It would be too hard a confession, such as one cannot ask a nation to make.

Every heart would bound, leap forth at the idea.

And, besides, would not the danger perhaps be even greater if all that has been done were allowed to crumble?
How many wrecked hopes, how much discarded, useless material there would be! No, we can now only save ourselves by patience and courage--and forward, ever forward! We are a very young nation, and in fifty years we desired to effect the unity which others have required two hundred years to arrive at.

Well, we must pay for our haste, we must wait for the harvest to ripen, and fill our barns." Then, with another and more sweeping wave of the arm, he stubbornly strengthened himself in his hopes.

"You know," said he, "that I was always against the alliance with Germany.