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Hereditary Genius
345
case of savage man. In the North American Continent, in the West
Indian Islands, in the Cape of Good Hope, in Australia, New Zealand,
and Van Diemen's Land, the human denizens of vast regions have
been entirely swept away in the short space of three centuries, less
by the pressure of a stronger race than through the influence of a
civilization they were incapable of supporting. And we too, the
foremost labourers in creating this civilization, are beginning to show
ourselves incapable of keeping pace with our own work. The needs
of centralization, communication, and culture, call for more brains and
mental stamina than the average of our race possess. We are in
crying want for a greater fund of ability in all stations of life; for
neither the classes of statesmen, philosophers, artisans, nor labourers
are up to the modern complexity of their several professions. An
extended civilization like ours comprises more interests than the
ordinary statesmen or philosophers of our present race are capable of
dealing with, and it exacts more intelligent work than our ordinary
artisans and labourers are capable of performing. Our race is
overweighted, and appears likely to be drudged into degeneracy by
demands that exceed its powers. If its average ability were raised a
grade or two, our new classes F and G would conduct the complex
affairs of the state at home and abroad as easily as our present F and
G, when in the position of country squires, are able to manage the
affairs of their establishments and tenantry. All other classes of the
community would be similarly promoted to the level of the work
required by the nineteenth century, if the average standard of the
race were raised.
When the severity of the struggle for existence is not too great for
the powers of the race, its action is healthy and conservative,
otherwise it is deadly, just as we may see exemplified in the scanty,
wretched vegetation that leads a precarious existence near the
summer snow line of the
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