CHAPTERII
THEINDUSTRIALSPIRIT
I。TheManufacturesThehistoryofEnglandduringtheeighteenthcenturyshowsacuriouscontrastbetweenthepoliticalstagnancyandthegreatindustrialactivity。Thegreatconstitutionalquestionsseemedtobesettled；andthestatesmen，occupiedmainlyinsharingpowerandplace，tookaveryshortsightedviewnotforthefirsttimeinhistoryofthegreatproblemsthatwerebeginningtopresentthemselves。TheBritishempireintheEastwasnotwonbyatoweringambitionsomuchasforceduponareluctantcommercialcompanybythenecessitiesofitsposition。TheEnglishracebecamedominantinAmerica；butthepoliticalconnectionwasbrokenoffmainlybecauseEnglishstatesmencouldonlyregarditfromtheshopkeepingpointofview。WhenanewworldbegantoariseattheAntipodes，ourrulerssawanopportunitynotforplantingnewoffshootsofEuropeancivilisation，butforriddingthemselvesofthesocialrubbishnolongeracceptedinAmerica。Withpurblindenergy，andeyesdoggedlyfixeduponthegroundattheirfeet，theracehadsomehowpressedforwardstoillustratetheolddoctrinethatamannevergoessofaraswhenhedoesnotknowwhitherheisgoing。Whilethinkingofearninganhonestpennybyextendingthetrade，our’monied-men’werelayingthefoundationofvaststructurestobedevelopedbytheirdescendants。
Politicians，again，hadlittletodowiththegreat’industrialrevolution’
whichmarkedthelasthalfofthecentury。Themainfactsarenowafamiliartopicofeconomichistorians；norneedIspeakofthemindetail。Thoughagriculturewasstillthemainindustry，andthelandownersalmostmonopolisedpoliticalpower，anevergrowingproportionofthepeoplewasbeingcollectedintowns；theartisanswerecongregatinginlargefactories；andthegreatcloudofcoal-smoke，whichhasneverdwindled，wasalreadybeginningtodarkenourskies。Thechangecorrespondstothedifferencebetweenafullydevelopedorganismpossessedofacentralbrain，withanelaboratenervoussystem，andsomelowerforminwhichthevitalprocessesarestillcarriedonbyanumberofseparateganglia。Theconcentrationofthepopulationinthegreatindustrialcentresimpliedtheimprovementofthemeansofcommerce；