The Great Events by Famous Historians, Vol. 21 - The Recent Days (1910-1914) | Page 5

bring himself more harm than happiness.
Perhaps even more impressive was the struggle toward Democracy in
England. Here, from the year 1905 onward, a "Liberal" government in
nominal power was opposed at every turn persistently, desperately,
sometimes hysterically, by a "Conservative" opposition. The Liberals,
after years of worsted effort, saw that they could make no possible
progress unless they broke the power of the always Conservative House
of Lords. They accomplished this in 1911 amid the weeping and
wailing of all Britain's aristocracy, who are thoroughly committed to
the doctrine of the mighty teacher, Carlyle, that men should find out
their great leaders and then follow these with reverent obedience. Of
course the doctrine has in the minds of the British aristocracy the very
natural addendum that they are the great leaders.[1]
[Footnote 1: See Fall of the English House of Lords, page 133.]
With the power of the nobles thus swept aside, the British Liberals
went on to that long-demanded extension of Democracy, the granting
of Home Rule to Ireland. Here, too, England's Conservatives fought the
Liberals desperately. And here there was a subtler issue to give the
Conservatives justification. The great majority of Irish are of the
Roman Catholic faith, and so would naturally set up a Catholic
government; but a part of northern Ireland is Protestant and bitterly
opposed to Catholic domination. These Protestants, or "Ulsterites,"
demanded that if the rest of Ireland got home rule, they must get it also,
and be allowed to rule themselves by a separate Parliament of their own.

The Conservatives accepted this democratic demand as an ally of their
conservative clinging to the "good old laws." They encouraged the
Ulsterites even to the point of open rebellion. But despite every
obstacle, the Liberals continued their efforts until the Home Rule bill
was assured in 1914.
Let us look now beyond Europe. England deserves credit for the big
forward step taken by her colonies in South Africa. All of these joined
in 1910 in a union intended to be as indissoluble as that of the United
States. Thus to the mighty English-speaking nations developing in a
united Australia and a united Canada, there was now added a third, the
nation of South Africa.[1]
[Footnote 1: See Union of South Africa, page 17.]
In Asia, too, there was a most surprising and notable democratic step.
China declared itself a Republic. Considerable fighting preceded this
change, warfare of a character rather vague and purposeless; for China
is so huge that a harmony of understanding among her hundreds of
millions is not easily attained. Yet, on the whole, with surprisingly little
conflict and confusion the change was made. The oldest nation in the
world joined hands with the youngest in adopting this modern form of
"government by the people."[2] The world is still watching, however,
to see whether the Chinese have passed the level of political wisdom
awaited by the Spanish republicans, and can successfully exercise the
dangerous right they have assumed.
[Footnote 2: See The Chinese Revolution, page 238.]
Turn back, for a moment, to review all the wonderful advance in
popular government these brief five years accomplished: in the United
States, a political revolution with changes of the Constitution and of the
machinery of government; in Britain, similar changes of government
even more radical in the direction of Democracy; two wholly new
Republics added to the list, one being China, the oldest and most
populous country in the world, the other little Portugal, long accounted
the most spiritless and unprogressive nation in Europe; a shift from
autocratic British rule toward democratic home rule through all the vast
region of South Africa; a similar shift in much-troubled Ireland;
Socialism reaching out toward power through all central Europe;
Woman Suffrage taking possession of northern Europe and western
America and striding on from country to country, from state to state; a

bloody and desperate people's revolution in Mexico; and a similar one
of the Balkan peoples against Turkey! Individuals may possibly feel
that some one or other of these steps was reckless, even perhaps that
some may ultimately have to be retraced in the world's progress. But of
their general glorious trend no man can doubt.
Were there no reactionary movements to warn us of the terrible
reassertion of autocratic power so soon to deluge earth with horror?
Yes, though there were few democratic defeats to measure against the
splendid record of advance. Russia stood, as she has so long stood, the
dragon of repression. In the days of danger from her own people which
had followed the disastrous Japanese war, Russia had courted her
subject nations by granting them every species of favor. Now with her
returning strength she recommenced her unyielding purpose of
"Russianizing" them. Finland was deprived of the last spark of
independence; so that