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 ATTACK OX SEBASTOPOL. 229 the formation of opinion. jMeii evolved ilieir own chap. political ideas and drew forth the ideas of their friends by keen oral discussion, and in later n.rmlngand times by long elaborate letters. But gradually, ovmlon of ' and following somewhat slowly upon the inven- tion of printing, there came to be introduced a new division of labour. It was found that if a small number of competent men would make it their calling to transact the business of thinking upon political questions, the work might be more handily performed by them than by the casual efforts of people who were commonly busied in other sorts of toil; and as soon as this change took effect, the weighing of State questions and the judging of public men lapsed away from the direct cognisance of the nation at large, and passed into the hands of those who knew how to utter in print. What had been an intdlectual exercise, practised in a random way by thousands, was turned into a branch of industry and pursued with great skill by a few. People soon found out that an essay in print — an essay strong and terse, but, above all, opportune — seemed to clear their minds more effectually than the sayings which they heard in conversation, or the letters they received from their friends ; and at length the principle of divided labour became so complete in its application to the forming of political opinions, that by glancing at a newspaper, and giving swift assent to its assertions and arguments, many an Englishman was saved the labour of further exa- mining his political conscience, and dispensed