San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-11-28
NfACHIAVELLI.
The Man Whose Maxim Was THE
End Justifies the Means"

End Justifies the Means"
From the Boston Transcript
For more than 800 years the real
character of Machiavelli has been an
unsettled problem which historians
have vainly tried to solve. By some
he has been regarded as one of the
purest Of patriots by others, he has
been looked upon as monster of
perfidy, and his very name msde
synonymous of all that is treacher-
Gus and false. The reason for this
dissension is not far to seek. The
times in which Machisvelli lived are
full of difficulties for the historian. In
the midst OF thevivid splendor of the
Renaissance strange and inexplicsble
contradictions are to be found. Italian
society and the italian nation were
rapidly becoming corrupt. Every
where liberty was disappearing, ty-
rants were springing up, family ties
were slackened; no msn longer
trusted to the good faith
OF Italians No one was bound
by any conventions or traditions;
everything depended upon the
personal qualities of those who
dared to tempt fortune. Compelled
to snatch their power from the midst
of a thousand risks and a thousand
ivals, they lived in tate of contin-
ual warfare and license; no scruples
forbade them the use of violence,
treason or bloodshed; wrong-dOing
had no limits save those imposed by
expediency and personal needs; they
looked upon it as a means to desired
end, and to exceed those limits was
regarded, not as 3 crime, but as
folly unworthy politician since
it brought no advantage. In this
terrible state of things personal
courage, military valor and q re-
morseless conscience were not the on
ly qualities required it was also
needful to have great presence of
mind, astute cunning, profound
knowledge Of mon and things. AS a
natural consequence plots and in
trigues between cities and towns and |
states increased an 1nfinitum, and at |
the same time a strange network of
political interests was found which |
multiplied the International relations |
of the different states, and caused the |
first idea of political balance to arise |
in Italy, and endowed italian dtplO. |
macy with marvellous activity, intel |
ligence and wisdom.
Into this condition of things Nicolo |
Aachiavelli was born in the year 1880 |
OF his earlier years nothing is known,
save that he came of an ancient Tus- |
can family. He makes his first ap-
pearance In history in 149S, as the |
secretary Of the Ten, q body of the
Plorentine Republic, whose duties |
comprised those of the war office and !
ministry for home affairs. For nearly |
thirty years he welded power In the |
state second not even to that of the |
ruler. His famous rule Of |
action, "the end justifies the
means" he declared to be the
result of his observations, and he
cited the instance OF the Duke of
Valen tiuois, an sdventurer of the
worst type, who by q course of false.
hood and bloodshed extirpated o nest
of the most abominable tyrants Of
Romagna, and founded q government
that reestablished order, tranquility
and prompt administration of justice.
Had he been q kinder man. or less
prompt In his murders, the effect /
would have been less bsneficien t, says
Macniaveili. Ststecraft, he said, had
ways and means of its own that were
not the ways of private morality.
The end in view is always the welfare
of the state. He who achieves this,
even if wicked man, may be justly
condemned for his wickedness, but
will deserve, as a prince, every last
ing glory. This was the true Machia-
vellian doctrine, and one which has
found many believers in recent times.
Besides his diplomatic service Machia.
velli was the author OF several i'm
portant works, THE Discourses,"
"The Art of War" and several
plays.