John Stuart Mill: A Criticism with Personal Recollections

EXAMPLE OF EXPOSITION.
expounded is a highly complex idea, whose defining particulars
have to be separately illustrated. These are a few of the
testing forms of the expository art. Such matters cannot be
despatched currente calamovtitin. the pen of a ready writer.
They need careful retouching to find for each particular the
best possible place. Mill has often such topics to handle,
and certainly does not fall below the average of ordinary
writers; yet he does not rise above being passable. Two
examples, each with a special character, will show what is
intended.
The first is his exposition of Nationality. I quote a
part :
" A
portion of mankind may be said to constitute a Nation
ality, if they are united among themselves by common sym
pathies, which do not exist between them and any others
which make them co-operate with each other more willingly
than with other people, desire to be under the same govern
ment, and desire that it should be government by themselves,
or a portion of themselves, exclusively. This feeling of na
tionality may have been generated by various causes. Some
times it is the effect f identity of race and descent. Community
of language, and community of religion, greatly contribute to
it. Geographical limits are one of its causes. But the strong
est of all is identity of political antecedents ; the possession of
a national history, and consequent community of recollections ;
collective pride and humiliation, pleasure and regret, con
nected with the same incidents in the past. None of these
circumstances, however, are either indispensable, or necessarily
sufficient by themselves. Switzerland has a strong sentiment
of nationality, though the cantons are of different races, dif
ferent languages, and different religions. Sicily has hitherto
felt itself quite distinct in nationality from Naples, notwith
standing identity of religion, almost identity of language,
and a considerable amount of common historical antece
dents. The Flemish and the Walloon provinces of Belgium,
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