New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-26

by such waste of human life strikes horror TO
the student. IL is calculated that not less than
a million souls persisted in these campaigns: ana
large humber were swept away by massacres
OF the most ruthless type Moreover. Caesar
could he cruel when there seemed no real neces-
sity for harshncss. The Ganls were no doubt
fierce and stubborn foes. but they did not deserve
determination. and the punishmcnts which Caesar
inflicted upon some Of the tribes were wanfony
severe and only DE called shockingly IN
humane We do not forget that this cruelty was
rather a note Of the age than peculiar charac-
teristic of Caesar. All the world was cruel in
those days. and the Oriental natives were even
more 80 than the Western peoples. What is now
understood by humanity really did not then exist
Human life was a drug, and human suffering pro-
vOkcd no compassion.
At tho same time Caesar must be held to some
responsibility for his personal calousness, and
worse. and il is a matter altogether beyond doubt
that he held life very cheap, and made no effort
TO economize 1t IN his military operations. We
do not forget that lie frequently extended clcmency
to what might be called rcbellious forces: that h"
set Pompcius a notable lesson in that regard ::
that he went out Of his way to convince the
Romans OF his comparative tender-hcartcdnrss
But he was a statesman no less than soldier,
and he had clear purpose in this. Whep there
was no such purpose TO serve he gave free rein
10 his sanguinary impulses and the Gallo wars
show sufficiently to what lengths he was prepared
to 90 when the question was Of the fate OF
barbarian tribes. Hardness and inscnsibility Of
this kind, however, were in the very atmosphere
OF the Old World, and it was not TO be expected
that Caesar should he above and beyond his age
in this, though in many respects he rose superior
to il.
As to his talents and abilities, one of his
commentators is perhaps more enthusiastic than
Mr.. Dodge So diverse are the judgments handed
down respecting him that man may be pardoncd
for some uncertainty. For " he is charged by some
with all the vices: he credited by others with
all the virtues; still otheri ascribc all vices and
virtues TO him. 1t has been the habit until OF
late years 10 look upon Caesar as the monster.
which the many headed in Rome once dubbed
him. The pendulum has now swung back, and We
are threatened with forgctfulncss Of what many
Roman authors tell ne Among Others. SuetonliS
informs us that Caesar exhibited great anlmosity
as a Judge that he rcsortcd to bribery; that he
was hasty and violent that he was suspected OF
Kidding himself of an enemy by poison that he
lent money without interest in order to cater
friendships; that he plundcred Lusitania at the
point of the sword and robbed temples in Gaul
that he was rapacious in character and extrava-
CANT in language, and thot he incurred the sus-
picion of breeding conspiracy TO murder his
opponents in the Senate and resort to a coup
d'ctat'"
Suctonins is certainly not an unbiased nor
Trustworthy writer, and Mr. Dodge might as well
have pointed that fact out. The man never SAYS
any good of any one, and always magniiics evil
reports and rumors. But the truth about Caesar
probably lies midway between the statements OF
extremists on either hand, and the world should
lie satisfied with belief in his genius and his states
manship Sucil men are. Of course. exposed II
hatred. and sometimes they deserve it too. ~
NAV it not be with Caesar Mr.. Dodgr's life IS
an admirable composition on the whole and fully
worthy of the fine series in which it constitutes
a distinguished feature.