The selfishness of the three directors threw away this golden opportunity.
It is not easy to see how Washington survived the year 1775; the colonial poverty, the exasperating annoyances, the outspoken criticism of those who demanded active operations, the personal and party dissensions in Congress, the selfishness or stupidity which cropped out again and again among some of the most patriotic of his coadjutors were enough to have broken down most men.
But Miranda's desire - that all the South American colonies should form a federal republic - awoke the selfishness of provincial administrations, and the cause was believed to be hateful to heaven owing to a great earthquake on the 26th of March 1812.
It protests against contemporary industrial selfishness, and against the organization of industry on the Darwinian principle of struggle for existence.
Some had heard of his great learning, and others had heard of his selfishness and cruelty.