The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-06-14

frenzy fOrp political power though nOtlm-
mediately seen, bear fruit in due sea-
son. The harvest was yet to come in
the epochs to which we have referred.
Here we see a powerful empire de-
stroyed, and effects, wonderful in them
selvs, growing out of military achieve
ments; time which ''at last sets all
things even," has proven these success
ses to be ephemeral, and lacking that
solid foundation and sound policy
which the victories of peace alone pro-
duce.
We now, briefly as possible, propose
to speak of the Punic wars, the most
memorable of all the contests among
the ancients; waged by the rival COM
monwealths of Rome and Carthage,
not for dominion, but to decide Wheth-
er the Indo Germanic or the Semitic
family of nations should govern the
world. These races appear to have
been natural enemies and have bat
| tied with each other time out
of mind, in Asia, along the Med
iterranean and only concluded in the
contests between the Crusaders and
the Saracens in the Holy Land. This
strife was long and deadly; it was hand
ed down from sire to son, from Hamil
car to Hannibal, that great pioneer of
military movements across the Alps,
who kept Rome in continual dread for
seventeen years. Notwithstanding his
genius, the words of Cato, "deLe1ad0 est
Carthage" were carried out to the let
ter. Carthage 1CdS destroyed. The
French historian Michelet says, "Rome
| annihilated it-an entire civilization
perished at one blow-vanished like a
falling star. The Periplus of Hanno,
few coins, a score of lines in Plautus,
and, 10! behold all that remains of the
Carthagenian worldW This question
of race, comrades, has always been an
interesting one. At its mention you
involuntarily pause and consider. You
| cannot ignore it it belongs to history,
it sinks into the very marrow of phil
osophy. Among all people the purity
of the race is primary to the greatness
of the nation. We will not stop to trace
this now, but only remind you that, the
races which conquered then, and have
governed since, belong to the white
type. But let us pass on. Rome is
now the quarry for attack, and AttIia
1.-THE scourge Of Cod swept down upon
her in the fifth century ofour era, with
his hordes of Asiatic barbarians for the
purpose of founding a new anti-Chris-
tian dynasty, on the ruins of the tenn
poral power of Imperial Rome. Chal-
0ns was fought, and Rome was trium-
phant for the last time.
The Teutonic tribes on the north, and
Arabs on the south, began to snatch
from her now feeble grasp whole prov
inces, until these spoilers stood face to
faceat Tours. Thatadmirable historian,
Gibbon, says: "If the Saracen power
had not then been checked, the inter
pretation of the Koran would now be
taught in the schools of Oxford, and
her pulp1to might dsr.sotstro Q to a CIR
cumcised people the sanctity and truth
of the revelations of Mohammed." This
success over the Prophet of ISlam-the
Cross remained above the Crescent, and
Charles Martel. better known as Charlie
magne, in gaining that victory, won
for himself imperishable fame.
NGeu U6 Sdlu Ulld UllC OlIl1
influence of Christianity, made political
liberty a corollary to religious freedom.
How clear we can now see those lntiu-
ences on nations; they are regarded as
elemental both in war and peace; they
stamp Observation-Disclosures, whether
in the ranks of the soldier or the citizen.
Christianity has done this for mankind,
and this has made representative gov
ernment the OutcrOpping from the Dl-
vine truths of this diSpenSatiOn.
From this epoch in history we follow
the changes of nationalities across the
Channel to Merrie" England, to the
battle of Hastings, fought by William
the Conqueror against Harold, the last
of the Saxon kings. The success of Will
liam changed everything in England,
from the tenure of the land to the classes
in society. The SaXOnS were reduced
to serfdOm and never represented in the
governing class for century after the
conquest, until Henry Ii. made Thom-
as A Beckett Archbishop Canterbury.
The popular term of Anglo Saxon, in
nv Judgment, is misnomer. The de-
scendants of that age might be with
greater propriety termed Anglo Nor
mans. ParadoXical as it may seem, we
can agree with Guizot, the French hlsto-
rian, 1'that England's libei ties are ow-
ing to her being conquered by the Nor
MANS"
Upon the worlds highway the next
great contest is had, between the Span
ish armada of Philip and the English
fleet of Elizabeth. Hallam, in his Con-
stitutional history, beautifully says;
'In that memorable year, when the
dark clouds gathered round our coast,
when Europe stood by, in fearful sus-
pense, to behold what should be the
result of that great cast in the game of
| human politics what the craft of Rome
! the power of Philip, the genius of
Farnese could achieve, against the Is
! land Queen, with her brakes and Ce-
| cils?n This was tilt between PrOtes-
tant faith and English policy, and Cath
olicy backed by Spanish power; En-
! gland then, as always before and since,
successful on the ocean. But let this
proud queen of the sea beware. There
are now in her march for suprema-
cy, on her favorite element, floating
monitors in this Western World to halt
and hearken to.
Leaving the wide waste of waters, we
pass to the battle Of Blenheim, which
broke the power of Louis XIV. in Ger
many. His schemes of conquest were
dissolved by the bright genius of the
Duke of Marlborough, who never
fought battle he did not win, or be-
sieged place he did dot take. On this
sanguinary field he crushed the aggres-
sive policy of France, and by single
bIovI aInoOor aonihilatod their GRAND