Across the sea fat kings watched and were gleeful, that something begun so well had now gone off the rails (as down South similar kings watched), and if it went off the rails, so went the whole kit, forever, and if someone ever thought to start it up again, well, it would be said (and said truly): The rabble cannot manage itself. Well, the rabble could. The rabble would. He would lead the rabble in managing. The thing would be won. George Saunders
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"Across the sea fat kings watched and were gleeful, that something begun so well had now gone off the rails (as down South similar kings watched), and if it went off the rails, so went the whole kit, forever, and if someone ever thought to start it up again, well, it would be said (and said truly): The rabble cannot manage itself.Well, the rabble could. The rabble would. He would lead the rabble in managing. The thing would be won." This is a quote from "The Book of Virtues" by James M McNeill Whistler (1834-1903).

It refers to the time when England believed it could afford to let its colonies rule themselves through their independence movements. The idea of "the rabble" is an English term used to refer to working class people who were not well educated and therefore considered less than intelligent and not worth listening to.

Source: Lincoln In The Bardo

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