New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-14

manus to whom. therefore. the appear against
the decision of other magistrates was addressed
which was regarded as the chief safeguard OF
citizens rights" In the very divisions which
re makes Of the history that he narrates one
sees how the periods fuse each with It's success
sor The development Of the city. as 1t reaches
out from hill to HILL is the story in little Of the
conquest Of Latium. the extension Of the Latin
power over all Italy. and the acquisition OF
wide dominion beyond the shores of the pcnin-
sula In practice. to an extent almost incon-
ceivahle at the present day. Rome was the world
over which she held sway. The idea of the urban
state which was the central thought Of all antique
politics was carried out b. the Romans, until 1t
became too attenuated 70 be even respectable
fiction. To be free anywhere under Roman
dominion 1t was necessary to be Roman CIT
i7en and a man might be such without ever nav
Ing seen Rome. in the famous case or the
Apostle Paul Magistrates could only be elected
In Rome laws could be passed nowhere eIse'
treaties must be accepted there. and 1t was there
that the Senate HAD to sit. In the Spanish Sen
ate of Sertorius and the Macedonian senate or
Sulla there was hint OF future possibilities; OF
that woful day. for instance when IL was
learned as Tacitus said that an Emperor could
be created elsewhere than In Rome; but so long
as the usages ard feelings Of the Republic lasted
n
II walls of Rome was as mucn an lHlPos'ioh"!
as the autocracy itself.
1t is this uniformity which makes the history
Of partes in Rome so simple in comparison with
that Of modern States. on the other hand In the
last ANALYSIS. Roman partsanship prefgured that
Of later times On grand lines there can be only
two political divisions among mankind the one
composed of those whose affections are linked
to the past and the oth,r of those whose only
hope lies in the changes which the future may
bring The one party naturally includes those
who must lose by political change; the other
those who may be benefited. In BRIEF, the whoie
struggle al Rome from first to last was between
the conservatism of those who had birthrights,
privileges or wealth to take care OF. and those
who saw themselves excluded from the benefits
which they thought usually with Justice that
thew or the classes to which they belonged. had
earned 1t does not require much of the historical
imagination to extract from the primitive le-
gends probable statement OF the condition OF
things at the Outset under that first chieitain
whom the Romans agreed for one reason or an
other to call RomLlus The little village OF rude
warriors and shepherds on the Palatine nil was
soon found by Its nearest neighbors to be pro-
lection against the forays Of more distant ban-
dtti It's enmity was dangerous. but Its friend
rose near by of people who thought nothing Of
rights but only Of safety. In small way the
story must have been similar to the grand MARIA
tive OF later conquests. The protected classes
paid for their safety by labor; the warriors never
lacked for occupation. II they were not defend
ing their own community. they were engaged in
subdung another OF which they and the popu-
lace they ruled were jealous. Thus all the rights
OF citizenship rested service In war. AS the
town extended its authority the boundary to be
defended became longer. and the number OF enc
mics to be subdued more and more numerous
The descendants Of the ancient soldiery did not
suffice and the horde OF armed men had 10
be recruited from among those who had hitherto
been practically the slaves OF the community.
But these serfs had sooner shared the perils
Of their masters than they began TO long for the
privileges which those masters enjoyed. When
they became numerous enough TO feel that the
commonwealth could not do without them, they
began to insist upon modest share In the gov
eminent. They were humble and long suffering.
but they were patient and obstinate. What one
generation could not attain another reached II
they could not get what they asked for by argu-
ment, they sometimes seeded. in the famous
instance where they driven to anger by
the crueltes inflicted on prisoners for debt The
plebeans were directed, not against the inherited
rights Of the patricians. but against the use OF
those rights In q way prejudicial TO themselves.
Things came to such a pass that the Senate
dared not dismiss the army. lest it should be
come a mob Of armed insurgents when released
from the command Of the Consul. Then the
soldiers decided to withdraw from the town in a
body 1t was one of the most peaceable revolu-
lions in history. Not blow was struck, not a
drop OF blood shed. but when the citizen
soldery returned to their homes. they had Sc
cured Official representation in the Government.
and a substantial meHUee Of veto power upon
the acts Of their supe'>Jrs
A repetition of this contest in varied forms
constitutes the political history Of Rome The
names Of the Gracchi OF Marius, Of Caesar are
associated with the movements Of the popular
party. the party Of expansion and advancement
which supported them. There came time. OF
course when the heredty ceased to have much
value In potics. when wealth took the place Ct
birth, when Patricians were replaced BY Opt
mates and Plebeians by Populares. But
the struggle was in It's the same.
Those who had little were determined to
wrest more from those whom fortune had
favored. II they could not have wealth,
their numbers. at least. entitled them TO au-
thori,y or to the choice of rose who should rule
them. The struggle between Pompey and Caesar
as party leaders really turned upon the point
whether Rome should preserve institutions which
she had outgrown create new system,
whether power should be continued in the hands
Of the few or distributed to the many. Both
parties to the contest had much to say for
themselves The Optmates wished to pre-
serve the ancient constitution the national re-
ligon and system Of auspices. the powers Of the
magistrates the influence Of the Senate. the SEN
atorial hold the law courts the credit OF the
exchequer, the fubordination OF the army, the
government OF the provinces. The Populares
maintained that the religious system, especially
that Of the auspices was employed 10 enable GER