No Restorations

In 1815, at the end of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic period, Europeans generally believed that the forces of change could be turned back and that romantic conservatism would restore traditional society. The restoration, it was believed, not only would turn back the clock but also would, in the future, perfect past political systems. It is well to realize that there are Utopias of the Right as well as Utopias of the Left. That, of course, did not happen, for the flight of time’s arrow is unidirectional. Lasaulx put the matter succinctly when he said,

 ...I belong to those who do not believe in political restoration; there is no such thing. All restorations which have been attempted have failed after a short time....There are no ways back; the gates are closed, the bridges are down, the ships are burned. The command of history is a “forward march!” even though we march to death.

- Stephen J. Tonsor, "Jacob Burckhardt: Tradition and the Crisis of Western Culture."