The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-09-01
ANEW Theory Concerning tho Decline
and Fall OF tho Roman Power.

new TneoFy COncOFninE the Decline
and Fall OF tho Roman Power.
In an admirable article In Hacmil-
tdH's Mdga=ine, for August, Professor
seeley, the author OF "Ecce Homo"
suggests new cause for thu decline
and fall Of the Roman Empire. Gibbon
and many others have Rscrlbed 1t to a
general moral decay, which dissolved
the elements Of conference, und left the
massive structure TO fall TO pieces by its
own weight. Allison, In a very bril-.
liant paper In BLdcktOood'S Magazine,
some years ago, asCrIbed 1t to a want OF
money, 10 the gradual failure of the
gold mines OF Spain, and the draining
OF the eastern provinces from which
Rome deriyed much OF Its wealth.
Quiet ascribed 1t to crushing taxation,
and to the Inability OF the middle
classes to bear the heavy load. Each Of
these theories is plausible, and ex-
plains most Of the facts In the case.
Bat Prof. Seeley considers them inade-
quate to explain all the facts, and he
suggests a more radical and far. reach
ing cause, a want Of men, q loss Of
population In the empire.
lie thinks there Is no evidence Of
moral decay In the army, which waG
drawn from the peasantry, class un.
affected by efrenInancy or bad morals,
The army was as brave as ever, and
had as able a series Of generals as In
the days of the republic, but 1t was i'm.
possible to replenish It's lusses, except
from the barbarlans on the border. The
Romans did not cease to be victorious
In the field. The government Of the
empire at the time Of the decay WAS In
the hands Of leaders bred to war, and
accustomed to great commands. "Iu
valor, discipline and science" saws
Prof. Seeley, "the Roman armies re.
maIned what they always had been,
and tho peasant emperorS Of IllyrIcum
were worthy SUCCESSORS of Ciuciunatus
and CAiuS MArius. But men were
wanting: the empire persisted for want
OF men. The empire could not furnish
soldiers for Its own defence: 1t was
driven TO the strange eXpedIent oil
turning Its enemies aud plunderers
into It's defenders"
The loss OF men the Professor ascsibes
to the general neglect OF marriage, and
the unwllllnEness TO raise families,
Even the barb2rians. when they came
into contact with the Romans, were az
fected by II, so that Two OF the brayest
and most numerous German tribes, the
Helvetians and BitAviRus, became al.
most extinct In two or three centuries.
Julius Caesar found au alarming thin
ness Of population, and Augustus enact.
ed the Lex Julia, which was a practical
bribe offered for marriage, comforting
important privileges on married per-
sons. PRECISELY US we think OF mar
rlaEe, the Roman Of Imperial times
thought Of celibacy,-that is, as The
most comfortable but the most expen .
sive condition Of life. Marriage With
US Is a pleasure for which a man
must be content 10 pay; with tho Ro-
mans 1t was an excellent pecuuIary in.
vestmentr but an tntolerably Disagree
Dle one.' The snme evil prevailed In
Greece, after the Persian wars, and occa,
stoned great perplexity to It's states
men; and Polybius says bIuntly that
the decline In population was not due
TO war or pesttlence, but 10 the reluc-
lance OF his Couptrymen 10 rear famI.
lies.
The want Of industrial pursuits az a
foundation for social prosperity the
Professor considers prominent cause
OF the aversion to marriage. Industry,
Of every kind except agricultural, was
desplseu, and was given over to the
slaves. The wealth OF the republic and
the empire was derived from military
conquest, and when no wealthy nations
remSined TO be conquered, \ general
s!agralIon ensued; the taxes became a
crushing burden, population declined
and the empire hud no armies to reslBt
barbarian invaders. Like the Turks
they had military prowess to conquer a
magnificent empire, but, like the Turks
also, for the want OF habits OF Industry,
they could not retain or build up what
they conquered, and society fell Into a
general decay. Professor Seeley sums
l5 up: Tue inYInClble power had been
tanned By slow disease. Rome had
stopped, from misSIy!ug she could
not explain TO herself, In The career OF
victory. A century OF unparalleled
traLqnillty and virtuous government,
ID the age Of tho Autonles, Ia followed
Immediately by period OF hopeless
ruin and dissolution. She was able to
Conquer her naIiUnaliLies. She central.
Ized nerself successfully, and created a
government OF mighty Efficiency and
stability. But against this disease she
was powerless: and the disease was