The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-20
TIN NEW ORLEANS DEMOORAT. SUNDAY, JULY 90 1879.
MIR. FROUDE's CESAR.

MR., FRoUDE's CESAR.
One Of the most interesting contributions
To eontemporaneous literature is a curious
and thoughtful work, entitled "Cmsar A
Sketch from the pen Of Mr.. Froude The
purpose Of the book is to correct the gross
misconceptions which for centuries have
passed current Id the world lii regard to the
character and achievements of him whom
Mr.. Froude accounts the foremost Roman
Of them ALL"
OF Cesar, he thinks that 1t may be said,
that he came into the world at special time
for q special purpose This purpose he ac-
uomplished, and In doing this he fulfilled the
beneficent purposes of his creation. The old
faiths were dead, and the very principles
uron which society was constructed were
dead with them. Philosophy had usurped
the place OF religion, and so FAR
as moral conviction went, there merely re-
manned the inherent human sense Of Justice
and right. Upon this sentiment Caesar had
to erect some organized system Of gov
eminent under which orderly men could
live and labor, and enjoy the fruits OF
their energy and thrift Such system
| he succeeded In establishing, and in SO doing
he rendered an incalculable service to the
human race, q service whose beneficent re-
suits were not confined to his own day and
generation but extended throunh many CEN
turies; for, argues Mr.. Froude, had not
Cesar come when he did to rescue the unity
and power Of Rome from impending destruc-
tion, and thus prevent the division of Europe
and Asia into innumerable independent States
and tribes, each with local religion Of Its
own, Christianity must have been stifled In
| its cradle.
| This work Of Mr.. Froude's IS not the first
analysis OF Caesars place III history which
has been attempted In recent years. Mumm-
sen has attempted something of the kind,
and the biography to which the name Of Ma
poleon III was attached, but which 1t Is well
known was written by q number of the ripest
scholars OF France, affords another instance
This latter work was simply defense Of
| the Napoleonic theory Of government, in
which Cnsar was made to figure merely as q
precedent and an illustration. Mr.. Froude
| has endeavorei to present LII q popular mar
ratiye, without political bias, the conclusion
which modern learning has reached in re-
i
| to the commonwealth he was supposed
to have destroyed. But, in the accomplish
ment 81 his task, Mr.. Froude has drawn some
striking parallels between the political and
social conditions OF Rome in the first century
before Christ and those which subsist in the
| enlightened world to-day.
| Says he, "rhe history OF national revolu
lions Is to craftsmanship what the pathology
| OF disease Is to the art OF medicine. The
| physician cannot arrest the coming On Of age
nor can he expel the malady which has laid
hold upon the constitution. But he may check
the progress Of the evil, II lie can recognize
the symptoms in time, If he can save life at
the cost OF an unsound limb, so with nations.
The wise politicians are those who, like Cp-
sar, have learnt from experience the real ten
denotes Of things, unmi led by superficial
differences. and who, from foresight Of what
is coming, can be cool when the peril Is upon
| them.
| Proceeding upon this idea, Mr. Froude in
| vests his account OF the downfall OF the Ro-
| man Republic with q singular interest par
| ticularly for those "English-speaking races
who have long been the special custodians Of
| free institutions
| In remarkable chapter he points out many
striking resemblances between the age 81
! Caesar and our own. 1t was the fruition
period Of the old order OF things, and the
| fruitage was singularly like that of this nine
teenth century. Men thought then very much
as we think to-day upon all the great subjects
OF human interest, upon morals, politics and
religion. They doubted as we doubt,
questioned us we question, argued as we
argue and their aspirations were Of the same
material nature as those which control the
actions Of the living generation. 1t was q
day Of materlalism, Of intellectual culture, OF
civil liberty-a day Of luxury, Of learning, of
social culture and graces, Of essays, of cpl
grams and of political corruptions and cleo
toral frauds. The Republic still subsisted,
and, as now, the highest offices were, In
theory, attainable by the humblest citizens.
But how By the same processes Of bribery,
corruption and wirepulling which subsist to-
day. The old spirit Of lofty and devoted love
Of country had died out, and patriotism sur
viyed merely as o metaphor on the lips Of the
trihunes. Mr. Fronde extends the parallel
further, and shows that in matters Of re-
ligious belief the likeness is still preserved.
That which had once been the foundation OF
the law and the rule Of personal conduct had
become mere matter Of speculation and
opinion. The Romans Of CAESARS age be-
lieved no more than the cultivated man Of
to-day OF cant and profession there was
no end, but OF honest, unquestioning
faith there was none. 'If there be gods, they
are careless of mankind" was the creed of
that day. as it is of this, and life had then, as
now, no serious meaning beyond the day and
what it brought forth. This was the Rome
which Caesar was called upon to revive, to
rescue from impending ruin and reinvigorate
for further centuries Of power and useful
ness. He did this by destroying prescrip-
tive rights-the monopolies Of the privileged
class; by arouslng the old spirit of the yeo-
many from which was recruited the legions