A political country is like an American forest; you have only to cut down the old trees, and immediately new trees come up to replace them; the seeds were waiting in the ground, and they began to grow as soon as the withdrawal of the old ones brought in light and air.
Bagehot uses a metaphor comparing political change to a forest, where new growth emerges after the old is removed.
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More from Walter Bagehot
They are above corruption because they are the corruptors.
The power of free interchange of ideas being wanting, the ideas themselves were barren.
Thirdly, we see why so few nations have made rapid advance, and how many have become stationary.
They are solely concerned with his attractiveness as a candidate; they need not regard his efficiency as a ruler.
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