The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-01
Ti4E DECADENCE OF OUR RACE.
One of the Lessons W q Can Learn from the
Rise and Fall of Early Civilization.

/ One of the Lessons We Can Learn from, the
! Rise and Fail of Early Civilization.
| An English author has just published
I a book in which he endeavors 10 prove
| that the races of men which are now
| dominant IN the world have already
| began to decay. and that the time is APP
! preaching when the subordinate races
will rise up and take the place of these
| decaying races The English race,
both in America and Europe, this
writer maintains. has already reached
its decadent period. The French aud
German races. also have attained the
summit of their greatness, and here
| after must retrograde rather than ad-
vance. The great ruling races of the
world. this writer asserts, have had
their day, and must now begin 10 make
way for the inferior races which have
hitherto remained in the back ground
In other words the civilized man of to-
day may be the savage of some future
generation. and the savage of to-day.
sometime in the evolution of the races
of men. may come 60 the front and De
come civilized 1t is a faSorite theory
with many. that races, like individual
men. rise. eliminate and decay That
none remain long stationary. and that
III are either progressing or retrogress-
ing.
These previously inferior races are
the people of South America and the
people of Africa. Some one. indeed,
Loc h.,. 4, 4.
grade of civilization unless il lives ia a
land where the snow flies But tho his
tory of antiquity di>proves this. Nearly
all the great nations of the ancient
world inha bited warm climates.
1t is not prOba bic that ii a revolution
like this is ever effected il win bc ef-
fected in one genera ton. or in one cen
tury, or. indeed. in q thousand years
These great racial nlodifications have
been effected many times ia thc past.
But-the change Is d process OF slow de-
velopment..
At the beginning Of the Christian era
the people who inhabited the present
countries of Germany. England and
France. were merely savage barbarians.
The Roman civilization, which en-
braced the countries extending along
the shores OF the Mediterranean SEA.
was civilization in many respects of
q high order. II was the proudcst and
most confident civilization the world
has ever known. And no subject Of
Rome in the early days Of our Christian
era could have been made TO believe that
the time would'ever come when these
savage northern nations would lay her
pride in the dust
But yet the Roman empire. the great
est governmental structure eyer reared
bv man. for many centuries has been
no more. II was overrun and conquered
by the hardy and savage barbari3ns Of
the north.
These savage barbarians have. in
their turn. become civil.ze d. and from
them has sprung The great modern
countries Of Europe The Englishman
and American Of to-day. the French
man, the German. and the Scandina-
vian are all descendants Of men who
were barbariaus and sayares when the
old Roman empire was in is vizor
Roman civilization IN its turn re-
placed Greek civilization civilization
the highest in many respects that the
world has ever seen. Greek civilization
suppiauted the Persian. and fhe Per
sian supplaRted the Bsby!onlan and A.
syrian.
50. II viii be seen. that the world has
thus far evolved by the alterations 81
civilizations A dominant race is over-
thrown bY less conspicnous one.
which. 10 is turn fourishes uutiI il II
overthrogn by some other less coaspic-
nous race.
And 20 the process has gore or
Whether j. VIII continue 10 20 on ~
this way until the end 4 time - eorrse,
the foresight o man car not determine
BUT i lge reason from the pas- the ar
guraeut from analogy Z strong lAat i
Will 50 continne.
OF course this Is not pleasant theme
for us 70 contemplate None q Us - lab
TO have our Tace Transformed into de-
cadeut and dying coalition
Bat ,ne v8f 20 avoid hls Z. % MAKE
. study of tae graf empires of antiqul-
- aad Bol2 tIe causes that brogEa as on
their decly ana ruin.
We und that these great nations .,
ancient lines we're ~ ssped bF laxsry
aad eservated ~ eEces=es. Men sress
weaItbr luzurio1s azs weak. aud lGst
the strong and sturdy qualities that
made taeir @ztiou Gen u5Et TaeY
e-aaseuiate5 themselves bY weak. fTiv-
s4ous and Y.eaous ladul2e EeieA. and 30