Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-07-20
General 1HtscrIlanu.
From the North American Review, July, 1850
SLAVERY IN ROME.

man Republic form a series of events SO grand
in their proportions, so tragic in their incl
donts, and 30 important in their results, as to
have merited and won the careful attention Of
the most sagacious students Of history. Iis
causcs-if asccrtainod-should bo warnings
in all times and among all nations; for causes
Themselves arc simple and Of constant rccur-
renee, lit il only their combinations that arc
manifold and Of special application. But the
disease which prostratcd this mighty state
was in itself so complicated, it lay so long
hidden while its victim was vainly boasting Of
exuberant strength, and when at length il
burst into view IFS attack was so viruent and
fatal, that il is no wonder inqurers arc batilcd
in their Investigations, or led by spocous
symptoms to neglect the true scat Of the mall
ady. All Of the various causes assigned
the inherent defects Of the political organiz-
alton, the inadoquacy Of the control exercised
by religion, tho blasting influence of slavery,
the enormous expansion OF territory, the cor
rupting food Of wealth which poured in from
Eastern conquests, the mischovous tenure Of
land, all these played their part in this mel
ancholy drama but the precise harm done by
each and how far each was an essential and ado-
quate cause, how far mere temporary ad-
|iunct, these are problems difficult to solve.
|hocn c,bapstiy,iv di.cpsscd hv NJ walton. in
Ia ,,h,io ro,rro o,a Lc,ri,, an tbc history
Of antiquity His three volumes are devoted
90 slavery in Greece and the Orient, under the
Roman Republic, and under the Empire AZ
,.r .,ns;lI,;r,, ,lo bs,,fnI elr,cts of tbi. in
stitution, he adds
-i i,g,e c,rss ~ froasi it4g. aaih1, H. pr9rvces
lhc great donaus II i' 'he ar DO ''rt under which
g Y 90 |HH HfHf 20 H.f
W ,,, .,,vary IL i. slavery which. rtne pos-
session of the country drove ee fee clas' to the e, it.
'a,er which in ti, 'ea' "a , DISPUTED Win " for l, "a.
.6cd m corup,on. anJ !, q cmrty u tc city, that place
which tho slave. then came TO take by means OF enamel
patton - '''' li p'''-
we propose 10 eA1m,ue U, ~
"n'cn 'nIs was "lco. i,,'su u''' "'V' 'N9 ''-
can derive rom "l'" "o'H' a'' ~"
Al Monmsen A'"''.". 70 '' ""'''
una the mos say ,'1''ly u''S .'e
soc"l ana poiilIe" o"a"s'S N"u1' 'N' '''''''N
/ henuonc'
Inc character OF roman siaveI! '"''eu vi
course win 'ue Soc'1' ana p'''''-''
uons OF the state ana may VA seao'ai "' W.
Ndad into three periods In lhe HrSl' OF pa
triarchal era, the slave was a member OF the
family IN the second, the later repuoHc' ne
was an instrument OF capital and spcculatoni
in the last he became a mere appendasc to
an establishment, kept rather Tor o'ten'ation
than for gem IL Us hardlY ne essaty 10 say
that neither OF these iorms eAisteu inueP9n-
IDENTITY of the Others nor can any precise
epoch be assigned when one gave way 10 an
other. In general 1t may be sald mat the
second period lasted from shortly after the
second Pume war almost 40 the u'ne oi the
c'lani'S "lilcn' "' H'' T'F'o' p''1"5
examine these peHous' "h" see WHAT luuuoHCe
slavery eXcttuu lu each over inc puOAc wei
faro
"'
IrupapIy no state uul 'I Ns'" mas pre-
gonfe1 tho ratri1rrLtl form of society so
l.,,r,. . p..,..... 300. .t, 81. ,,i.,;,,l ,r ,,.
.',V'-'''! 80 ''''
tuclan government. Hach iamNy lpImto q
unit the uaterfimiias father of the family I
t,;,, ,,,,,r,r ,,.o,, .c lifa and dc,th oyrr ali
H"N'"1 P"W. ''N" ' "''' '' ' Qua
his sons with their families, and over his un-
married. dauyhtcrs The family also included
',''' ''0
lhe clients, wa" s'o"1 d" ''i'''o" "' u' PEN
dencc and tho slaves who were absolute
p..t.t .. o.. f.t. .i... tf.t.:t .,.l
property V"'''N' ''' ''", '" ""' "''''
~ i..,r a., ,v,,r,lo u,,
80, ~ D.,
Attus Clausus migrated TO home win NO less
than five thousand followers. Wealth in
,tos, l,vs cor.tsted iu land and what tho
..l .....o-'o Ill ,,,t .,,l,i,.,o. ,.;,t
wealthy landowner Cou'u not ouil'",e with
his own hands was divided into smaller cs-
tates. and given in trust to his clients OF
slaves. probably for low rent payable in
kind. Thus the cultivation of large estates
was as Mommson expresses il, not large
farming tGrosswiribschato. "but a multiplca-
ton of smal-farming' ,ciuc uermetaitigfc
Klemmi,thscLajn. Probably most of the cit
lions however. had only as much land as
each oould cultivate with the help perhaps Of
singlo slaves
..,c c,,-p,opy Of the Roman was in early times gem
.croy confined within these narrow limits, two juger'
aeog, o1e sere o1%'' r,,, M .ri1,r, rt nv
AZ ica,t in writing, that he father Of family should be
really master Of The hc'd y wa. denanasa ,na. ITS en-
Srle I, 4. sti within theso limits that thc por,ious
assigned TO ci1cns sent into colonies were comprised
& ana 4%glus % turu' ,ns ,bo @ .,ii.e b
his So long as property vas confined within these Hm
ir slavery j. easily under must be much re-
ELY. II, W. .s.i.,,p, IN bie I3hor. As5 th5 slave
, ,,fo oi,,,i d;,n,tod l, tb, n5,,o M his rltster
Tbry s,iJ ,h l9y. ef Onit,,ns N Marcus OuinfitoJ
it;,or fo ,,c, NJ ,',ertl. hese old dero,oin,iion
XIX .t,st.t a. p,, no oh cr orioi, md ,,l,o, IN,
t5o, ,,. rll f,ir homo bv nuilc tutios tbe Slave
tnL a li,ctior of the farm aided by some hired labor
o. Ey, a. tt tr,c ~ m, frst Ptpie war tbrrc are
G,urj ,,, tho r,ost nlustrous citi.ons o,anples of
mis- ancient Moderation Thus Refulus at the head ~
mo nriny of Afrco asked Ms recall giving as "A reason
mat friratb Of bia slave and e hfilncss N his
birc ,,p Ion mis- iitr ii ri1 oo,ted and his family n