The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-03-24
Is Liberty One of the Lost Arts

In recent talk with member of Con
gress, who was full of pomposity, wind and
ignorance, to say nothing of profession of
insolence, he made the remark; ''WhY sir,
this is now the first free country, and the
only free country, that ever existed" Judge
of the Vacuity of his counteaance when we
replied, that it is very grave question, a
mong men f learning and intelligence,
whether liberty may not be reckoned among
the lost arts. We then related to him sub
stsntiaIy the following facts which give
painful edge to such doubts. All the;snciept
governments weIe free States or Republics,
Tae ancient Archia was q eonfederacy of
free States, similar to that of modern Switz-
erland, and to our own before the election
of Lincoln, The government of all the an
ciert commonwealth of Italy were repub-
lies, long before Rome was built, and re-
mained free most of the time, even to the
usurpation of Cesar. Ancient Lycia was
Republic, OF confederacy of free towns.
Ancient Sparta was really Republic, though
it had a King. Their king was only pend
ent for there was aSenAte and an Assembly
elected by the people, the voice of the latter
being necessary to the establishment of any
law. Athens was a free republic, thous-
and times more so than this country now is
| So was Lacedemon. So was Carthage eight
hundred years before the Christian Era -
| So was ancient Venice, which for twelve
hundred years enjoyed freedom, without a
! single revolution. Thebes was free repub-
! lie as long ago as the time of PeLOpidOS and
/ Epaminondos. The ancient Gauls down to
| PbarmOnd's time, A. g. 42S, lived under q
republic, though csll kingdom, All their
affaiIs were managed by an Assembly OF
the people which set up and dethrOnLd their
kings at pleasure. The same was true Of
the most ancient government of France; and
of all the Gothic States. The ancient Swedes,
Danes, and people of Norway never knew
any but fIee governments. The most an
cient government of Spain was a republic.
It was such, indeed, under the VIsgoths fol-
more than three hundred years, down to A, D,
700. The most ancient government of PoF
tugal was free republic. The same may
be said of ancient Poland, Germany Hun
gary, Bohemia, Scotland, and England
Thus, in all countries, republics, or free gov
ernments, were before despOtisms, and they
were much more durable, and less YeXeC
with revolutions, thsn the depotisms Whicl
succeeded them. Among the many inven
tions wrought ont by the ewickedness of man
was despotism. Free government was tn
J pristine state, or paradise, of nations. Des
/ potism was everywhere the result of thei
fall. Not one of these ancient nations tha
t was not freer than America is to-day. Nc
? onel Tbs srt of freedom was better under
stood, and better pracdsed, thousand year
: before the Christian Era, than it is nov, g
{ most two thousand years afterwards. Na
, tons, like Adam, have fallen, We al
+ tumbling pretty badly just now. But "
= are so infatuated with our delusions that "
8 do not perceive our nakedness, as Fstht
Adam did, when he made his misstep. w
shout and brag about liberty, even whi
throwing the chains of depOtism over OF
= free institutions Carlyle has called us .
g nation of boasters," But, alas! even oI
impudence, vast and seemingly unfathomi
bic as it is, viii pretty soon give up bosstir
. for shame, unless we Immediately seize u
{ despotism WHICH Is crawling around US,
Q the throat, and cut its guuet from ear
earl