The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-04
An AMERICAN IN EUROPE.
Observations Upon the life and Politics.
Of Twenty-Five Years Ago,
by THE LATE
JAMES SHEP ERD PIKE.
XII.
History.

lected services. unrealized antlcipations. and
blasted fortunes.
This is as true OF Congressman and Kings
and Emperors as OF tho members OF tho vari-
Gus grades Of society beneath them. Here and
there ian has had a successful career. but
for ono such there are,hundreds OF failures.
From the days OF Moses. how few have
reached the promised land after oil their
weary journeyings in the wilderness!
Behold tho old Greeka Demosthcncs dying
By violence. Aristides banished. Socrates pol
soned. Alexander dying In debauch at 33.
Themistocles expatriated. Mltiados flung into
prison to die. In Rome sec Caesar assassinatod
at SO. Cicero murdered. Pompey ingloriously
slain. one Brutus dying in duel and another
by suicide. and these but mere indexes to
whole chapters Of Roman history.
In modern Europe look at the ambitious
Kings and military leaders. Behold tho fail
ures OF Charles XII. Charles v. Francis l.. the
gloomy end OF Louis NVI. tho still more
wretched ono OF his next successor but one.
Witness the miserable termination OF Napo-
Icons career.
In circles OF lesser GRADE. SEQ Columbus and
.CortsZ. Walter Raleigh and Albuquerque with
Ava, royal butcher though no was. See Sir
Thomas More. Spnosa. Ximenes aud tho Do
Wits. Look at the career OF the Guises
Served right. but dying by violence. mono
ing all his battles to be slain by tho dagger:
Marie de Medici dying In a garrett with her son
on q throne and SO on nd inlnitum. Why
need peple trouble themselves with the way
things will go after they leave the world
Every gen GRAFTON Is sufficient unto itself. and
makes or mars Its own fortunes. No man is
great enough to perpetuate his influence after
his death. except it be by the force OF his
blood. He may transmit his qualities to his
offspring but in this way only can lie influence
Affairs after he is leneath tho sod.
The elder Pitt thought England was going
to ruin when he died. and struggled nercely
against It His son was sure the devil would
swallow oil Europe. England included. when
no gave up the ghost. CharlemaGne tried
hard to nx things for tho future. but they all
broke UP as soon he went Off the stage.
James " OF Scotland was sure the birth OF
Mary Stuart would cause Scotland to be swal-
lowed up by Henry VIII. yet Marys son and
his grandson sat on Henry's throne.
Charles v. gave up his crown to his son that
tho greatness OF Spain might be perpetuated.
but her decline began under what would be
termed tho vigorous" administration Of that
infinite scamp.
II is very pnradoxical. but often true that
the prosperity Of nations has proved their
ruin. and vice versa. Spain and Holland In
the sixteenth century are evidences OF both
propositions.
When a nation seems greatest 1t is often
most likely to collapse. and when it seems
about to be overwhelmed it may be on the eve
OF exhibiting unsurpassed greatness.
All the world believed Philips Armada
would reduce and humiiate England. Venice
was to all intents and purposes doomed by the
great league OF 1908 against her. But the GER
tain ruin was averted. France at one time
n tad nj M M do
throned and exiled. and Paris captured. and
Franco put under foot. Things wore not
much better ut the close OF Louis XIV.'s
career.
Russia seemed to threaten Europe at the
opening OF the Grim can war. She seems very
harmless to the European eye Just now. Hol-
land rose to her highest splendor during the
period Immediately following the gigantic and
bloody cruelties OF Spain upon her people.
Borne under by flood OF violence and brutal
oppression for half Il century. the close Of the
period saw the people more wealthy and the
State more powerful than over. Russia rose
Ike phoenix under the flames set to con-
sumo her in tho time OF Frederick the Great
There are no nationalitics that endure To
10 no further blok-there were the Greeks.
What has become OF them? There were the
Romans. What became OF them? There were
the Visigoths. the Vandals. the Huns-well-
marked nationslities for q time. What has
become OF them? There were the Saracens
and Moors. There are the Turks. Their ma
uonality sinks. 1t seems to be the rule that
all nationalitles gradually disappear. as we'll
as all languages
Nations intermingle. fuse. and lose their
original characteristics by the lapse of time.
IL ts thus as Metternich alleged OF Italy. all
nationalities come at last to DO mere geo
graphical expressions" To show how slow or
how absolutely imperceptible may have been
the progress OF civilization in past ages be-
yond the historic period. We may compare tho
present condition OF the Arabs OF the African
coast with those who. under the name OF
Moors Inhabited 1t In the fifth and sixth CEN
turtles. and who afterward invaded Spain. In
deed. 1t would hardly be denied that this ruce
has deteriorated. and this without its ever
having reached any high state OF civilization
And this is a process which may have loen
going on In the worlds history for millions Of
years. And as scarcely any traces oxist on
that coast OF the great developments within
the historic period. which have there thrown
themselves and disappeared again In nu.
merous oassG: SO 1t Is not to be wondered at
that still far romoter ages have left nothing to
show the existence OF man or a soil no may
have trod and cultivated and embellished in
the Same quarter OF tho globe through uu-
kuoWu h8ob III tuo phbL huu IL tHlb may DC
true there why may 1t not be true OF all Eu-
rope. Asia. and America
1t seems impossible to believe that rulers
and statesmen who insist upon foreign con-
quest can be familiar with the course Of his
tory. which shows that all such rule and all
such conauests are utterly unavaillng to pro-
duoe successful results In tho long run. but Is
the fruit OF untold mischief to everybody CEN
earned What became OF the conquests OF
Eastern nations. OF Persia. Of Assyria. Of Cyrus.
- Alexander. OF the Romans. OF the Greek
empire. OF Constantinople. Of the Caliphs. OF
the Moors. OF Chsrlemaene. OF Charles ", OF
the 6paniards In Holland and the Now World
Ct France In Italy and America OF Napoleon
.bOnApartsf
= What seas Of blood have been shed on the
sttes Of the old seats OF en- pre In the Valley Of
the Euphrates. upon the thirsty plains OF Syria
and Persia and Egypt and along tho African
shore OF the Mediterranean from Alexandria
- the Straits OF Gibraltar. In Asia Minor. in
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