life—it has passed from a flagrant to a chronic state." And, indeed, this was the age of permanent revolutionary unrest. From 1815 to 1830 alone, political cyclones swept over Europe, and shook established authority in Spain, in Portugal, in Italy, and in Greece. These were followed by the French Revolution of 1830, and by others in Belgium and Poland. Seven revolutions in little more than fifteen years! After 1830 the movement culminated in 1848 with a series of explosions which burst throughout Europe.
It might be thought, then, and it was thought by the men of 1850, that, war having played every trick upon democracy, peace was now at last definitely in sight. Britons began to descant on the parliament of man, on war drums beating no longer, and on the federation of the world. Our universal exhibition was organised to usher in the brotherhood of peoples, and good men gushed over the inauguration of universal peace.
From that moment, however, wars raged in almost all quarters of the globe. In Europe alone, Italy fought Austria; Austria fought Germany; Germany fought France; France fought Russia; Russia fought England; Germany fought Denmark; Russia fought Turkey; and so on with the catalogue. Triumphant democracy!
But surely, with the close of the latter war, and with the successful conclusion of the Berlin Conference, the nations could at last consent to cease from aggression and the rape of territories
