The record-union., 1892-02-22


Ing into forgetfulnesS, and his intirmlties
are passing into oblivion. how does the
historian judge him? His master mon
uments stand out in bold relief and his
name is linked with devotion wherever
liberty has worshiper. His life is made
stainless by the generous offices of time,
ana II is measurably so with those who
were his co-workers. It will be forgotten
that they were at times weak, -discordant
men, when they had to confront prob
lens which had no precedent in history.
Not only the rulers and heroes, but the
phllanthropists as well, of all nations and
ages, have had no exemption from the
fralltles which are colossal when in actual
view. 1t is only their true greatness that
looms high above the horizon of their
llYes. Their weakness, their irresolution,
their personality even, lie in the shadow
OF their achievements. The United States
stands alone in the whole record of civil
government. In its theory, in its COM
plete organization, in its admininistra-
ton. it is wholly exceptional. We talk
OF the overthrow of
THE OLD REPUBLICS,
And the weak and disappointed turn to
history for the evidence of our destruc-
uon. There have been republics which
have been mighty among the powers Of
the earth that have crumbled into decay,
and the shifting sands of time have left
desolate places where once was magniti-
cence and grandeur. Rome made her
almost boundleSs conqgeStS under the
banner OF the republic, and sister re-
pubic was rival in greatness and spten-
dor. They are traced obscurely in the
pages of history as Governments OF the
people. But Rome never was free rep
resentative Government. What is called
her republic was but series of surging
plebelan and patrician revolutions Of
CrlDuneS, consulS and dlctatorS, with sea-
sons of marvellous prowess under the
desperate lead of as marvellous ambition.
The tranquility, the safety and the. in
splratlon of Government of liberty and
law are not to be found in all the thou
sand years of Roman greatness. The
lust OF conquest and empire was the rut-
ing passion in the ancient republics.
Hannibal reflected the supreme senti-
ment of Carthage when he bowed at the
altar and swore eternal hostility TO Rome,
and Cato, the Censor, as faithfully spoke
TOR Rome when he declared to an APP
proving Senate, Carthage delendai"
Such was the mission of what history
hands down to us as the great free Gov
ernments of the ancients. Corruption
followed despotism, and the imperial
purple assumed the role of a debauched
people, who were prepared to accept in
form what they had long accepted with
the mockery of freedom.
RULERS AND SUBJECTS,
made common cause to precipitate her
decay. At last the columns Of the bar
barian clouded her valleys. The rude
hosts of Atilla 1.-The Scourge of Cod"
swarmed upon her, and their battle-aXes
smote the demoralized warriors of the
tottering empire. The Goth and the
Vandal jostled each other from the de-
graded scepter they had conquered, and
Rome was left widowed in her ruins.
And Carthage! She, too. had reared a
great Government by spoliation, and
called it a republic. 1t was the creation
OF ambition and conquest. Like Rome,
1t was built upon human degradation and
the tears Of widows. Her great chieftian
swept over the Pyrenees and the Alps
with his victorious legions, and even
made the gates of the Eternal City
tremble before the impetuous advance OF
the Carthaginian hosts. But Carthage
was never free until the cormorant and
the bittern possessed it, and the God of
Nations had stretched out upon it the
line of confusion and the stones of empti-
ness" Conqueror and conquered are
blotted from the list OF the nations of the
earth.
THE GRECIAN REPUBLIC
Was libel upon free Government. Her
s0-called free institutions consisted Of a
loose, discordant confederation of indie
pendent States, where deSpOtiSm ruled in
the name of liberty. Sparta has made
romance pale before her achievements,
but the triumphs of her sons We're
not of peace, nor were they for free
government. Athens abolished royalty
more than a thousand years before the
Christian era, and made Athenian history
most thrilling and instructive, but her
citizens were strangers to freedom. The
most sangulnary wars with sister States
domestic commissions almost without
cessation, and the grinding oppression of
caste were the chief offerings of the gov
eminent to its subjects Scion restored her
laws to some measure of justice, only to
be cast aside for the uSurper. Greece vet
has name among the nations of the
, world, but her scepter, for which the
! mightiest once warred to enslaYe her peo-
pie under the banner Of the republic, has
long been unfelt in shaping the destiny
of mankind. Thus did Rome, Carthage
and Greece fade from the zenith of dis
tinction and power before constitutional
government of the people had been born
among men.
THE ONE ONLY REPUBLIC.
The world has but one republic that has
illustrated constitutional freedom in all
its beneicence, power and grandeur, and
that is our own priceless inheritance. AS
a Government, this alone has been cana
bic Of, and faithful to representative free
institutions, with equal rights, equal
Justice and equal laws for every condi-
the past furnish no history that can logic
ally repeat itself in our advancement or
decline. 1t is itself unique. Created
through the severest trials and sacrifices;
maintained through foreign and civil war
with unexampled devotion; faithful to
law as the offspring and safety Of liberty:
progressive in all that ennobles our peace
full industry, and cherishing enlightened
and liberal civilization as a trustMapd
pride of our citizens, for our Government
of the people, none but itself can be a
parallel.
} In what are called free Governments of
antiquity, we search in vain for constitu-
tional freedom, or that liberty that sub
ordinates passion to law. The refuge
strained democracy was always found IN
despotism and when absolutism became
intolerable the tide of passion would
surge back to democracy. The people in
mass councils would rule Consuls, Presi-
dents and Generals, but it was fruitful
only Of chaos and revolution.
THE VICTORIOUS CHIEFrAIN
And the illustrious philosopher would be
honored with thanksgivings to the gods
for their achievements, and their Danish
ment or death would next be demanded
by the same supreme tribunal. Grand
temples, columns and arches would be
erected to commemorate the victories of
the dominant power, and the returning
waves Of revolution would decree the
actors and their monuments to destruc-
ton. Ambitious demagogues prostituted
+ such moekeries OF government to the
: basest purposes.
The Olympic games of Greece became
the mere instruments of INSCRIPTIONS
leaders to lure the people, in the name of
freedom, to oppression and degradation.
and the wealth of Rome was used Law
.-.l.V Il