The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-03-29

city before the Dacians were again ia
arms. In the spring of the year 1U4
the emperor returned with an over
whelming force and soon subjugated
all the territory on the lower Danube.
This time the conquest was complete,
the Romans established numerous col
onies all over the country, fortified i'm
portant places, built roads and soon
made Dacia Roman province. It IL
the most remarkable fact in the history
that In this distant and new Roman
province the Latin tongue should get
such a hold OF the people. Their
neighbors speak different languages
altogether; their kinsmen, the Italians,
French, Spsniards and Portuguese,
live far away and for centuries did
not know even that there was such
people as the Roumanians; yet,
Notwithstanding all this, the Gu
rious people on the frontier of
Russia and Hungary has preserved
the Roman tongue and speaks it more
purely than the Italians, French, Span
iards or Portuguese. The extraordin-
airy rapidity with which the Roumanian
people has asserted itself in this CEN
tury is something incredible. Up to
1922 the Roumanian language was Wig.
orously prescribed by the rich and in
tueptiai classes, who used either the
Slovenian or Phanariote Greek, yet to-
day thu noble and the peasants. the
officials and the cleriy, the rich and
guage and all are striving to purify it
into it. Today the Roumanian Ian
80 o~nLno hxy IN 0ll mn 80
people, 100000 in the kingdom of
Roumsnia and 100000 in Austria
Hungary and Russia (Bssssrabia), and
extending rapidly.
we scarcely hear anything of what is
now Roumania. Everything is fable
and myth. We know only that 1t was
from time to time overrun by different
tribes and hordes, especially by the
Tartars. Later on, when times became
more peaceful, the plains and slopes of
the Carpathian mountains were in
habited by numerous communities,
ruled over by chieftains of different
power and influence. Mircea, one of
the heroes of Roumanian history, joined
some of these communities together
and formed an independent principal
ity, calling himself voivode Of Walla-
CHA. He ruled successfully until 1418,
but finally had to acknowledge the
suzerainty of the sultan. Meantime a
second kindred principality north of
Wallachia was formed, surnamed Mol
davia, where we meet with q great war
rior, Stephen, sometimes called great or
good. He constantly fought the Turks
and even for time succeeded in add
ing Wallachia to his domains.
In the beginning Of the sixteenth
century the Turks began to encroach
more openly upon Roumanian terri
tory. They occupied and fortified diff
ferent places, interfered in the election
of princes, and required heavy tribute
to be paid. This state of things lasted
till the end of the sixteenth century,
when another hero, Michael the Brave
OF Ovallachia, restored the independ-
ence Of the principalities and raised
them on q pinnacle Of glory. For q
time even the whole of ancient Dacia
became subject of his rule. He was
assassinatsd in 1901, and with him the
glory of Roumsnia departed. After
his death the principalities rapidly de-
clined and became mere provinces of
Turkey, first ruled by native
princes and then by the so-called
Fhanariots governors, or farmers-gen-
eral Of the sublime porte.