Chapter X: Book III

_“Russia began by asking Europe for the finished products of
western civilisation, to meet the requirements of her state
service. It was not in this offhand way that Europe had been able
to produce these finished products, which had behind them a whole
background of civilisation. Gradually the Russian customer was
driven backwards to a fuller and closer appreciation of what he
really lacked. He began by asking for weapons and went on to ask
for military training. He began by asking for clocks or any other
fascinating machinery and went on to ask for technical service.
He began by asking for ready-made books on given subjects, and
went on to ask for education. He began by asking for knowledge and
inevitably, however slowly, he was compelled to recognise the need
for that training of character which can alone produce competent,
self-respecting and honest servants of the state. He began by
asking for the end and went on with infinite inner conflicts and
searchings of heart to ask for the beginnings.”_

PROFESSOR BERNARD PARES,
“A History of Russia.”

_“Our America to-day I consider in many respects as but indeed a
vast seething mass of materials, ample, better (also worse) than
previously known; eligible to be used to carry towards its crowning
stage and build for good, the great ideal nationality of the future
... no limit here to land, help, opportunities, mines, products,
demands, supplies, and with--I think--our political organization,
national, state, and municipal--permanently established as far
ahead as we can calculate, but so far no social, religious, or
æsthetic organizations consistent with our politics.”_

WALT WHITMAN,
Preface to 1872 Edition of “Leaves of Grass.”