New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-20
JULIUS CAESAR.
THE FOUNDATION OF THE IMPERIAL
SYSTEM.

JULIUS CAESAR, AND TIE FOUNDATION OF THE
ROMAN IMPERIAL SYSTEM. BY W. Warie Fowler.
N: \. IL mo. PIP. $50. &. p. Putnam's sons.
Appearing in and written for the series called
Heroes of the Nations" Mr.. Fowlcr's book is
necessarily modest in scope. and docs not pretend
to be addressed to scholars. 1t is however
grounded upon the most modern data, and repre-
sents clearly the latest results md conclusions of
recent and especially German investigation For
the general reader such work is probably all
that is needed, and Mr.. Fowler has made his vol
ume interesting throughout. and exact as the
limited space at his command permitted. The
view here taken of Julius Caesar is emphatically
q sober one and fully in accord with the scien-
tifc theory Of history For long period the
malicious gossip of Suetonious relied upon by
students of Caesars period. with the result that
he was pictured half dcm-god, half monster.
and wholly impossible. Partisan feeling more
over hindered the free development of inquiry
into his environment and the character of the con-
dltions political and social, with which he had to
deal and which influenced and reacted upon him.
Yet upon proper observation of these conditions
the accuracy of any estimate of his character and
career largely depends. The crude criticism of
the past tended mostly to the conclusion that he
was an ambitious and unscrupulous man of great
powers, who wrestcd their liberties from a previ-
secure his own ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
The truth now clearly understood, and as
strongly presented in Mr.. Fowler's opening chap
tiers. is, that Caesar entered public life when the
Republic was already in the death-throes; when
unexampled corruption reigned in Rome; when the
dictatorship of Sulla had already crushed the popu
lar liberties; and when the Senate which should
have been the chief guardian of the Republic.
had sunk into such a state of venality and supinc-
ness that il could neither maintain the c0nquests
Of the country abroad nor preserve peace at home
Sulla tried his hand at constitution making. but
the instrument he evolved could not be made to
work, for the that its successful operation
depended upon the integrity, wisdom and public
spirit OF the Senate, and the Senators had ceased 10
possess integrity, wisdom, or public spirit. 1T
was simply a body of selfish and greedy knaves,
whose conduct may he likened to that of the
politician who, when reproached with hav
ing sold his country, replied that he thanked God
that he had country to sell. The Senate too was
in a double difficulty. 1t could neither withstand
the assaults of the people. represented by the
Tribuncs, nor could it maintain its own authority
over the proconsuls who commanded its armies in
the provinces. The character of the population of
Rome had long been changing and in the same
proportion deteriOratng. 1t had quite lost lis
homogeneity and with this its national and local
spirit The Eternal City had come into the hands
Of monoposts millionaircs spectators and their
satellites. An immense slave population had re-
placed the best elements Of the original plcbs
The principle effect of the suffrage which still
was exercised by the masses was the employment
of bribery on colossal scale.
Every candidate for office bought votes as
matter of course. and his success depended upon
TO Use modern political slang phrase" the size
. 10 hor AZ no fond of
always to develop. it came 10 pass that the can
didates in office who sought reelection resorted TO
still more extensive bribery Hence arose the
shows and sports the gladatorial fights and spec
taces in the circus, the distributions Of cheap corn
and later of free corn, by which one ambitious
Consul after another corrupted the people, en-
couraged pauperism, and drew 20 Rome from all
parts of the world the tramps, the lazy adven-
turers and all the worst and most dangerous elc-
ments of society. That the situation was not en-
tirely hopeless vet is indeed shown by what JulI's
Caesar was able to effect in his first ConsuShip
but no nlone conld not set any reforms on foot,
and as the term Of the COnsus were only one year.
and reelection was always uncertain in the gen
eral scramble which every change in the cher
magistracy brought it was impossible to calculate
unon time enough to establish any real improve
mont Caesar was of course ambitious. but IT Is,
as Mr. Fowler observes, in the last degree improb-
able that he followed any course deliberately
Thought out in advance. 1t max be conJecture0
that the heavy obligations he had incurred In get
ting into public life were influential in deterinll-
ing him TO seek the command in Gaul 1t was the
cnstom of the time for men who had lmpoVer-
ished themselves at Rome to seek in provncial ap
nointments the means of financial recovery. III
was the custom for such men and their pfoNHicldl
courts 70 harry the countries subjected to their
a; a in of
resnects no better than his generation and he
came to be accused of amassing the vast wealth. Nv
subsequently accumulated by mercness Piuh''i' luz
OF the territories lie conquered
There is little direct evidence on this poih''
IN. Tho indirect evidence may be thought almost
conclusive lie left Rome heavily indebted Aiter
,,;n wars, absence in Gaul he returned one OF
Tho richest MOI Of the day. There rs no lhui-
cation that he engaged in commerce or specul"-
tion during this period, but there are plenty OF
uroofs that the peoples who fell under hi' s""'
comnlained bitterly and constantly OF the tribute
they were forced to pay, and OF when ou' d s'iai
percentage found its way into the Roman treasury
But whatever the truth may be as to the sources
Of Caesars wealth, 1t is certain that ne ehpioSeo
il largely for the public good and dld not ioilo"
the example of many baser spirits by laVlsh-
inc il soil, " npon his own pleasures That he
was not at TINS uihe 1ehV upon "'"e
nowcr is shown in the compaisance with which
no loft The way e. the Dictatorship open TO Pom
neius Military power had already come to he
En-. ono stable and dominant power in Rome.
The Senate WAS really the thrall of whichever
hold General backed by lcsions might aspire 70
the supreme rule. Caesars splendid successes i'll
Gaul, and Pompeiuss victories in Spain and ASIA
had made them in the eyes of all men, rivals for
the government of the world With his genius
for war ard administration, and the invlncible
army he had trained and disciplined, Caesar
miylt lave grasped the helm of state himself,
with little, fear .: displacement. But he stool