Chapter 5

           

           Thelifeofthenationsisnotcontainedinthelivesofafewmen,fortheconnectionbetweenthosemenandthenationshasnotbeenfound.Thetheorythatthisconnectionisbasedonthetransferenceofthecollectivewillofapeopletocertainhistoricalpersonagesisanhypothesisunconfirmedbytheexperienceofhistory.

           Thetheoryofthetransferenceofthecollectivewillofthepeopletohistoricpersonsmayperhapsexplainmuchinthedomainofjurisprudenceandbeessentialforitspurposes,butinitsapplicationtohistory,assoonasrevolutions,conquests,orcivilwarsoccur—thatis,assoonashistorybegins—thattheoryexplainsnothing.

           Thetheoryseemsirrefutablejustbecausetheactoftransferenceofthepeople’swillcannotbeverified,foritneveroccurred.

           Whateverhappensandwhoevermaystandattheheadofaffairs,thetheorycanalwayssaythatsuchandsuchapersontooktheleadbecausethecollectivewillwastransferredtohim.

           Therepliesthistheorygivestohistoricalquestionsareliketherepliesofamanwho,watchingthemovementsofaherdofcattleandpayingnoattentiontothevaryingqualityofthepasturageindifferentpartsofthefield,ortothedrivingoftheherdsman,shouldattributethedirectiontheherdtakestowhatanimalhappenstobeatitshead.

           “Theherdgoesinthatdirectionbecausetheanimalinfrontleadsitandthecollectivewillofalltheotheranimalsisvestedinthatleader.”Thisiswhathistoriansofthefirstclasssay—thosewhoassumetheunconditionaltransferenceofthepeople’swill.

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