The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-06-20
POWER IN TIE PAST.
No. 1.
BY GAsKELL.

= I
tence liatIe 10 greater abuse than Il
desire to possess power aud to exc
else it IN ruling others. Its votari
are many and widespread and it
worshiped with an ardor aud inter
I sity equal with, if not superior t
q anything excepting wealth; and eve
the latter is desired and sought q
much for the power it coDters, as fC
the wants it supplies. Nor can powe
] itself compel truthful dealing, as th
policy of the hanger on is often L
keep the possessor of authority iRno
rant of anything but what will tent
to his own promotion and advance
ment. OF course many and noble
exceptions occur in the history of by
gone times, but the insiduous ap.
prosch of am bition is far more
forcibly illustrated in the too frequent
sundering Of all viriuous ties and the
bsletul guidance OF unholy desire.
The history OF the past is full OF
instruction and CONTAINS many
melancholy instances Of the abuse OF
power. showing the folly and wicked
ness of man and the miseries, to
which selfish greed and lustful desire
to rule, has often reduced the people.
The king, or ruler, proud Of his sta.
ton and vsing in his own con-
ceit, undertakes the commission of
actions, unjust and wicked, merely
to display his power, serving at the
same time IS a monument to future
ages OF his wonderful greatness;
king OF kings" se the despots OF
Persia called themselves. Not eatis
fed with what THEY had, they still
desired more aud to subject others 10
their will, and to accomplish this
result, the earth has repeatedly been
drenched with the liie-blood of my
riads Of bumsn beings.
II We search and closely criticise
the annals OF the past. we find toe
slferings endured by the people were
often the logical result of their own
or the selishness oftheir
rulers. If powerful, they were too
many times unjust and tyrannical to
their weaker neighbors. They care
not for the suferings of those of other
nations. II wealthy they oppress and
are too many times lifted up by
pride; are ostentatiously boastful and
to the rights of others only
so lar as they could enforce them. They
care not for the suffering of those OF
other nat,Ons--their ideas of Justice,
even the Jews themselves, the chosen
seed, were limited 10 the treatment of
their kindred alone. The Philistines,
the Amorites and the Amelekites,
had no rights they were called uIod
10 respect, only 30 far as they pos
sess power to oppose and overawe.
Sublugation and slavery, or death
upon the battle field. or in the merci-
less sacking Of their cities, were all i
hey cOult look forward to il they q.
we're defeated. The God whom we &;
nave represented to Us as the incar- 1
nation Of all love and mercy, they I
claimed as authorizing and command. {
ng such inhumsn butcheriesl But,
hey we're not particularly different 6
0, or worse than, others Of the same t
.ge, only so far IS they impiously c
made religion g pretexs for their c
Iucltes. The stronger subjected the L
weaker the world over-made them I
la7es, compelling them to labor to c
Import the effete and tyIannical c
OF the conquerors. in t
luxury and effemirscy. '
The Creek, the most highly edu- ]
ated and the most polished nation l
# antiquity, have been Landed to the ?
kieg, on account Of their love of
berty and learning, and who many a
ines exhibited traits of the highest 6
uman excellence, we're by no means {
just people. The institutions of t
,ycurgus we're well designed to form V
nation of soldiers, not a nation q
umane, philanthropio and just in 5
heir intercourse and dealings with L
theirs. Their world was but the little il
ingdom Of Sparta, their interests (
nd hopes and lsbors all centred o
here; their helots were the most e
ppressed of slaves, all their labors, q
those of warlike nature, o
ERE performed by them. Their d
udies were mostly OF wsr and Low a
} advance the prosperity of their
Ommon country. They had the good T
but they we're not such as
ould benefit a world, only so far as
world prActiced for themselves.
hey were frugal in habits, nor in =,
leir early history would the poverty -
{ their country and soil permit &c
lem to be otherwise, but wealth ::
crept in with its attendant =
ices. They paid respect to age. but ',
ley would destroy, by exposure, the -
eakly born or Informed infant; 3
lagnsnimous at times, they had all q.
le cruelty Of an American Indian, -,
nd az other times were as treache- "
JUS. All peoples outside their little =
srritory were enemies to be over -
cached, when opportunity offered "
I'D the price paid was not too great.
or the purpose aimed at, no laws
ere more successful; they brought
access and gave birth to some Of the "
lost heroic deeds OF valor the world te
as ever seen. yet won at the expense p
every human tie and passion, but h
lose of patriotism and ambition. le
larriage was but means OF breed N
lg soldiers, yet they were chsste as Ir
ny people OF those times. Yet the n
laternal feeling had scope only in II
re direction and training OF war L
ke progeny, and the mother who n
Did her con TO return in possession of, 81
r, borne on bis shield. but gave ex- v
ression to a nations feeling J!
The laws OF Scion were more cslcu- =
.ted to perpe.uate tie power and 81
olendor OF Athens than to administer "
lstice to surrounding, or subject. q
stions. But O small portion of the q
eople possessed the franchise. or g
ights OF citizenship-and o!tentimes !
be more worthy a citizen became, II
be more danger was be in of being q
snishe1 from his country. OF pa a
riotism they generally had no lack, s.
ut the title OF "citizen of the I
7erld," which Goldsmith has said ia Z
be proudest appellation 8 man can L
ear, they had no claim 10. They q
7ere Unfortunately selfish, except in
are instances, with regard to any E
hing but their own interests. as an n
state and they at times =
topped to meannesses contemplate
7hen it extended their own power.
Likewise the Romans, as a nation,
zere hIoodthirsty and unjust, though C