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