Credenceisamainelement。’Tissaid，thattheviewsofnatureheldbyanypeopledeterminealltheirinstitutions。Whateverinfluencesaddtomentalormoralfaculty，takemenoutofnationality，asoutofotherconditions，andmakethenationallifeaculpablecompromise。
Theselimitationsoftheformidabledoctrineofracesuggestotherswhichthreatentoundermineit，asnotsufficientlybased。
Thefixityorinconvertiblenessofracesasweseethem，isaweakargumentfortheeternityofthesefrailboundaries，sinceallourhistoricalperiodisapointtothedurationinwhichnaturehaswrought。Anytheleastandsolitariestfactinournaturalhistory，suchasthemeliorationoffruitsandofanimalstocks，hastheworthofa_power_intheopportunityofgeologicperiods。Moreover，thoughweflattertheself—loveofmenandnationsbythelegendofpureraces，allourexperienceisofthegradationandresolutionofraces，andstrangeresemblancesmeetuseverywhere。ItneednotpuzzleusthatMalayandPapuan，CeltandRoman，SaxonandTartarshouldmix，whenweseetherudimentsoftigerandbabooninourhumanform，andknowthatthebarriersofracesarenotsofirm，butthatsomespraysprinklesusfromtheantediluvianseas。
Theloworganizationsaresimplest；ameremouth，ajelly，orastraightworm。Asthescalemounts，theorganizationsbecomecomplex。Wearepiquedwithpuredescent，butnaturelovesinoculation。Achildblendsinhisfacethefacesofbothparents，andsomefeaturefromeveryancestorwhosefacehangsonthewall。
Thebestnationsarethosemostwidelyrelated；andnavigation，aseffectingaworld—widemixture，isthemostpotentadvancerofnations。