New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-30

oerned from the Tigris River to the Mediterranean
Sea. The advantage of position and commerce was
with Babylon. and for long time no family could
rise to power anywhere that 1t did not eventually
yield to the charms of that famous capital and be-
come Babylonian Thus the political and military
life OF the city was continually renewed by fresh
blood while It's merchants. safe within the mas
sve walls and happy In their palaces and gardens.
sent factors in all directions and kept the place
overlooking with wealth. Tho tendency under those
conditions was not to consolidate Babylonian
empire. but to create and preserve what in modern
Africa IL called sphere Of influence" Tribute
was paid TO Babylon and the advice OF Babylon
taken. because II was easier and safer 10 pla-
cate the great city and its ruler than TO provoke
them. Another alton. perhaps. was that
Babylon and its immediate neighborhood had grown
cosmopolitan. Almost every tribe in the world OF
that day outside OF Egypt had friends there. some
OF It's own members This bond strengthened the
hold which the city had on races which 1t could
afford to pay for making war. Finally. II Babylon
could not obtain concessions by force she could
buy them. The rise OF walled and defensibe cities
all the way intervals along the Euphra,es and
across TO the Mediterranean coast had practically
reduced all Asiatic politics to matter OF barter
when Egypt appeared on the scene
Looking at the whole field from the point or
view Of those who abhor war. It seems as II civil
cation had reached ideal stage in Asia. Every
body who had the capacity had also the oppor-
tunity of getting rich The profits of trade were
such that robbers could not discourage the
traders Captures Of fortified towns were as yet
comparatively rare In Syria not only were cities
protected by walls. but even villages. while small
towers. like medieval castles frowned upon the
traveller at every turn in the road. at every ford
and at the openings of the little wales leading into
the hills. These STRONGHOLD large and small. were
numbered by hundreds. and the fragmentary list
preserved the stones Of Thebes shows by In
ference how densely the country must have been
populated. The country people, protected far
as possible from the marauders OF the desert, were
thrifty and industrious. They raised wheat ana
barley In the bottoms Of the valleys. and terraced
the hillsdes for whey ards and orchards Gardens
and meadows and groves of fruit trees ana
mounds where olives grew alternated with each
other. Doubtless the honey which the old Hebrew
spies found there later there al this time.
though Professor Maspero says nothing about
bees. But the Egyptians, familiar with the
richness OF their own land. were impressed by the
thriving world into which they entered AS
they pressed northward In their successive In
vasions they upon scenes for which their
own land could furnish no parallel. enormous
grassy wales and hillsides grass green and beyond
these first scattered oak trees, then groves and
finally vast forests. There never had been any
forests In Egypt. not even thickets; an occasional
tree or group OF trees all the land could boast
Egyptian. and that he became almost poet as
he worked over his Asiatic experiences.
Dense as the population was there was no
thought of political combination Each valley had
It's own chieftain and every its own head man.
Confederation little thought OF until late In the
struggle with Egyp; and then It was without per
manence Under these conditions the capture of
strong coast town. GAIA. for example. practically
reduced the whole Of the country that was depend
ent on it for a market The process of subjugation
was SOW one. according to modern notions of
war but the result complete. The whole re-
gion. including the Phoenican coast and the north
ern country even beyond Damascus and Carchemish,
turned 10 Egypt with tribute and friendship. 1t
was not empire IN the understood by the
ponderant influence which was profitable TO the
treasury OF the Pharaoh and to the income Of the
artisan. 1t served an unexpected purpose by en-
aiding the various governments interested 10 keep
their skilled workmen home. An extradton
their allies This must have been chiefly beneficial
manufactures by way of Philista and the trade
routes controlled by Solomon For many centuries
the political bond. slight 1t was. held these
northern tribes 10 Egypt. At the time the
old trade relations with Babylon continued. and the
changes OF fashion In dress and ornament
dictated from Chaidea and from the Nile
Domestic luxures in Syria those OF Babylon.
Thus the great city Of the Euphrates Valley had
ing up OF Egypt which relations with Syria
rendered necessary. apparently valuable
cess.on TO Babyonian merchants.