n these people, who
all shared Rousseau's belief in the superior virtues of Original Man,
began to dig into their past and found, buried beneath the ruins of
the feudal system, the bones of the mighty races of which they supposed
themselves the feeble descendants.

The first half of the nineteenth century was the era of the great
historical discoveries. Everywhere historians were busy publishing
mediaeval charters and early mediaeval chronicles and in every country
the result was a new pride in the old fatherland. A great deal of this
sentiment was based upon the wrong interpretation of historical
facts. But in practical politics, it does not matter what is true, but
everything depends upon what the people believe to be true. And in most
countries both the kings and their subjects firmly believed in the glory
and fame of their ancestors.

The Congress of Vienna was not inclined to be sentimental. Their
Excellencies divided the map of Europe according to the best interests
of half a dozen dynasties and put "national aspirations" upon the Index,
or list of forbidden books, together with all other dangerous "French
doctrines."

But history is no respecter of Congresses. For some reason or other (it
may be an historical law, which thus far has escaped the attention
of the scholars) "nations" seemed to be necessary for the orderly
development of human society and the attempt to stem this tide was
quite as unsuccessful as the Metternichian effort to prevent people from
thinking.

Curiously enough the first trouble began in a very distant part of the
world, in South America. The Spanish colonies of that continent had been
enjoying a period of relative independence during the many years of the
great Napoleonic wars. They had even remained faithful to their king
when he was taken prisoner by the French Emperor and they had refused to
recognise Joseph Bonaparte, who had in the year 1808 been made King of
Spain by order of his brother.

Indeed, the only part of America to get very much upset by the
Revolution was the island of Haiti, the Espagnola of Columbus' first
trip. Here in the year 1791 the French Convention, in a sudden outburst
of love and human brotherhood, had bestowed upon their black brethren
all the privileges hitherto enjoyed by their white masters. Just as
suddenly they had repented of this step, but the attempt to undo the
original promise led to many years of terrible warfare between General
Leclerc, the b