But it is not great men only that have to be taken into account in
estimating the qualities of a nation, but the character that
pervades the great body of the people. When Washington Irving
visited Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott introduced him to many of his
friends and favourites, not only amongst the neighbouring farmers,
but the labouring peasantry. "I wish to show you," said Scott,
"some of our really excellent plain Scotch people. The character
of a nation is not to be learnt from its fine folks, its fine
gentlemen and ladies; such you meet everywhere, and they are
everywhere the same." While statesmen, philosophers, and divines
represent the thinking power of society, the men who found
industries and carve out new careers, as well as the common body
of working-people, from whom the national strength and spirit are
from time to time recruited, must necessarily furnish the vital
force and constitute the real backbone of every nation.

Nations have their character to maintain as well as individuals;
and under constitutional governments--where all classes more or
less participate in the exercise of political power--the national
character will necessarily depend more upon the moral qualities of
the many than of the few. And the same qualities which determine
the character of individuals, also determine the character of
nations. Unless they are highminded, truthful, honest, virtuous,
and courageous, they will be held in light esteem by other
nations, and be without weight in the world. To have character,
they must needs also be reverential, disciplined, self-
controlling, and devoted to duty. The nation that has no higher
god than pleasure, or even dollars or calico, must needs be in a
poor way. It were better to revert to Homer's gods than be