They are nearer to the mass of people, they hold their authority by election of the people, and they understand that the rate of speed must be slow.

Under the guidance of their political leaders, the people are willing to move.
Sometimes the idealist is frankly revolutionary, is for beginning anew in politics, and starting society all over again.

If the state of things is bad enough, he may get into power, as he did in France at the Revolution, and for a time the world will stagger at his doings.

But there is no beginning _de novo_ in politics, and the revolutions wrought by men who would give the world an entirely fresh start (to be distinguished from mere changes of dynasty, such as our English Revolution was) have their sandy foundations washed away by the floods of reaction.
There is no such absolute escape from the past for men or nations, and we can only build our new social and political order on the foundations of experience.

But we may not be moved to build at all but for the prophet and the agitator, and therefore the instinct that makes governments slay or imprison the political agitator and suppress the writings of political prophets can be understood.