The record-union., 1899-10-30

mate climax Of human statesnenship"
was reached in our Federal Constitu-
tion, and the present position of Presi-
dent of the United States came, con-
sistent with the evolution of centuries,
with it came the one man, Washington,
to give the world an object lesson of
that office in its enlarged sense. Seven
ty-five years after came Lincoln, who,
with a broader Interpretation Of that
Constitution, rid the nation of its only
lingering feudaI inheritance, slavery.
Where in our Constitution do we find
precedent for our Senate, as con-
structed by that instrument? Other
nations have followed. We followed no
ma ton. The Roman Senate, at first Pa
trician, was always by appointment. By
our Senate the several States Of the
Union are forever individualized, and
stand on an equal footing.
We had from the start advantages
that cannot be gainsaid. First, that of
race. The uttermost boundaries of the
empire covered, it is true, the terri
tory peopled by our ancestry, but they
were never reduced to full control, and
in after years they stood upon the
ashes of the empire. Second, that of
climatic conditions. Our ancestry were
forced to livelihood from comparatively
unresponsive soils and rigorous eli
mates, where their manhood was put to
the severest tests in field culture and
game supplies. 1 have called this an
advantage because history shows US
that enterprise and enlightenment fol-
low the lines of neceSSitated industry
and frugality. Third, advantages in
religious development. Our ancestry,
far from the centers of the oligarehy
that claimed to interpret the mythical
polytheism of heather Rome, fostered
a spirit of independence that made
them the best and wisest interpreters of
the Christianity that followed.
Let US put it this way, with no dan
ger Of contradiction. The Roman re-
public undoubtedly reached the highest
degree of development ever attained
by a purely heather nation. Nothing
antecedent to the Christian era even
approaches the republic in the safe in
depreciation of individual liberty.
Isn't it safe proposition that no ma
ton since that date has reached more
perfect climax in the safeguard of the
individual than the American nation?
History is pregnant with proofs of the
proposition that true republicanism is
positively inimical to caste and relig-
ious intolerance. Hence, it follows
that the success of republicanism de-
pends upon it's freedom from feudal-
ism and its persistent adherence to re-
ligious freedom. The Latin republics
of America have quite generally been
weaklings and simply because of the
unwarranted domination of church
hierarchy. Their periods of positive de-
velopment have only come when the
Liberals have overthrown the "Cler-
icals" and the State and school sys-
TENS have become entirely freed of
church domination Perhaps unwar-
ranted church control contributed as
much as any other one factor to the
overthrow of the Roman empire.
The great master, Christ, was the
true democrat, and from Bethlehem to
Calvary his life was a protest against
caste, and hierarchy and feudalism.
But the Roman Empire was the last
place In the world to ask for the first
exemplification of Christianity. The
empire, founded by Julius Caesar, who
claimed to unite in his alliances the
ancient castes Of Patrician and PIE
beians, resulted in the worst form of
the revival of caste, and when from its
humble beginning the blue blood of
Rome became nominally Christian, it
became SO only in name. The great
world, disgusted at the Roman inter
probation of Christianity, was largely
prepared for the advent of Mohammed-
anism. Be it said to the eternal dis
credit of that Interpretation, that while
Rome reached her highest development
under heather control she passed to
decay after she became nominally Chris
tian. A few faithful monks preserved
the records and faith through the dark
ages, and the barbarism of the north
(our ancestry We're the first people on
earth to make it a potency for good.
With eager hearts they espoused the
faith that most accorded with their
iberty-loving natures. and in after
years readily followed Luther and
Wickliffe in the great reformation,
which furnished the first vital interpre-
tation Of Christianity the world had