Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-10-21
Ifrom The Journal Of Commerce.
Military IDespOtism.


We have before us, Tribune Campaign
Song No. 2. A fouler libel on our army
never appeared. More incendiary senti-
ments were never printed than these con-
tanned in those verses headed 'Tae soldiers
send you this" which appeared in Wednes-
days Tribune, and which are worthy OF a
place, In popular estimation, by the side OF
the Infamous lines beginning "Tear down
the Haunting Lie"
Here are the verses, with the historical
facts on which they are based:
"When Pertnax of Rome aspired
To seize his masters crown.
The Senate bowed, the crowd admired,
And cried 'Huzza for Pertinax!
He'll give us Peace, and stop the Tax.
And bring the market down!
The master" spoken of here was Commo-
dus one OF the vilest monsters that ever
cursed the earth, a brutal despot in whose
character history records not one redeem
ing quality. He was slain by his mistress,
who learned accidentally of his intention
to put her to death because she had opposed
a new act of degradation on which he was
bent.
PertinaX was general and statesman,
who had passed life of honorable distinc-
tion in the public service, and one of hand
ful Of public men of high character that
survived the wholesale executions ordered
by the tyrant Commodus. After the death
of the despot, PertinaX was pursuaded with
difficulty to accept the imperial throne, to
which he was called by the unanimous
voice of the Senate and people.
"But Pertinax, with anxious eyes,
Looked out from Roman halls.
And listened for appauding cries,
In Roman tents and biyouacs,
TO tell the strength of Petinax.
Where SOLDIERS kept the walls
The SOLDIERS" spoken of were not real
fighting soldiers. They never "bivouack-
ed" They were the pampered and demor-
allied pratorian guard, force of house.
hold troops organized for the protection OF
the despotic power of the emperors. Among
the extensive reforms introduced by PERTH
max, as soon as he assumed Office, was an
attempt to regulate and discipline this force,
which had become the terror of the State,
of discipline. The pr9torians, however,
proved too powerful for Pertinax. With
these explanations, The Tribune writer may
be left to tell the sequel in his own way:
"But never shout nor servile cheer
From Roman armies rose;
With ringing targe. and b hbrandished spear.
Not votes, they cried, ", PertnaX!
Can win us Peace, or stop the Tax
But SWORDS, that smite our foes"
linen from the camps, where soldiers lareu,
And smiled on Deaths abyss,
Up marched band, with daggers barred,
And whispered, as with fierce attacks,
They Glove the heart of Pertinax-
The soldiers send you THIS
Having massacred PertinaX, the states
man and general according to The Tribune
writer because he was too peaceful to suit
them), any one who was ignorant of histo-
ry would infer from the verses that they
put in his place some warlike patriot. What
they actually did was to sell the imperial
throne by auction. 1t was purchased by
Didius Julianus, the highest bidder, who
! however, was in few months deposed and
slain by Septimius Severus, one of the prin-
| cipal military commanders. Severus, in
his turn, seized the imperial power; and
one of his earliest acts was to intlict right
eous retribution on the lawless pratorians
He disbanded their organization and ban.
ished all its members, except those who had
actually taken part in the murder of PERTH
max. The latter he reserved for more eX-
emplary punishment.
The next (and concluding) verse Of The
Tribune's poetry is this:
"a timely History, handed down
From Roman days, | wist
| Let those who'd seize mOnarch's crown,
For Little Maps or Little Macs
Beware the fate of Pertinax;
THE SOLDIERS SEND you THIS