The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-09-30
CESARISM.


Ever since the bugbear of CRsarism
was held up to the American people by
the New York Herald, a large class of
credulous individuals have regarded
Gen. Grant as the future Nero Of this
country; as the man, who like Caesar
Of old, is destined to ruin the liberties
Of his country. These fearful individ-
uals reason in a very limited circle in
their minds that a complete parallel
may be drawn between Julius Caesar
aud Ulysses Grant.
Cesar, say they, was successful gen.
eral of the great republic Of that age.
After a long course Of victories he
aspired to imperial power, and although
he persisted before the consummation Of
his hopes, his country was ruined by his
Vaccinations.
Gen. Grant occupies a similar POSI-
ton; he also is the most prominent
military parsonage of the greatest re-
public OF this age. He has twice been
elected chief magistrate Of the nation,
and in the minds of the people is a prob
able candidate for a third election. So
far the parallel is complete, and here it
ends. The condition of Rome in
Casar's time was In no respect similar
to the present condition Of the United
States. It is true that Rome was a re-
public, but the peculiar form Of the
government Of republlcanism Of Rome
was essentially despotic in its charac-
ter. The republics Of antiquity were
by no means free governments; they
often presented the worst features of
tyranny. Such was the nation of the
government Of Rome in Cesar's time.
1t was indeed a~republic, but that spe-
cies of a republic known as an aristoc-
racy, nearly all political power being
vested In the patrician or aristocratie
order. This order had become exceed
ingly corrupt; absorbing in themselves
as far as possible all the emoluments
and honors Of the state. Excepting
Cicero, Brutus, Cato and a few notable
exceptions, they appear to have been
without exception totally unpiincipled,
without honor, without patriotism,
without virtue, without a single re-
deeming quality o. heart or mind ex-
cept courage, which element they
proved themselves to have possessed ut
the battle of Pharsalia, where they fell
by thousands, making a lat stand for
a%ristocracy around the standard of
Pompey.
In the time of Cesar the republican
government of Rome was in reality an
atrocious form Of tyranny, in which
the commonwealth was subjected to
the misgovernment Of several hundred
despots instead Of one; political insti-
buttons were corrupt and decayed,
awaiting only the strong arm of a man
like Cesar to shake them to the ground.
Ignorance, vice and dissatisfaction pre-
vailed everywhere: the entire peninsu-
la was black with the harvest of polit-
ical corruption, and no change would
be for the worse; thus the state was
prepared to welcome the conqueror Of
Gaul. In fact, the work was more
than half done before his legions crossed
the Rubicon.
Before a parallel can be drawn be-
tween Grant and Cesar it will be nee
essary to prove that the United States
are in the same political condition that
Rome wal a century before the Chris
tian era; that vice, corruption and ig-
norance prevail here as they did there;
that the great mass Of the people are
ready and willing to exchange their
present form Of government for a mon
arcby or Dictatorship; when it is well
known that the few who desire to mod
ify the government would decrease in
stead of increase the power Of the
general government at Washington.
Gen. Grant fought to preserve the
existing institutions Of the state over
which for two terms he has presided as
chief magistrate. Cesar fought to sub
foreign countries; his military
life was passed at points far distant
from the imperial city. From his
youth his was no opposition to the aris-
tocracy Of Rome. He had good cause
to hate the prevailing judgment. His
illustrious relative, Marius, had been
forced to fly for his life and take refnge
in the ruins of Carthage from this ven
omous pursuit. He had narrowly es-
capped when a child from the proscrip-
tions Of Sylla, the patrician leader. To
bis ambitious mind every advantage
was presented; every temptation ap-
peared; the wishes of his countrymen;
the solicitations OF his soldiers; the
corruptions and weakness Of the gov
eminent; all called upon him to grasp
with his strong arm the helm of state,
and guide the nation through the shoals
and quicksands, the rocks and eddies,
that everywhere surrounded the Roman
commonwealth In the stormy political
epoch preceding the Christian era.
A large assortment Of clocks at
ZEHNER, JACKSON q BUECHNER's.
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