Page:The Psychology of Jingoism.djvu/93

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The Inevitable in Politics
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Manifest Destiny,' defined not inaptly by the humourist Josh Billings, as 'the science of going to the devil before you get there,' first assumed prominence as a condemnation of one of the most indefensible acts of American history – the Mexican War.

A pseudo-scientific view of history has been used to support this new predestinarianism in politics. In pre-scientific days nations and individuals coveting the lands of other people – for example, the buccaneers and adventurers of the great Tudor age – did not prate of manifest destiny, or seriously plead 'the mission of civilization.' Until quite recent times history showed little else than the lusts and interests of individuals, classes, nations, working naked and unashamed in a world of chances; the 'reign of law' was little recognized in the affairs of men. Even nowadays the actual men who play so important a part in politics, as diplomatists, administrators, concession-mongers, are quite aware that the events which most concern them are anything but 'inevitable' – that it is a very 'touch and go' affair whether they get what they want or not, a matter of carefully balanced moves and counter-moves, plotting and contriving; though some of these are discreet enough in their

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