In both cases national independence had no meaning except in a system of international, intellectual, moral, and political relations.
American national independence was to be won, not by means of a perverse opposition to European intellectual and moral influence, but by a positive and a thorough-going devotion to our own national democratic ideal.
The national intellectual ideal could afford to be as indifferent to the sources of American intellectual life as the American political ideal was to the sources of American citizenship.

The important thing was and is, not where our citizens or our special disciplinary ideals come from, but what use we make of them.

Just as economic and political Americanism has been broad enough and vital enough to make a place in the American social economy for the hordes of European immigrants with their many diverse national characteristics, so the intellectual basis of Americanism must be broad enough to include and vigorous enough to assimilate the special ideals and means of discipline necessary to every kind of intellectual or moral excellence.

The technical ideals and standards which the typical American of the Middle Period instinctively under-valued are neither American nor European.

They are merely the special forms whereby the several kinds of intellectual eminence are to be obtained.