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connection planting himself； during all his years of health； on the
side of progress； who； as soon as he begins to die； checks his
forward play； calls in his troops； and becomes conservative。 All
conservatives are such from personal defects。 They have been
effeminated by position or nature； born halt and blind； through
luxury of their parents； and can only； like invalids； act on the
defensive。 But strong natures； backwoodsmen； New Hampshire giants；
Napoleons； Burkes； Broughams； Websters； Kossuths； are inevitable
patriots； until their life ebbs； and their defects and gout； palsy
and money； warp them。
The strongest idea incarnates itself in majorities and nations；
in the healthiest and strongest。 Probably； the election goes by
avoirdupois weight； and； if you could weigh bodily the tonnage of any
hundred of the Whig and the Democratic party in a town； on the
Dearborn balance； as they passed the hayscales； you could predict
with certainty which party would carry it。 On the whole； it would be
rather the speediest way of deciding the vote； to put the selectmen
or the mayor and aldermen at the hayscales。
In science； we have to consider two things： power and
circumstance。 All we know of the egg； from each successive
discovery； is； _another vesicle_； and if； after five hundred years；
you get a better observer； or a better glass； he finds within the
last observed another。 In vegetable and animal tissue； it is just
alike； and all that the primary power or spasm operates； is； still；
vesicles； vesicles。 Yes； but the tyrannical Circumstance！ A
vesicle in new circumstances； a vesicle lodged in darkness； Oken
thought； became animal； in light； a plant。 Lodged in the parent
animal； it suffers changes； which end in unsheathing miraculous
capability in the unaltered vesicle； and it unlocks itself to fish；
bird； or quadruped； head and foot； eye and claw。 The Circumstance is
Nature。 Nature is； what you may do。 There is much you may not。 We
have two things； the circumstance； and the life。 Once we thought；
positive power was all。 Now we learn； that negative power； or
circumstance； is half。 Nature is the tyrannous circumstance； the
thick skull； the sheathed snake； the ponderous； rock…like jaw；
necessitated activity； violent direction； the conditions of a tool；
like the locomotive； strong enough on its track； but which can do
nothing but mischief off of it； or skates； which are wings on the
ice； but fetters on the ground。
The book of Nature is the book of Fate。 She turns the gigantic
pages； leaf after leaf； never returning one。 One leaf she lays
down； a floor of granite； then a thousand ages； and a bed of slate； a
thousand ages； and a measure of coal； a thousand ages； and a layer of
marl and mud： vegetable forms appear； her first misshapen animals；
zoophyte； trilobium； fish； then； saurians； rude forms； in which
she has only blocked her future statue； concealing under these
unwieldly monsters the fine type of her coming king。 The face of the
planet cools and dries； the races meliorate； and man is born。 But
when a race has lived its term； it comes no more again。
The population of the world is a conditional population not the
best； but the best that could live now； and the scale of tribes； and
the steadiness with which victory adheres to one tribe； and defeat to
another； is as uniform as the superposition of strata。 We know in
history what weight belongs to race。 We see the English； French； and
Germans planting themselves on every shore and market of America and
Australia； and monopolizing the commerce of these countries。 We like
the nervous and victorious habit of our own branch of the family。 We
follow the step of the Jew； of the Indian； of the Negro。 We see how
much will has been expended to extinguish the Jew； in vain。 Look at
the unpalatable conclusions of Knox； in his 〃Fragment of Races；〃 a
rash and unsatisfactory writer； but charged with pungent and
unforgetable truths。 〃Nature respects race； and not hybrids。〃 〃Every
race has its own _habitat_。〃 〃Detach a colony from the race； and it
deteriorates to the crab。〃 See the shades of the picture。 The German
and Irish millions； like the Negro； have a great deal of guano in
their destiny。 They are ferried over the Atlantic； and carted over
America； to ditch and to drudge； to make corn cheap； and then to lie
down prematurely to make a spot of green grass on the prairie。
One more fagot of these adamantine bandages； is； the new
science of Statistics。 It is a rule； that the most casual and
extraordinary events if the basis of population is broad enough
become matter of fixed calculation。 It would not be safe to say when
a captain like Bonaparte； a singer like Jenny Lind； or a navigator
like Bowditch； would be born in Boston： but； on a population of
twenty or two hundred millions； something like accuracy may be had。
（*）
（*） 〃Everything which pertains to the human species； considered
as a whole； belongs to the order of physical facts。 The greater the
number of individuals； the more does the influence of the individual
will disappear； leaving predominance to a series of general facts
dependent on causes by which society exists； and is preserved。〃
Quetelet。
'Tis frivolous to fix pedantically the date of particular
inventions。 They have all been invented over and over fifty times。
Man is the arch machine； of which all these shifts drawn from himself
are toy models。 He helps himself on each emergency by copying or
duplicating his own structure； just so far as the need is。 'Tis hard
to find the right Homer Zoroaster； or Menu； harder still to find the
Tubal Cain； or Vulcan； or Cadmus； or Copernicus； or Fust； or Fulton；
the indisputable inventor。 There are scores and centuries of them。
〃The air is full of men。〃 This kind of talent so abounds； this
constructive tool…making efficiency； as if it adhered to the chemic
atoms； as if the air he breathes were made of Vaucansons； Franklins；
and Watts。
Doubtless； in every million there will be an astronomer； a
mathematician； a comic poet； a mystic。 No one can read the history
of astronomy； without perceiving that Copernicus； Newton； Laplace；
are not new men； or a new kind of men； but that Thales； Anaximenes；
Hipparchus； Empedocles； Aristarchus； Pythagoras； ；oEnopides； had
anticipated them； each had the same tense geometrical brain； apt for
the same vigorous computation and logic； a mind parallel to the
movement of the world。 The Roman mile probably rested on a measure
of a degree of the meridian。 Mahometan and Chinese know what we know
of leap…year； of the Gregorian calendar； and of the precession of the
equinoxes。 As； in every barrel of cowries； brought to New Bedford；
there shall be one _orangia_； so there will； in a dozen millions of
Malays and Mahometans； be one or two astronomical skulls。 In a large
city； the most ca