Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-07-09


for.vsr. ssd - of to-day s.s H. latest
sulsivatoss-
Thai vas thsos thoasAnd tAyss hen
Ared snd sighty-four years Aso. Then
the uai.ss Of antiquity gather again.
end part emily thousand years later,
when. on the hiils Of Grsec<. . nation
Of heroic and cultivated pex2ns de-
clarsd thsir purpose ~ h<se~forth
govern fhemseivss IL Was i've csntp-
ri~s before the birth Of Christ. who
wss " rrssclsim In Palestine theory
OF spiritual democracy 50 profound and
vital that even yet We have bu. begun
e. realize its full import Hut the
GreciAn republic had also its mission
of benene~nce and beauty. In . SIN
gle century from $50 Ia $50 b. Cat
tics became the mother Of such sons -
Themistocscs. Ari<tid~s. Pericles.
Thucydides. Socrates. Plato, Esehyius.
Aristophanes. Phidisa No country. la
80 brief . period, can shew . liAt TO
ma sch with this These men were not
only supreme Ia their own time. but
have remained unsurpassed or un-
equAled since. The virtue OF repub-
licAn institutions. II they needed vindi-
cation. could find II there.
Interueein- quarrcls and foreign pro-
tecsurs brought about the extinction
OF this daxsiing democratic consteila-
tiou- Meanwhile. or At about the same
time. some fugitives from ancient Tyre
had founded an the shores Of the Med
iterrancan . little nation. which. un-
der free institutions, speedily became
the mistress OF nearly all the known
world. The career OF Carthage Is
splendid record of felicity. wealth and
conquest. Less distinctively warlike
than her great rival. Rome. she was
far her superior in civilization: and
when il came 10 war between them
Hamilcar and Hannibal displayed
genius that can well be compared with
the achievements OF all the Cesars and
Napoleons since. The prosperity of
the republic lasted nearly four ccntu-
ries. and Rome took up the torch-of
political freedom that had fallen fro,a
the hand Of her mighty enemy.
As near as one can estimate, the
definite beginning Of the Roman re-
public was in $40 Ii. e.. when the Pub
liam law gave every citizen the right
10 vote. II lasted. nominally at least,
for three hundred years During that
time Rome made herself the queen OF
the earth. Her influence is felt still
The light that was kindled on the
Seven Hills went out at last in blood
and shame: but IL had served its pur-
pose, and brought the tradition of free
dom nearly To the Christian era. But
after that there came q pause of no
less than dozen centuries: for il was
not until the thirteeIth century that
the Italian republics can be said TO
have existed. The Lombard com
munes were rather an agGre-
CATION of free cities, who had
achieved independence after long
resistance TO tyranny. than united
republic; they were adherents of the
doctrine of state rights; and the con-
sequences were ultimately not less dis
astrous than they proved to DC in our
own experience. But meanwhile,
Florence. not to mention her less IA
nous sister, made her name impcrisha-
bic. and added 10 art and literature
immortal eonquests- As to Genoa.
which is mentioned by Livy 50 long
ago As two centuries before Christ. IL
made itself free of the viceregents Of
Charlemange in the tenth century.
and from that date created for itself
a rapid and amazing prosperity Her
conquests extended TO Palestine and the
Euxine. and Ia 1870 she became dicta-
tor OF the throne of Constantinople.
Even more magnificent is the story of
Venice. She passed gradually from
the condition Of monarchy 10 that of
a republic; but her prosperity and
greatness date from the period i0s3--
when the people overthrow osseolo.
and abolished hereditary succession.
The thirteenth century also saw the
beginning of the Hanssatic league. a
sort of federal union between a num-
Der of free cities of northern Germany.
This league was a growth. not the
issue of war. II had remarkable
vitality and success, and was the source
of much OF the civilization of the
middle ages. II promoted commerce
and agriculture and originated many
of the ideas which are now called
modern. Four hundred years was the
period of its duration. and IL was only
the lack of strong central govern
ment that compelled il at last tn ac-
cept the sovereignty of foreign power.
But perhaps the story Of Iceland
comes nearer To our sympathies than
any other of this epoch. The self
exile thither in 92s Of band of pill
grims under the le1i of Ingolf 20 es-
cape the oppression of the Norwegian.
Swedish and Danish kings recalls the
tale of our Puritan ancestors The
new land they sought was even
s,erncr than ours; but they estab-
lished there the same free gov
eminent which was 80 long after
wards proclaimed in New England
and. like ours. their progress and pros
periy were beyond expectation. A
( purer. harder. healthier community
has never been seen: and Icelandic lit
era'ure can compare for elevation ana
brillisncy with the best Of her con
Temperatures Bus four hundred veg ~