Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-03-29

D
? tieally speaking-Alfred the Gre
and George Washington are the tV
proper types-the one the beginning
the other the elimination.
i From Alfred to Washington Ii
genius which inspired them, as ii
two Fathers of their Country" D" hi
Travelled persistently to human Hbe
ties, and q broad, vigorous Christian
ty, which has much Of faith but lit
of priesteraft and ausolutism In u. o
the other hand, from the successors
Charlemagne, and the suceessors
/ st. Peter, have come RbsOlutlsms {
! Church and State, which, hnding a
! exulosion, not a solution, in the reVC
: lufions Of modern times, loses n
! Iieious faith in German mysticism
and French infidelity. These are IN
issues of two cigilizatiOns-the Cathc
lie and the Protestant-the absolut
and the republican.
Let us go back to the writings G
the great Saxon lawgiver and Sc
how, like a republican George Wash
/ ingtOn, he evolved his economy Q
government, and how much like
Puritan he manifested Christianity
Here is Alfred's exposition Of divin
Tight-it Is that Of goodness:
"lf, then, il should ever happen, q
1t very seldom happens, tnat pdwe
and dignity come TO good men, and Z
wise ones, what is there then wOrtl
liking but the goodness and dignity
OF these persons: OF the good king
not Of the power2 ? Hence, power /
never a good unless he be good, tha
has it; and that Is the good Of tn
man, and not Of the power. If DOW
er be goodness, IL Is SO for this. that q,
man by his dominion comes to BIZ
Virtues and TO merit; but BY his Writ
ues and merit he comes to dominion
and power; but If be be good, 10 s,
from his virtues that be is good
From his virtues he becomes worthy
OF power, II he be worthy Of t." 80
This is eminently republican IN
principle, and strikfngly illustrative
Of the Saxon conception Of Christian
ity, even as far back rs Alfred him
self; and that simple thought, that
good was the only divinity, either in
Church or State, In afteF ages led the
men Of England, under Cromwell, to
demOlish kingcraft and pFiesteraft
with one mighty blow; since which
the Saxon race have never fairly set
either up again.
Alfred ascended the throne at the
period when the Saxon Heptarihy
was expiring. and the Danish in
vaders contended with the Saxon pos
SCISSORS for the dominion. Britain
had been divided under eight Anglo
Saxon governments, and the island
was, therefore, ruled by an Oetarchy,
though the Heptarehy, or the seven
governments, Is the most familiar his
toFieal denomination.
And here, with the accession OF
Alfred and the Danish invasion, we
are brought at once to very interest
ing consideration in the growth OF
England aRd the development Of her
commonwealth. We see the nation
which was destined to play the most
important part in the history of the
world. passing fOm its semi-barbaric
state into one Of consolidated empire ;
which, had it Dnt done, England
could never largely have contributed
to the worlds civilization. Ancient
Britain had been divided under its
petty kings and chiefs, and even to
the ascension Of Alfred England had
not assumed the form of q capital
kingdom, but was pOrtiOned out to a
number Of Saxon princes, who had by
their pre-eminence and wars among
themselves set up their respective
France, it will be
seen bad, therefore, the start Of sew
eral centuries before England in her
course, under the first dynas-
ty of Clovis, and afterward that Of
the family Of Charlemagne but while
the huge empire Of Charles the Great
broke up into smaller empires, king
dOms, and dukedOms, represented in
Germany and France, on the other
hand. from she- day the Saxon Oe-
tarchy was succeeded by Alfredis con-
kingdom, England has tTaV-
eied tO unity, and at last it eliminated
in the United Kingdom Of Great Brit
ain and Irelapd. This may be &C
counted for partially by the peculiar
genius Of England and her common
wealth, which binds law and orIier
with a supreme love of liberties,
which ebaracteriZes the Saxon race,
md is further exempiified in America.
England, like her offspring, America,
s revolutionary and progressive in
ler very genius and constitution
Both nations have carried on ciViHza-
ion by revolutions and change, but
hey always have reYOlutioniZed con-
,s-.,.zrre 81. #-.s |
The great English unityWas brought
lbout by the famous invasion Of The
Danes; and with the rising Of Alfred
he Providence of the world shows
.wo phases-a nation destined tU lead
he vanguard of civilization forced TO
consolidate empire by fierce invasiOns,
md the raising up of q man worthy to
Oundlan empire and to infuse into IL
! genius compatible even with our
modern forms.
For the fist seven years Of Alfred's
'eigD England saw a succession Of
,reat struggles, with short cessatiOns
II hostiiities, between Danes and
SaxOns. During this period Alfred
~ no means won his Immortality, or
the promise which his valiant
in the reign OF his broth
r Ethelred. Then came that famous
episode in his life when he
ost his kingdom and became a fugi-
i've in his oWn land. But the sequel
brought forth Alfred purified and en-
lObled, and gave to him the dominion
4 all England. Itwas not until after
le was an outlaw that he merited his
title Of the Great King, and the father
4 his nation.
From the restoration Of Alfred to
he throne the Saxon Heptarchy be-
anne absorbed in him. There has
'een a difference among the old his /
orians as 70 which was the proper
Ounder of the. English kingdom,
Alfred, or his grandson, Athelstan.-l
ME former united the Saxon king
.Om in himself, while the grandson
Infted the SaxOns and the Danes. It
5 true that Athelstan completed his
.randsire's work. and was the first
monarch Of all the land, but Alfred
hould be considered the beginning OF
he British empIre-the father Of the
English nation.
That a grand national unity is an
bsolute necessity to the greatness. Of
race is mOss certain. From that
nifty civilization may properly be |
aid to begin. sPrevious 70 that Is /
emi-barbarism and the growth Of
mall states aud petty kingdoms, in a 4
Ountry made one by Nature and 1
is but he transition of
.indred peoples toward their grand I
France became France |
q a Charlenag1e, England was born I
n Alfred the Great, and the Ameri- /
an Republic In q grand centraliza- /
ion in George Washington. Here |
7e have three forms Of the "one-man I
,Ower, the first, imperial the sec
nd, constitutional monarchy; and |