Moses had his emissaries and leaders among his people. When they were told about the wonderful occurrences about Mount Sinai, and what the Great Jehova said to Moses, the story was rehearsed and repeated--about the promised land, their preservation, their liberty. Of course, what could they do otherwise than yield? Their hopes were elated, and they were really interested, and believed that the God of their forefathers had sent Moses as their deliverer. Moses had already their confidence by his past history. The hero, the great conqueror of the Ethiopians, the savior of Egypt--that alone was an immense prestige. But when it was announced that the Jehova, the Lord God, etc., had said this and that to him, that he commanded him to do this and that, where is the miracle, where is the wonder, that they obeyed? When Moses found that the Hebrews would be obedient to whatsoever he should direct, as they promised to be, and were in love with liberty, he began his negotiations with the king of Egypt, who had but lately received the government. As to his contest with the Egyptian priests in performing their respective tricks, called miracles, what wonder that these ignorant creatures believed, when we find stupid people enough of all nations that believe in the miraculous cures of an old rag, purporting to have belonged to Christ or some one else? Whatever was done, and how it was done, we shall never know. That there was nothing supernatural about the transaction is absolutely certain. The people may have believed it to be supernatural, as many millions believe to this day. You may believe a circle to be square, but that does not make it so. The untutored brain is surprised at a trifle, astonished at what it does not understand, and regards every new trick as a miracle. Neither Abraham, Isaac, nor Jacob could perform miracles. They had no use for them, knew nothing of them, and really had not the talent to produce them. Miracles had not been invented, or become the fashion. Moses was undoubtedly a proficient master of the magic arts, and accomplished his purpose thereby. After all, those performances were simply a side-show. He knew the strength of his people. A general of his capacity does not undertake a task of that magnitude without calculating the convincing force to back his demands. Six hundred thousand men on foot--besides children and women--organized under leaders, and no doubt equipped and ready for any emergency--an army of that size means a revolution of no small importance to a state. To avert greater danger, Egypt let them go.