The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-03-27

about their demand. They opened
their minds freely and spoke their
thoughts boldly. Gentlemen" said
they, "give us food and clothing, and
slaves to wait on us, fuel and furniture,
and house rent free, or down come your
thrones and dignities y Public men
could be exceedingly free and generous
i'll voting and giving away otherpeople' S
property in those days as in these.
The Government, to satisfy the
demands of the Roman rabble.
increased the taxes and tithes OF the
provinces and colonies, and enforced the
collection by the sword. Millions of
cattle and sheep were then collected and
driven into Rome to be slaughtered and
distributed to the Communists gratuit-
ously. Millions of tons of breadstuffs
were taken from the farmers OF the pro-
vinces, and given to the same class.
The factories and workshops OF the
colonies paid tribute to their handicraft,
to be disposed of in the same way as
the cattle and -four But the Roman
Communists also demanded money
hard cash-and the demsgogues exact
ed millions of pounds of coin from the
masses of the people of the Empire to
donate to the voracious sponges of the
Capital. Deadheading and free-lunch-
ing were reduced to a science. Every
thing was without money or price |:
nothing was earned 10y labor. There
was free blow" all round the board
among these 4" toiling, horny handed (O
Sons of labor" The Empire was the
orange that was squeezed and sucked.
1t was converted into Universal Re-
lief and Aid Society for the support and
emolument of the sturdy lazzaroni of
the Capital, who had increased the
hours of leisure and reduced those of la
Dor to the point where the latter van
lshed and the former embraced the
twenty-four hours per day.
This state of things was not the work
of year or generation. IL commenced
with small demands, made on the first
Emperor, which were not easily distin-
guished from charity, and increased by
degrees, and grew on what it fed. The
rulers gave way step by step. The con-
cessions of one Emperor furnished pre-
cedents for the next not to be gainsaid
or resisted, except at his peril
After time, the support OF the Ro-
man Communists became an intolerable
burden, too heavy to be borne by the
people of the provinces and, one after
the other, they revolted and threw of the
grievous yoke, or refused to resist the
invasion of the Cloths and Huns-be-
lieving that changs of masters would
be for the best, and that no change
could be for the worse. Thus the pos
sessions of Rome were torn from her by
rebellion and invasion. The Commun-
lists had become too lazy and enervated,
even to fight for the retention of the
provinces on which they subsisted, but
caused heavier burdens TO be imposed
on those still remaining under the con-
troll of the Government. This thing
went on from bad to worse, until the
Roman Empire expired amidst its ruins.
The invading Cloths at last besieged and
captured the city itself, sacked it,
burned it, and left the Communists the
alternative to work for their bread in
the future or starve. Most of the
wre ches, after having eaten out the
vitals of the Empire, preferred the lat
ter, and persisted from the face of the
earth. The population rapidly ran
down from a million and half to half
million, and then to a quarter of a
million, and finally to half the latter
number from which trifiing handful ii
never recovered during the fifteen CEN
turtles it has been under the control OF
the Church. But, during the three
years that Rome has been the Capital OF
| Reunited Italy, more new houses have
been erected than during the preceding
800 years, and a greater accession to the
population has been made than since
the days of the Crusades.
The only work performed in Rome for
two or three centuries before its final
arrived at that state of perfection that
they demanded slaves to wait on them
and administer to their lusts and their
demand was complied with. For a time
the Roman legions were employed in
making war on the border counties to
capture prisoners TO be carried to Rome.
The more powerful males were con
sumed in the amphitheater in gladiato.
rial combats the others were dstribut.
ed among the Communists as servants
and mistresses, to provide for their
profit and pleasure. After the de.
struction of Jerusalem, tens of thou.
sands of the surviving Jews were car.
ried off prisoners of war to Rome, and
disposed of as here described, with the
exception that the Government retained
a multitude of able-bodied men as SLAVE
laborers in building new Therme, cir
cuses, coliseums, theaters, and Other
public works of similar description, fol
the amusement of the Communists.
When one contemplates the aetna
state of society in Rome during til,
Empire, and reflects on the monstrou
causes that were at work for its destruc
ton, undermining it and gnawing at it
vitals, the wonder is, not that it fell
but that it did sooner tumble t.
pieces.
The Republic had reared up politi
cal system of marvellous strength an,
endurance the Empire built baths anC
amphitheaters, and invented games ant
diversions. The Republic devised law
and politics based on the ideas of JUS
tice and political equality. Honest,
and patriotism were the virtues mos
esteemed in administration. The in
vincible sword of the Republican lie
gions conquered all surrounding coun
tries. The privilege of Roman citizen
ship to which they were admitted, TIN
| iustice and eu11itv of tba 1ors al,