IntroductoryNoteJamesRussellLowell，poet，essayist，diplomatist，andscholar，wasbornatCambridge，Massachusetts，onFebruary22，1819，thesonofaUnitarianminister。EducatedatHarvardCollege，hetriedthelaw，butsoongaveitupforliterature。Hispoemon\"ThePresentCrisis，\"writtenin1844，washisfirstreallynotableproduction，andonethatmadeadeepimpressiononthepublicmind。Inthetwentyyearsoftroubledpoliticsthatfollowed，onefindsitconstantlyquoted。Theyear1848sawfourvolumesfromLowell\'spen-abookof\"Poems，\"the\"FableforCritics，\"\"TheBiglowPapers，\"andthe\"VisionofSirLaunfal。\"Thesecondoftheseexhibitedtheauthoraswitandcritic，thethirdaspoliticalreformer，thefourthaspoetandmystic；
andthesevarioussidesofhispersonalitycontinuetoappearwithvaryingprominencethroughouthiscareer。
OntheretirementofLongfellowfromthechairofbelles-lettresatHarvardin1854，Lowellwaselectedtosucceedhim，andbywayofpreparationspentthenexttwoyearsinEuropestudyingmodernlanguagesandliteratures。
In1857hebecamethefirsteditoroftheAtlanticMonthly，andafter1864hecollaboratedwithCharlesEliotNortonintheeditorshipoftheNorthAmericanReview。ThroughouttheperiodofthewarLowellwrotemuchbothinproseandverseonbehalfoftheUnion；hisworkontheNorthAmericanwaslargelyliterarycriticism。
In1877LowellwenttoSpainasAmericanMinister，andin1880toLondon，whereforfiveyearsherepresentedtheUnitedStateswithgreatdistinction，anddidmuchtoimprovetherelationsofthetwocountries。Sixyearsafterhisreturn，onAugust12，1891，hediedinElmwood，thehouseinCambridgewherehewasborn。
Lowell\'sliterarygiftsweresovariousthatitisdifficulttosayonwhichofthemhisfinalreputationwillrest。Butitiscertainthathewilllongbeesteemedforthegrace，vivacity，andeloquenceoftheproseinwhichheplacedbeforetheworldhisviewsonsuchgreatAmericanprinciplesandpersonalitiesasaredealtwithinthefollowingessayon\"Democracy\"。
OnDemocracyInauguralAddressonAssumingthePresidencyoftheBirminghamandMidlandInstitute，Birmingham，England，6October，1884
Hemustbeabornleaderormisleaderofmen，ormusthavebeensentintotheworldunfurnishedwiththatmodulatingandrestrainingbalance-wheelwhichwecallasenseofhumor，who，inoldage，hasasstrongaconfidenceinhisopinionsandinthenecessityofbringingtheuniverseintoconformitywiththemashehadinyouth。Inaworldtheveryconditionofwhosebeingisthatitshouldbeinperpetualflux，whereallseemsmirage，andtheoneabidingthingistheefforttodistinguishrealitiesfromappearances，theelderlymanmustbeindeedofasingularlytoughandvalidfibrewhoiscertainthathehasanyclarifiedresiduumofexperience，anyassuredverdictofreflection，thatdeservestobecalledanopinion，orwho，evenifhehad，feelsthatheisjustifiedinholdingmankindbythebuttonwhileheisexpoundingit。
Andinaworldofdaily-nay，almosthourly-journalism，whereeverycleverman，everymanwhothinkshimselfclever，orwhomanybodyelsethinksclever，iscalledupontodeliverhisjudgmentpoint-blankandatthewordofcommandoneveryconceivablesubjectofhumanthought，oronwhatsometimesseemstohimverymuchthesamething，oneveryinconceivabledisplayofhumanwantofthought，thereissuchaspendthriftwasteofallthosecommonplaceswhichfurnishthepermittedstapleofpublicdiscoursethatthereislittlechanceofbeguilinganewtuneoutoftheone-stringedinstrumentonwhichwehavebeenthrummingsolong。Inthisdesperatenecessityoneisoftentemptedtothinkthat，ifallthewordsofthedictionaryweretumbleddowninaheapandthenallthosefortuitousjuxtapositionsandcombinationsthatmadetolerablesensewerepickedoutandpiecedtogether，wemightfindamongthemsomepoignantsuggestionstowardsnoveltyofthoughtorexpression。But，alas！itisonlythegreatpoetswhoseemtohavethisunsolicitedprofusionofunexpectedandincalculablephrase，thisinfinitevarietyoftopic。
Foreverybodyelseeverythinghasbeensaidbefore，andsaidoveragainafter。HewhohasreadhisAristotlewillbeapttothinkthatobservationhasonmostpointsofgeneralapplicabilitysaiditslastword，andhewhohasmountedthetowerofPlatototookabroadfromitwillneverhopetoclimbanotherwithsoloftyavantageofspeculation。Whereitissosimpleifnotsoeasyathingtoholdone\'speace，whyaddtothegeneralconfusionoftongues？Thereissomethingdisheartening，too，inbeingexpectedtofillupnotlessthanacertainmeasureoftime，asifthemindwereanhour-glass，thatneedonlybeshakenandsetononeendortheother，asthecasemaybe，torunitsallottedsixtyminuteswithdecorousexactitude。Irecollectbeingoncetoldbythelateeminentnaturalist，Agassiz，thatwhenhewastodeliverhisfirstlectureasprofessor（atZurich，Ibelieve）hehadgravedoubtsofhisabilitytooccupytheprescribedthreequartersofanhour。Hewasspeakingwithoutnotes，andglancinganxiouslyfromtimetotimeatthewatchthatlaybeforehimonthedesk。\"WhenIhadspokenahalfhour，\"hesaid，\"IhadtoldthemeverythingI
knewintheworld，everything！ThenIbegantorepeatmyself，\"headded，roguishly\"andIhavedonenothingelseeversince。\"BeneaththehumorousexaggerationofthestoryIseemedtoseethefaceofaveryseriousandimprovingmoral。Andyetifoneweretosayonlywhathehadtosayandthenstopped，hisaudiencewouldfeeldefraudedoftheirhonestmeasure。
LetustakecouragebytheexampleoftheFrench，whoseexportationofBordeauxwinesincreasesastheareaoftheirlandinvineyardsisdiminished。
Tome，somewhathopelesslyrevolvingthesethings，theundelayableyearhasrolledround，andIfindmyselfcalledupontosaysomethinginthisplace，wheresomanywisermenhavespokenbeforeme。Precluded，inmyqualityofnationalguest，bymotivesoftasteanddiscretion，fromdealingwithanyquestionofimmediateanddomesticconcern，itseemedtomewisest，oratanyratemostprudent，tochooseatopicofcomparativelyabstractinterest，andtoaskyourindulgenceforafewsomewhatgeneralizedremarksonamatterconcerningwhichIhadsomeexperimentalknowledge，derivedfromtheuseofsucheyesandearsasNaturehadbeenpleasedtoendowmewithal，andsuchreportasIhadbeenabletowinfromthem。Thesubjectwhichmostreadilysuggesteditselfwasthespiritandtheworkingofthoseconceptionsoflifeandpolitywhicharelumpedtogether，whetherforreproachorcommendation，underthenameofDemocracy。Bytemperamentandeducationofaconservativeturn，IsawthelastyearsofthatquaintArcadiawhichFrenchtravellerssawwithdelightedamazementacenturyago，andhavewatchedthechange（tomeasadone）fromanagriculturaltoaproletarypopulation。ThetestimonyofBalaamshouldcarrysomeconviction。
Ihavegrowntomanhoodandamnowgrowingoldwiththegrowthofthissystemofgovernmentinmynativeland，havewatcheditsadvances，orwhatsomewouldcallitsencroachments，gradualandirresistibleasthoseofaglacier，havebeenanear-witnesstotheforebodingsofwiseandgoodandtimidmenandhavelivedtoseethoseforebodingsbeliedbythecourseofevents，whichisapttoshowitselfhumorouslycarelessofthereputationofprophets。Irecollecthearingasagaciousoldgentlemansayin1840
thatthedoingawaywiththepropertyqualificationforsuffragetwentyyearsbeforehadbeentheruinoftheStateofMassachusetts；thatithadputpubliccreditandprivateestatealikeatthemercyofdemagogues。IlivedtoseethatCommonwealthtwentyoddyearslaterpayingtheinterestonherbondsingold，thoughitcosthersometimesnearlythreeforonetokeepherfaith，andthatwhilesufferinganunparalleleddrainofmenandtreasureinhelpingtosustaintheunityandself-respectofthenation。
Ifuniversalsuffragehasworkedillinourlargercities，asitcertainlyhas，thishasbeenmainlybecausethehandsthatwieldeditwereuntrainedtoitsuse。