The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-04
FREEDOMS BIRTH.
Some Historical Reflections from
the Pen OF Julian Hawthorne.
Moses tbs Founder Of the First Great Re-
pubiic-The Seed of Liberty That Was
to Bloom Forever-Those That
Have Passed Away.
COPYRIGHT. 1881

lCopYRIGHT. 1881
The successful esta blishment of the
worlds fair at Chicago, in the heart of
toe greatest of republics, is a fact
which suggests many reflections, grave
as well as bright. For there have been
many republics, and not few of them
have rivaled the United States itself,
if not in magnitude, at least in splendor
and prosperity. And of all those great
republics not one now remains. In
the midst of their splendor they be-
came corrupt and fell. We hope that
our own free union is destined to per-
sist and be the earthly salvation Of
mankind, either in itself or by its ex-
ample. Certainly, if wealth, intelli-
gence, industry and physical power
and resources are factors in the crea-
ton of perna nent prosperity, we have
nothing to fear. And my purpose at
present is not to warn or to doubt, but
to glance back for moment over the
records of history and the contempt
rary situation, and sum up the story of
the first dawnings of former and pres
ent institutions similar to our own.
The birthday of the first republic is
marked by one of the most striking
events of history. When the era of
Israelitish bondage in Egypt came to
an end, and the chosen people, laden
with the spoil of their late oppressors,
passed dry-shod over the bottom of the
Red sea, Moses announced that IA
nous body of laws which has remained
10 this day unsurpassed in foresight
and practical sagacity, and which
made of the hitherto enslaved, but
never subdued, nation the most power
full and orderly political and social
organization till that time known.
That was great day, not for Israel
only, but for the world. The seed of
liberty, planted then, was to flower
forever, and we of to-day are its latest
cultivators.
That was three thousand three hun
dred and eighty-four years ago. Then
the mists of antiquity gather again,
and part only a Thousand years later,
when. on the hills of Greece, nation
OF heroic and cultivated pagans de-
,clared their purpose to henceforth
govern themselves. 1t was five centu-
ries before the birth of Christ, who
was to proclaim in Palestine a theory
of spiritual democracy SO profound and
vital that even yet we have but begun
to realize its full import. But the
Grecian republic had also its mission
of benefcence and beauty. In sin
gle century-frorn $50 to $50 B. Cat
tica became the mother of such sons as
Themistocles, Aristides, Pericles,
Thucydides, Socrates. Plato. Aschylus,
Aristophanes, Phidias. No country, in
so brief a period, can show list to
ma, ch with this. These men were not
only supreme in their own time, but
have remained unsurpassed or IN
equaled since. The virtue of repub-
lican institutions. if they needed vindi-
cation, could find it there.
Internecine quarreis and foreign pro-
tectors brought about the extinction
Of this dazzling democratic constella-
ton. Meanwhile, or at about the same
time some fugitives from ancient Tyre
had founded on the shores of the Med
iterranean little nation. which. IN
der free institutions, speedily became
the mistress Of nearly all the known
world. The career of Carthage is a
splendid record of felicity, wealth and
conquest. Less distinctively warlike
fhan hn, NV che
far her superior in civilization; and
when it came to war between them
Hamilcar and Hannibal displayed a
genius that can well be compared with
the achievements of all the Caesars and
since. The prosperity of
the republic lasted nearly four centu-
ries, and Rome took up the torch of
political freedom that had fallen from
the hand of her mighty enemy.
AS near as one can estimate, the
definite beginning of the Roman re-
public was in 326 b. c., when the Pub
liam Law gave every citizen the right
to vote. 1t lasted, nominally at least,
for three hundred years. During that
time Rome made herself the queen of
tiiG Col iii- t1SI AllIuS1ltt 10 tSib Sblli
The light that was kindled on the
Seven Hills went out at last in blood
and shame: but it 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 a dozen centuries: for il was
not until the thirteenth century that
the Italian republics can be said to
have existed. The Lombard COM
lnunes 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-
were ultimately not less dis
astrcus than they proved to be in our
own experience. But meanwhile,
not to mention her less ia
nous sister, made her name imperiSha-
BILE, and added to art and litera ture
conquests. As to Genoa,
which is mentioned by Livy SO long
ago as two centuries tetore Christ, IT
made itself free OF the viceregents of
in the tenth century,
and from that date created for itself
a rapid and amazing prosperity, Her
conquests extended 10 Palestine and the
and in 1910 she became dicta-
tor OF the throne of ConstaEtinople
Even more magnificent is the story Of
Venice. She passed gradually from
the condition of monarchy % that OF
a republic; but her prosperity and
grea tness date from the period-1o33-
when the people overthrow Osseolo,
and abolished hereditary succession.
The thirteenth cc,,tr-..,- .,lsn s.,,.- ti,n