The sun., 1898-01-23

than vere accessible when Freeman undertook to
discuss tho topic almost forty years ago. 1t is
the latest discoveries and conclusions respecting
tho federal experiments that were made in
Hellas Of which we have an epitome in the most
important chapter of Mr.. Grecnidge's book.
a -
It Is trusm that federal government marks
an expansion of political life beyond tho limits
OF the city.state. Mr.. Grecnidge reminds us
that. oven in the early history Of Greece, such
expansion was not unknown, for there is evil
denco of the existence OF nations on the one
hand and Of leagues on the other. Whatwe call
q federal association occupies an intermediate
place between these two extremes. 1t Is po-
ntical unit which is. itself. an aggregate of
units; 1t is something less than nation. and
something more than a league. It is difficult to
express, with scientific precision, the stage at
which q government ceases to be nero league
and becomes true federation; nor is it easier to
draw tho line that separates such State from
true national life Mr.. Greenidge would define
Afederation positively by tho degree of union
which II has reached. and, negatively. by the
degree of union which it lacks. Positively. a
federation of cities or districts implies: ~ the
theoretically complete surrender Of all activity
In foreign politics to q central government; t2) q
single. delberative, and elective body. and a
single executive. for the discussion, control, and
conduct of external affairs; (3) q common court
OF Justice for offences committed against the
Dociation, or, at least central control over the
local courts when deciding such matters; ~
O power of raising and maintaining com.
mon military contingents, and. lastly, common
power of taxation, or, at least, some control
over local supplies destined to support the
common action of the federation. Negatively
fh. Stafe mn he in NIL ftare
unconnected with tho purposes of the fedora.
tion: each State must possess Constitutio n. a
citizenship, and civic privileges peculiarly its
own. and the freedom of its public life must be
something moro than q mere municipal inde-
pendence. Judged by these criteria. the Pei o.
ponnesian Confederacy of which we read in
Thucydides was not q federal government. 1t
was q mere league. On the other hand, the
First and Second Athenian Leagues very nearly
deserved to be called federal governments, the
points in which they failed being the absence of
o common magistracy and tho too great pre-
ponderance given to the executive power of a
single State. They represented distinct stages.
however. in tho growth Of such associations
and familiarized the Greek mind with
the idea OF o union which was one neither
OF conquest nor of absorption, and which
reconciled the demand for corporate action
with the claims of individual sovereignty. As
TO tho so-called amphictyonies, which. in point
ofdate, preceded the considerations just named.
these were either tribal unions or associations
for religious purposes. Those of Delphi and
Delos are best known. Only In one instance did
an association of this kind pave the way for
political unity; the B9otian Amphictyony
undoubtedly was the basis upon which its MEM
borS ultimately established federal govern
ment In the order of their development. so
far as this is deducible from scattered records.
the chief federal politics of Greece were
those of Thessaly. B9otia, Acarnamia, Olyn-
thus. Arcadia, Atolia. AchRa and Lycia.
There is reason to believe that, as early as the
last quarter Of tho fifth century b. c.. the for
eign policy Of tho Thessalian cities was de-
termined by some kind OF federal council,
the political sentiments of which were certainly
democratic. and which was the first expression
Of Thessalian collective life. AS primary as
nembly could not have represented permanently
the interests of SO extensive an area as that of
Thessaly. the council must have been composed
Of delegates from the State; this unknown Thes-
nalian synod furnishes tho earliest instance Of
political representation on q large scale In
Greece. But the Federal Government was as
powerless as the preceding monarchy had been
70 control the dynastic influences which guided
the politics of the separate towns. and the rule
of tho feudal nobility continued until the close
Of tho Peloponnesian war. when unity was
sought in tho institution OF the office
OF Tagus, which, like tho Roman Dictator
ehip. involved temporary resumption of regal
authority, Jason, however, was tho first and
last Tagus Of United Thessaly. Not long after
his death. federal government of a republican
type was called into existence. but only its exec
utive officials are known. This second attempt
ut federal system was evon more transitory
than tho first, and Thessaly presently fell under
IA Rv4a nf linda
i rule. however. and, subsequently. under the
Roman dominion. the federal system was per-
petuated, being, In fact, the only one applicable
To o country of the size and traditions of Thes-
sally. But about these later adaptations OF the
federal principle imposed by exterior authority,
very littlo is known.
The Bosotian Federation. which in tho latter
part OF the fifth century b. @. had been evolved
as We have said, from religious association.
passed through two stages. an oligarchic and
democratic; in structure the former was the
more noarly perfect federal SYSTEM In the year
aga we find Thebes and six other independent
towns constituting u league. tho controlling
power over which was vested in q large council
composed Of four smaller councils. How far tho
control affected tho autonomy OF the constituent
cities we do not know, but 1t is probable that
tho councils existed exclusively for federal
purposes. Tho chief executive officials were
tho BBotarchs, eleven or thirteen In num-
bor. OF whom two were Thebans. tho rest
being appointed by the other federal divisions.
but on what principle we not told. They
wero the foreign ministers OF Beotia in times
of peace and took command of tho army by
turns In time OF war. When We next catch a
glimpse Of this federal organization Thebes is
democratic and tho political character of the
other States 10 In harmony with that of their
leader. No true democratic federation, how.
ever, was formed, the league being only a
crushed and half-unwilling partner of the cen
tral state in tho short but brilliant period OF
Theban ascendancy in Greece. This coufederacy
fell with the subsection OF Thebes TO Macedon in
$685. but. like tho Thessalan confederation. 1t
was resumed again under Macedonian and
Roman rule
In Acarnania IL presented an instructive type