The sun., 1873-12-27
Dld Rome and Y oung Amcrica-A Con-
trnst.

'"'fs sNh' 'i i...N'' i'i'.'fi
Did Rome and y oung America-A Com
trast.
In the time when the Roman Empire
Itill stood stcadfust and potent. the mis-
trcss of the world. its greatest glory was
not the far-reachiug power of its arms. the
genius OF It's statesmen orators warriors,
aud poets, nor the magnlacence of its cap
ltal, but the care that il took that the
rights OF its humblest citizen should be re-
Ipectcd and his person be invioate from
insult whore, ,ocyer he chanccl 10 be cast.
We have always thought that the bright
rst page Of the story of old Rome is writ
ten in these few and simple words from
the twenty-sccond chapter of the Act, OF
the Apostles, which recouuts Il memorable
scene In the life Of PAUL;
THE chief captain COMMANDED HIM TO be brouchttuo
the castle. and bade tra he should be examiner by
,Soars9s that ne higa know wherefore they cried 30
.,"And ss they bound him with thongs r.rt said unto
'ecgrge nl,l nat I. a Roman, an urcondemnediN
shiei captain saying Take heed what thou doest for
,"lnen ne chief captain came and said unto him.
Tel NJ, an thog Roman, he s,il, Yea.
.hts,ncd this iietdom. And PArL ,aid, Bu, wa.
Then ,traightwW they departed from him which
should hsyc examined hln aLd the cnitf captain aso
cause he had bOuAd him."
The Roman Empire is thing Of the
past. The Capitol is in ruins. and the
great city to which all the roads of the
world once led Is a city of dust and decay
IA city of shops ana sight>, OF dingy pie
ture galleries and mouldy churches-a
herding place for dandy tourists. But
fhpgp xE,rIa Iut-. Il.
touch Of time, and they viii endure until
the last trumpet. ".AHd ~ chi,f captain
also UuS dfTGid u ter p, Lu,c that he tcds
Roman, and because ht h0d bolhd him"
The star of empire is supposed 10 have
taken its wov westward and u hp shining
over the city of Washington. Ifiti, really
In that quarter of thc armament 1t looks
down on Capitol OF re-plcudeut ncwncss.
without weather stain or a broken block
I'm all its walls, aud on other vast struc-
tures Of marble ana granite whose fair
fronts shame the crumblng senate House
OF fallen and shabby kome. Bat there
are better things than clean marble, colon
nades of unbroken pillars. a dome white
with new paint glltcrng in the heavens,
hnd streets fresh from the hand of SHEp-
HERD, III which art has rivallcd time i'm n
costly counterfeit of ruin. The spirit of
hlgh and naughty honor, sensitive TO re-
sent wrong inflicted on tho humbl,-t
citizen rs alt insult flung in the face of the
whole people ns,"gcdly TO be avenged with
all their pOwer-the Spiit which saved
PAuL from scourGing and '"ok him out OF
thongs-has He'd from Rome ina @ed but II
has not, alas taken up lis abode in t''e ele-
CANT apartment provided for II in on
national capital 1t has found no lodging
place in Congress; it i stranger TO the
bosom of GRANT; the little soul OF FIsIi has
no room for il.
The American citizen who falls into the
hands Of "chief captain in these days
BURRIEL, for instance-had better not at
tempt to impress his captor, after the man
ncr of PAUL, by Boosting of his birthright
II he wants 10 assure himself of a partic-
ulaIly prompt shooting, with a supple
mentary mangling, anl perhaps "a few
parting kicks from his butchers he has
only to mention that he belongs TO the
United States and that terrible Mr.. FISH
VIII be written 10 by his family if any harm
bcfalls him. If he be prudent person he
VIII clam TO be an Englishman German.
Frcnchman, Russian, an Italian, q Chi
naman Feejee Islander, anything but an
American. The cOlors of his country are
tho only color- that will not protect him
from the violence of chief captains in
strange lands. His Government is the only
Government on earth too abb ject and pusil-
luminous TO stretch It's strong arm across
the waters between prisoners and captivcs
born on it's soil and the monsters who
would tear out their lives.
Volumes of debate have been printed in
the newspapers about the capture of the
VrRnius; knotty points of international
law have been argued and "e
writers OF divers N"'S''' ~
br' ""l'is "H" '"phclll'Si
- Inera are certain great capital facts
that cannot be overldd aud obscurcd by
any amount of clubbing aud case putting
She was ship floating the American lag
carrying American papers and bearing
American citizens over the sea. She wa
captured on tho broad highway OF th'
waters where she had n right 10 be, an'
taken by Spanish ship OF war-ou
country being at peace with Spain-into
Spunish port where her captain and la lars
mart of her crew were hrutally murdered
perhaps she meant to deliver arms in <ul
If she did it was time enough to .Ge h
when she was found within Cub~n wate
g. 80 oo' rr 'clivery. II tLe Spaniar
nuture her Onlthe hin