The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-11-20
iro From the Stark. County Democrat.
. A LESSON FROM HISTORY.


merely to peruse dry recital Of events,
but with the nobler view Of inquiring in
to the manners of men in different ages
and countries to inquire what circum.
stances have led to those revolutions
which it is the province Of history to re.
cord; what have been the different forms
of government, and what forms of gov.
ernment instituted to protect man in bis
right to life, liberty, and the pursuit Of
happiness, have best subserved the pur-
pose of protecting men in the enjoyment
of those rights that were the gift Of God
to man at the creation, and which exist.
ed among those who were equals previ.
GUS to the formation of States and socie.
ties; such as the right of personal secu.
rity, q mans uninterrupted enjoyment of
life, limbs, health and reputation, his
right to property, the free use, enjoy.
ment and disposal of his acquisitions,
and bis right to personal liberty, con.
sisting in the power of locomotion, of
changing his situation, Or of removing
his person where bis iucliRtion may di.
rect, without restraint; such restraint as
we find in q system of arbitrary arrests
and passports.
The most careless reader of the histo.
ry of Asiatic d@potism will be struck
with the sudden fall of extensive empires
and the rise Of new ones. The Medo.
Persian empire stretched from. the bor-
ders of Europe to India and from the
steppeS of Scythia to the cataracts of the
Nile, and yet how rapidly was this en-
pire conquered by Alexander. This
empire possessed what is called strong
government Its different states had
their local government, but they were
Subjugated provinces, held together by
force. The political power of the EN-.
pire was centralized in single section
that of Persia proper. The people of
the different provinces were, to great
extent, debarred from the profession of
arms, and a standing army was distribu-
ted throughout the provinces to keep
them in subsection. The provinces were
governed by satraps, who were appoint.
ed by the Persian monarch, and we're
generally his relatives. The province of
Persia proper enjoyed the precedence
over the other provinces of the empire
Its people were exemP Pt from tribute {;
most of the Offices and employments of
Importance we're conferred upon them,
that they might live at the expense of
the inhabitants of the different provinces,
and many of them drew large revenues
from houses, lands and vasSals assigned
to them in the different Snbjugated Prov
inces. The monarch of Persia was an
irresponsible despot in whose hands all
power was centralized This system of
centralization, however, instead of max
ing the government strong, proved in
the hour of trial source of weakness.
The different states held together by
force we're ready to submit to the first
invader. When Alexander conquered
the Persian empire the king was betray-
ed by his satraps. Sidon, Damascus
and Babylon surrendered without resist.
ance, and Egypt regarded him as a de-
liverer rather than conquerer- The
reader may find q graphic description of
the career of Alexander in the visions
of the prophet Daniel, written white the
Persian empire was in the height of its
grandeur, reposing after its victories,
but proudly repoSing, fresh and mex
hausted, the wonder of mankind. The
rapidity of Alexander's conquests is de.
noted by the prophets saying that the
goat (Which was the symbol of Macedon)
touched not the ground. He seemed to
bound over the plain like the four-winged
leopard, by which the prophet in anoth.
er vision represents the same kingdom.
The Persian empire, with its hundred
and twenty.seven provinces stretching
from India to Ethiopia, fell into the
hands of the Greeks all at once, like q
splendid prize drawn from lottery, and
like gamblers winnings, it was soon
dissipated and lost. ...
We will now turn our attention to the
Roman empire. In the early part of its
history the only territory of Rome was
the city and few miles around it. Her
monarchs we're but little more than vii
lage kings, and their only wars were with
the petty tribes of Italy. The city of
Rome first conquered the adjacent coun.
try and neighboring cities, and the
strength thus gained enabled her to ex.
tend her cenquests to other countries. -
AS remarked by Guizot, "The Roman
empire was coalition of municipalities
each Of which had previously been as
Independent as Rome itself, making
peace and war, and governing itself by
i, own will" As these cities were iucor-
porated in the Roman empire, the rights
of sovereignty, Of peace and war, of leg
islation and taxation, were transferred
from each city to, the central govern
ment at Rome. Rome thus reigued
over vast number Of municipalities,
which had nothing left but o civic exist
ence, The empire was composed Of q
number Of provinces which had been
united by the iron hand Of conquest. -
The most extensive conquests were made
withinthe last three hundred years before
the Christian era. When Augustus as.
cended the throne the city had been en-
riched with the spoils Of subjugated ma.
tions. About three hundred triumphal
celebrations had been witnessed within
its walls, and at the time Of each triumph
the spoils Of the vanquished were pour.
ed into the city, The principal estates
of a province were often the property Of
the oplent senators of Rome, who fre-
| ouantIv ancloaed within a ninOla farm