Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-02-10

note how lnsidiouS anu complete was the MISCHIEF
that it wrought. As the first consequence there
wns no free peasantry to rise on the emergency to
repel an nvader--no patriot bands could he called
ogelher-no militia no guerilla warfare all must
depend on the paid and disciplined hoops OF the
Emperor. While, indeed, the revenue OF the Emu
peror was sufficient to the demand made upon H.
this was not ofyital Importance. Ofgood soldiers
there was no lack, long MS thoy could be pnid
for. Rome could subsidize its invaders TO protect
| it from invasion. Those large handed Robbers,
| those OF giant bulk, who came stalking oul of
! fields and forests they hud no patience 10 cult
vnte, were willing enough to feed aud fight ,Ihey
! were equal pleasures,) at the Empires expense.
| But The second consequence of this false and vi
| cious system WAS even more disastrous than the |
| first An industry committed to slayes--divorced
from the spirit OF cofppettion-converted 10 dis
grace-slalonary at the best, with no principle OF
advancemen no elasticity 10 recover itself from
depressing crcumslances-could not supply the
reuenue tor the support Of that immense mercena-
! ry force which the weakness ola slave population
rendered necessary. Tie burden of taxation ab-
soulely crushed The people. Year after year tlal
7 burden was imposed upon resources which were
yenr after year declining under its pressure. The
taxation impoverished, till in some places it acu-
| ally depopulnted tho Province
| Slavery was not. of course, peculiar to the Ro-
man Empire nor is this the only Empire which
has sunk under the slow curse it entails IL was
the system prevailing throughout the old world
apparently the first and inevitable result of " ar
nnd Conquest. IL was natural and egregrious
! bunder Of human seishness. A community OF
men though. it the mos, rapid and certain method
| OF enrichDg themselves 10 conquer other men, 10
take them captive, and make them work for them.
But wealth Is, inter oil the product OF human IN
duslry, reducing TO subsection the powers of ma
ture IL 10 Nature, not Man, that we nustkc Icon
quer and Nature yields reluctantly and grudg-
ingly to dishonorable toll, aud labor tina, the
scourge compes. She loves not TO surrender to
L,., .l, ,l,ts l,..f
in addition to the suffering of The human being,
compusion, and the prison house, and Labor
(Which i'll every sense, is MINIS best friend, con-
yerled to Observation-Disclosures all this, there is
gross blunder made in the attainment of Nation
al Wealth. The great proprietor, whether Pa,ri-
clan Or Bashaw, or Noble, is content enough, and
finds that al goes well but the community, a
whole, become impoverished; its industry, the
source OF every thing, is relaxed, unhonored slotb
and corruption are foslered, it's fictitious strength
decays, its civilization must kiss the dust.
lnterrogae those gigantic ruins in the East
Thebes, and Egypt. and Pslmyra-,hey will teach
the same lesson. Easlnved muliitudes raised the
temple, the palace, the pyramid, and melting away
at the base of the structure they had reared, stl
their work to the Inheritance OF The desert. The
slow sand gained on their labors.
These yield silent testimony in the history
OF Rome we have loud evidences of the operation
oil this pernicious system. Nothing can speak
more plainly than the description we have of the
distresses Of the province Of Gaul, owing TO lht
demands of craving exchequer,and that at time
when no peculiar tyranny is complained Of. Whel
the was 10 he taken, says Loctantius, faith
er of the church, in order to fix on each person o
m family the duo amount OF contribution, such wa
the lameniution, such the general distress, on
would have thought there was an invading army
or a town taken by assault. But in vain, he adds
did the officers exnggerae the value of every hing
IL. order to lay on il HE greater tsX-iu vain di'
they add TO the years of Infancy and take from
those ofod age ,hatthey nigh increase the mum
&c ber OF such were liabe 10 the tribute the
- indeed, could suffer and could slarye, bun the
ne could no longer pay. The fields were deserted
ne or were srewed with the sick and the dying. Th
tax, in all its exorbancy, was imposed, but iher
o. was nothing left TO pay ii but the dead
on Nor did the wealthy Inhabitants of the Gaulis
en- towns escape the unwonted pressure OF this linar
oil ciul distress. Tie magistrates, the cmialeS
AN made responsible, in the first instance, for the Ia
H. imposed upon the whole province. They wer
he called TO pay the entire contribution into the i'm
EN- peral exchrquer and take upon themselves III
lis collection of It. Now the magistrates OF the gree
"A cities Of GRul occupied very honorable position
Ell much power was necessarily thrown into the
e. hands, and the emperors were, in general, solicl
N Gus TO mulnain the honor and efficiency ol III
nd body OF men. But This one charge Of collectn
st. the revenue was so oppressive and rendered the
m odious TO their fellow countrymen, that thel
a the greatest anxiety 10 escape from ohc
Try resided in their villas, were exempted the cla
III in order were those oppressed 10y these civ
ION h0nors and they had recourse to all manner
ed orelexls and expedients TO escape from then
all The code is full of decisions pronounced again
- such preexts, and compelling men 10 assun
Die, these municipal functions. Some were known
Ids take flight and conceal themselves in the garb
"a slaves, in order to avoid these in,oleable honor
oil There is a nouei-ihat is, decree OF The emper
to- which ordains, "iha, if any bailifi of an esta
la ito free translalion) should receive such ru
ish away burgess or common councilman, and II
ny render him up 10 the town 10 which he belonge
ON such baif, il freeman, should be degraded Al
'sr. sentenced TO labor, and il slave, should be bel
led en- TO death" What shal! we say of the state
var society where there was a law Furnishing vi
death any one who should harbor citizen see
low ing refuge among slaves from the honors O.
ted megistracy
ries In the mixture of good and evil which accru
the TO mankind from the overthrow Of the Rom
ak. empire, we must set down first and pre-eminen
rial among its good results, thar it led to the aboi,i
49, of this system of slavery. 1t seems that nolhi
3 oil less than reconstruction of socieiy-a compl
ust beginning ugain could ger rid ofan evil inc
han roratod into the civilization OF oden times.
ally sometimes hear this result attributable
rich simply TO Christianity. There has been no &c
nem done in which that religion has not had s chi
we're there is no good result 10 which il ought not
row lead but assuredly the preaching Of Christian
ugh did not itself effect this reformation. The city
ran Antioch was one Of the greatest, and perhaps
the most Christian city of the empire. Its opulsnt
i'm habunts retained their slaves with as liIts &c
TINT pic OF conscience nnder the preaching Of their
tical ceent bishop ST. Chrysostom, us when the pr
lay Of Apollo led forth the youth OF the city 10 r
ch Gus assembly, in The voluptuous groves OF Daph
the He who would note The true era of the down
the ofslayery, must, in our opinion keep his eye
the on the rising eommunes, the new niuncipnlit
slow wnch over all feudal Europe struggled into G,
myth tencs and power against their dsorderly opp
sors. In these commuDes, or free burghs, soc
she began alresh, aud entered OIL "a new rack.
oops citizens, who were here struggling for indep
ui- dence and the benefit of equal laws, were not
mall the condition to hare slaves what they conten
net for was the liberty TO work with their own hal