causes and their plain results, without prying too far beneath the
surface for remote and ultimate influences.

Nevertheless, it must be noted that particular forms of government
with their accompanying institutions, and the character of rulers at
one time or another, have exercised a very marked influence upon the
development of sea power. The various traits of a country and its
people which have so far been considered constitute the natural
characteristics with which a nation, like a man, begins its career;
the conduct of the government in turn corresponds to the exercise of
the intelligent will-power, which, according as it is wise, energetic
and persevering, or the reverse, causes success or failure in a man's
life or a nation's history.

It would seem improbable that a government in full accord with the
natural bias of its people would most successfully advance its growth
in every respect; and, in the matter of sea power, the most brilliant
successes have followed where there has been intelligent direction by
a government fully imbued with the spirit of the people and conscious
of its true general bent. Such a government is most certainly secured
when the will of the people, or of their best natural exponents, has
some large share in making it; but such free governments have
sometimes fallen short, while on the other hand despotic power,
wielded with judgment and consistency, has created at times a great
sea commerce and a brilliant navy with greater directness than can he
reached by the slower processes of a free people. The difficulty in
the latter case is to insure perseverance after the death of a
particular despot.

England having undoubtedly reached the greatest height of sea power of