The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-21

one Of the great catastrophes of histo-
ry, but the fact Is overlooked that the
Roman people had become morally ana
physically vile beyond description; de- J
generate, weak of body, with cores
ponding decay of intellect, they could
not compare either in military strength
or social virtue with the sturdy, hardy
races of the north the empire fell be-
cause it did not deserve to live, and in
it's stead. arose group of nations, the
men Of which were as far superior to
the Romans as the latter had been to
the enervated populations of Greece,
Asia Minor and Egyp., The Goths, the
Visigoths, the Alemanni, the Ostro-
goths, the Suevi, who established their
political supremacy in France, IN
Spain, in Italy, in Greece, We're Teuton-
ic or of Teutonic origin, and thus when
the great empire crumbled into decay
the political ascendency of the Teuto
was established from the Mediterra-
mean to the North Sea. 1t was still fur
Their extended by the invasion of the
British Isles by the Angles, Saxons and
Jutes, who were destined to found two
empires which seem even yet only in
their youth; one, the empire of Great
Britain, the other it's sister country, the
empire of the United States. The Teu-
tonic conquest Of the north was perma-
nent, that of the south was temporary,
for in the course of a few generations
the native populations of Spain, France
and Italy reasserted themselves not in
military, but in a social way. The in
termarrages of the conquerors with
the people practically reduced the DOM
inant race to the level of the people it
governed and through amalgamation
the Teutonic element almost disap-
peared.
Its influence, however, was felt in a
marked degree in the political affairs of
central and southern Europe, for what
IS known in history as the Holy Roman
empire was a Teutonic empire, whose
head was most commonly Teuton,
whose mobiles were Teutons, and the
contests Of the empire with France and
Spain, disguise them by whatsoever
name we please, were really contests
of the Teutonic element with the Latin.
Emperor and noble were fighting the
battle of Teuton versus Latin, often
upon local issues, often losing sight of
| the difference in race, generally ignor-
ant of the great issue which lowered
| above the petty occasions of strife the
war was necessarily waged. Through
the maze of medieval history, which,
without some guiding thread, is an in
soluble mystery, may be traced the an
| tagonism of the two races, and, though
frequently lost to the view of the casu-
al observer, it is never absent.
| Not on the tented field along, nor only
in the shock Of arms did Teuton strive
with Latin, for the inherited aversion,
the one for the other, made itself ap-
parent even in matters of religion and
philosophy. The German Reformation
is commonly characterized as reli-
gious movement, as the emancipation
of thought from the despotism Of creed,
but in its essence the Reformation was
simply one phase of the contest be-
tween Teuton and Latin. Strife among
men Of peace Is or may be just as de-
cided as among men Of arms; indeed,
it is possible that 1t may be even more
bitter, for a hatred that has vent only
in words finds words inadequate for its
expression. The Reformation was the
revolt Of Teuton against Latin supre-
macy in the realm Of religion, revolt
as decided as that of the German states
against the political control Of Latin
emperor Indeed, even in its earlier
stages the Reformation soon began to
assume political aspect; in it's later
course was as much of political as
religious movement.
The Thirty Years war was a legiti-
mate outcome of the century of contro-
/ x,,ls - ytta '
Of words. was q strife between Teuto
and Latin. At It's beginning, the Pro-
testant states Of the north were solidly
arrayed against the Latin element in
the empire; before It ended, Protestant
and Catholic states were fighting or
each side: the religious phase had been
almost entirely lost to view. The Re-
formation, as it Is called, or great re-
bellion of Germany, though against the
domination Of the south, Indirectly re.
suited in a great revival of Latir
strength. Protestant historians gene
rally lose sight of the fact that the Re.
formation in Germany was the direct
cause of reformation in the church
that corrupt pontiffs like Alexander vi
were succeeded by ascetics like Adrian
and the powerful order which owed its
existence to it's promise to devote all it!
efforts to forwarding the interests O.
the papacy sprang into the arena fully
grown and ready for battle. The con
test between the Teuton and Latil
was not confined to Germany, not tt
, the districts depopulated by the Thir
ty Years war, for Spain, then in thu
ascendant in the affairs of Europe, hay
ing apparently overwhelmed resistance
on the continent, undertook the subju
cation of England. and the pet objec
? Of Charles ", and after him of Philil
, H., was to bring the insular kingdom
not only back to the control Of tn
, church, but also of the secular arm o
the empire. The enormous increase II
, the wealth of Spain by the discover.
, of America led Charles and his degene
rate son to imagine that England coul
be conquered as easily as they ha
: oyerrun the duchies of Germany, blu
? the destruction Of the Armada and Il
almost total ruin of the Spanish nava
power put check, not only to tn
growth of Latin influence in Europe
but to the spread of the Latin race il
? America, while the revolt of the Meth
, erlands and the successful resistanc
by the Lowlanders to the Spanish arm