s great traditions, to rise in its might and
throw off "this galling English yoke."

But the simple islanders answered:

"We had not noticed that it galled. How does it gall? England sends
a ship once in three or four years to give us soap and clothing, and
things which we sorely need and gratefully receive; but she never
troubles us; she lets us go our own way."

"She lets you go your own way! So slaves have felt and spoken in all the
ages! This speech shows how fallen you are, how base, how brutalized
you have become, under this grinding tyranny! What! has all manly pride
forsaken you? Is liberty nothing? Are you content to be a mere appendage
to a foreign and hateful sovereignty, when you might rise up and take
your rightful place in the august family of nations, great, free,
enlightened, independent, the minion of no sceptered master, but the
arbiter of your own destiny, and a voice and a power in decreeing the
destinies of your sister-sovereignties of the world?"

Speeches like this produced an effect by-and-by. Citizens began to feel
the English yoke; they did not know exactly how or whereabouts they
felt it, but they were perfectly certain they did feel it. They got to
grumbling a good deal, and chafing under their chains, and longing for
relief and release. They presently fell to hating the English flag, that
sign and symbol of their nation's degradation; they ceased to glance
up at it as they passed the capitol, but averted their eyes and grated
their teeth; and one morning, when it was found trampled into the mud at
the foot of the staff, they left it there, and no man put his hand to
it to hoist it again. A certain thing which was sure to happen sooner or
later happened now. Some of the chief citizens went to the magistrate by
night, and said:--

"We can endure this hated tyranny no longer. How can we cast it off?"

"By a coup d'etat."

"How?"

"A coup d'etat. It is like this: everything is got ready, and at the
appointed moment I, as the official head of the nation, publicly and
solemnly proclaim its independence, and absolve it from allegiance to
any and all other powers whatsoever."

"That sounds simple and easy. We can do that right away. Then what will
be the next thing to do?"

"Seize all the defenses and public properties of all kinds, establish
martial law, put the army and navy on a war footing, and proclaim the
empire!"

This fine program dazzled these innocents. They said:--

"This