New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-10-18
From Blackwood for October.
FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
cvcmpNt on or aVFpy

we bepin. as is customary at tine beginning. Gau
was Roman province before it became the king
dom of France, and we must assist at the trans
formation.
In speaking-says NJ. Guizot, in passage
quoted by Michelet-in speaking OF that invasion
which overthrow the Western Empire, we often
hear such expressions used as the snuaddtl0n ct
barbarians sweeping all before it-a sort of human
deluge carrying awayaa the monuments of cviliza-
ton. Such expressions deceive as to the true
nature of the event. No great and sudden disas
ter overthrow the Roman Empire. nor did its laws
and civilization die this violent death. number
of inyasions-partial, successiVe-ot men banded
together for predatory excursion more frequently
than Of armies raised for territorial conquest
these wore down the strength, wasted, and finally
DESTROYED the Roman Empire in the West. 1t was
thus, more especially, that Gaul was conquered
No mortal blow was struck, but general IN
security of life and property for long time al
nictsd the province; no part OF the country was
safe no one knew whose land, whose village,
would be next laid waste; communication from
one town to another was cut oil OF rendered dan
gerous; the organization Of society was assaied,
impeded in its action, broken up, Destroyed
There was dissolution, gradual but irreparable,
of the vast body of the State-ils repeated wounds
healed not, but limb after limb suffered mortilca
tion and paralysis, and decay. The masters OF
the Roman world found it impossible to hold to-
gether, to keep in systematic action their muti!a-
ted Empire; they we're compelled TO relinqu'sh
even those parts which had as yet been spared by
the INVADER from a great part of Gau, and from
Great Britain, the imperial administration dehber-
atcly withdrew, leaving the territory TO be divided,
or contested for amongst the rival hordes OF bar
barians.
If such be the true character of the event. how
the success of the barbarian be accounted tor =
how came the Empire to fall under series OF III
vasions nothing comparable to those which the
Republic sustained Shall we attribute the weak
ness of the Empire to the vices of the Imperial
Government? But an Imperial Government is, at
all events well calculated for the purposes OF war,
and the provinces were more wisely and justly
governed under the sway OF an Autocrat than ull-
der those Prefects which the Senate annually sent
FORTH and whose great anxiety was to enrich them
selves before their successors drove them from the
field. The worst of the Emperors were often eX-
ceedingly popular and believed in the Provinces
Rome itself being a theatre large enough for the
practice of all their vices and their tyranny. Js-
risprudence, and the administration OF the civil
law continued in steady course OF improvement.
1t was an internal evil certainly that destroyed the
Empire, but not one OF a Posttscat nature-lt was
a Social malady-one whichlay in the very organ
ization of Society-one which no administrative
power could rcach--it was the system which COM
mitted the cultivation Of the SOIL and other branch
es of manual industry, to the hands of the Slave
it was this that, like slow poison in the con-
stitution, withered up the strength of tue Roman
Empire.
When Rome made her vast conquests, she
brought in, from every part of the World, troops
of captives. With these the rich Patricians cult
waited their enormous estates; the race OF snal
proprieters and of free husbandmen became ex-
linct; and tho mobiles committed their extended
fields and their vast tracks OF pasture to the care
of these imported Slaves Throughout the En-
pire the land was generally cultivated by Slaves,
or BY agricultural laborers Bound to the soil, and
but one degree removed from Slavery; Arts and
Manufactures were practised by the slave; the in-
dustry of a Couatry, in which consists the wealth
of Cauntry, was entrusted to the energy of the
Slave.
Doubtless there were other causes operating 10
the destruction Of the Roman Empire; but all
other canses, without this, are Insufficient to eX-
plain the fact, that noble Province as Gaul-
under the sway of Civilized and Military power
was allowed to be pilased and conquered piece
by hordes of barbariaas; while this one cause
seems sufficient of itself to account for such Ia
neu,able result. For note how iSsidious and COM
pete was the mischief that It wrought. As Its
first consequence, there was no rec IeaSanttS 10
rise on the emergency to repel an invader-no pa
tyiot bands could be called together-no militia.
no guerilla warfare; all must depend on the paid
and disciplined troops of the Emperor. While,
indeed, the revenue of the Emperor was sufficient
to the demand made upon it, this was not OF vital
importance. OF good soldiers there was no lack,
SO they could be paid for. Rome could subsdize
Its invaders to protect it from invasion. Those
large-handed Robbers, those men of gian, bulk
who came stalking ont Of fields and forests thew
had no patience to cultivate, were willing enoueh
to feed and fight (,hey were equal pleasures) al
the Empires expense. But second consequence
of this false and vicious system was even more
disastrous than the FIRST. An industry committed
to slaves-divoroed from the spirit of competition
converted to aissrace-s,alionary at the best,
with no principle of advancement, no elasticity 70
recover itself from depressing circumstance
could not supply the Reseaue for the support of
that immense mercenary force which the weakness
of a slave population rendered necessary. The
burden of taxation absolutely crushed the people
Year after year that burden was imposed upon re
sources which were year after year declining unde,
Its pressure. The taxation impoverished, I'll IT
some places it actually dePopnlated, che Province
Slavery was not, Of course, peculiar 10 the no
man Empire; nor is this the only Empire which
has sunk under tho slow curse it entails, 1t was
rho system prevailing throughout the OLD world
apparently the frat and inevitable result of Hm
and Conquest. It was natural and egregous
blupder of human sel6shne.s. community OF
men thought it the NEST rapid and certain method
Of enriching themselves to conquer other men,