"The day of small nations has long passed away. The day of Empires has come"

In this quote, Joseph Chamberlain is revealing his belief that the age of small, independent nations is over and has been changed by the supremacy of big, effective empires. He suggests that the world has moved towards a time where empires hold the most influence and control over international affairs. This could be viewed as a reflection of the growing imperialism and manifest destiny of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where effective nations looked for to broaden their areas and exert their supremacy over smaller countries. Chamberlain's words also indicate a sense of nostalgia for the days of smaller sized countries, perhaps meaning the negative effects of empire-building and the loss of multiculturalism and autonomy for smaller sized nations.