Page:Harris Dickson--The unpopular history of the United States.djvu/167

To Our Mistaught Millions spread over the entire western hemisphere, and became firmly imbedded in most of the older countries. It means that every fellow must have an equal show — a fair shake, a square deal, a chance for his white alley. Do I put it plain? We Americans are powerful sot in our notion of sticking to that Big Idea. We won't give it up, not without a fight.

About the time our forefathers were signing the Declaration of Independence, and defending it, Frederick the Great, of Prussia, was lifting his obscure kingdom to the position of a world power, based upon a totally different idea, the Divine Right of Kings, the right of a solitary man to rule other men whether they want him to or not. Sometimes it was more fun for Frederick when they didn't want him. The Divine Right of Kings likes to boss the plain folks, keep 'em down, beat 'em down — and then make 'em love it.

Frederick built, Bismarck perfected, and the present Emperor William II said at Frankfort that his "grandfather had by his own right placed upon his head the crown of [149]