PUBLIC LIBRARY 141961 ASTOR, LENOX AND 1999. LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS. -Nov. 15 23-1916. ms TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM HARTPOLE LECKY, M.P. DEAR MR. LECKY, When your treatise on Democracy and Liberty was given to the world, I had the pleasure of receiving a copy from the author. In expressing my thanks for the gift, I told you that I was engaged upon a work dealing, to some extent, with the same topic; and that I should deny myself the gratification of perusing your volumes, until I had finished the task to which I had set myself. I was anxious to guard against the risk of unconsciously appropriating any of your thoughts. Three years have passed away since then. At last, I have completed my book and have read yours. And I rejoice to find that, although I write from another standpoint, and pursue a different method, there is much in the conclusions reached by me for which I may claim the sanction |