　all　people　distributed　into　tribes；　septs；　or　clans；　obtained　　with　the　Romans。　　The　adopted　member　was　considered　a　child　of　　the　house；　and　took　its　name　and　inherited　its　goods。　　Whether；　　as　Niebuhr　maintains；　all　the　free　gentiles　of　the　three　tribes　　were　called　patres　or　patricians　or　whether　the　term　was　　restricted　to　the　heads　of　houses；　it　is　certain　that　the　head　of　　the　house　represented　it　in　the　senate；　and　the　vote　in　the　　curies　was　by　houses；　not　by　individuals　en　masse。　　After　all；　　practically　the　Roman　senate　was　hardly　less　an　estate　than　the　　English　house　of　lords；　for　no　one　could　sit　in　it　unless　a　　landed　proprietor　and　of　noble　blood。　　The　plebs；　though　outside　　of　the　political　people　proper；　as　not　being　included　in　the　　three　trib