THE YOUNG AMERICAN 355

due, becomes petulance and tyranny when the head
of the clan, the emperor of an empire, deals with
the same (lifierence of opinion in his subjects.
DiHerence of opinion is the one crime which kings
never forgive. An empire is an immense egotismo
“ I am the State,” said the French Louis. When.
a French ambassador mentioned to Paul of Russia
that a man of consequence in St. Petersburg was
interesting himself in some matter, the Czar inter-
rupted him,— “ There is no man of consequence
in this empire but he with whom l am actually
speaking; and so long only as I am speaking to
him is he of any consequence.” And the Emperor
Nicholas is reported to have said to his council,
“ The age is embarrassed with new opinions ; rely
on me gentlemen, I shall oppose an iron will t0
the progress of liberal opinions.”

It is easy to see that this patriarchal or family
management gets to be rather troublesome to all
but the papa; the sceptre comes to be a crow-bar.
And this unpleasant egotism, Feudalism opposes
and finally destroys. The king is compelled to call
in the aid of his brothers and cousins and remote
relations, to help him keep his overgrown house in
order; and this club of noblemen always come at
last to have a will of their own; they combine to
brave the sovereign, and call in the aid of the peo-
ple. Each chief attaches as many followers as he