Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-03-26


often went to the powerful lord, be-
came enrolled in his household. and in
return for the protection gave such
service as might be expected of Il free
man-more often, perhaps, military
service, The forces thus formed, to-
gether with armed Serfs. added TO the
power of the wealthy lord. and served
to defend the locality against the In
cursions of invaders.
sometimes these local potentates eX-
crcised functions of the state, such as
judicial rights. At first this was for
hidden by the laws and regarded rs
usurpation. but in the later feudai state
these practices became legalizcd and
regarded as duties, and the only SOW
erciCnty of the state was that of the
feudal lord over his territory and ten
ants.
MILITARY SERVICE BECOMES y
PRIVATE DUTY.
During the time of CharlemaGn the
growth OF his dominions required mill
tary campaigns almost constantly and
nj great distances. The common Ger
man custom had been mat all freemcn
contributed their military service UNI
paid, but in the enterprises of Charlie
magne this began to be very burden
some and the poorer citizens especially
could no longer endure it. and there
WAS likelihood that the army would dis
appear. Charlcmagnc tried to over
come the ulllltuItN by Il series OF enact
mentS, but the imperial authority was
not sufficiently respected To cause ODE
diencc until he hit upon a decree which
, by reason of its appeal To the pride
of human nature was effective. This
was that the Vassals might come into
the service under the command of their
own lords instead OF in n general levy
under Il governmental officer. Natural
ly every lord would desire 10 gain in
iiucnce ana appreciation by appearing
at the head of as large ana we'll equip
red 4 body of VaSsals as possible At
amy rate, this plan of Charlema gnc
succeeded and was followed in follow
Ing generations rs the regular method.
The method was effective in securing
military service. but it is clear that
the service was no longer for the state
| but merely the regular duty of the vas
sal toward his own lord for the use of
| land. What would otherwise have
been public duty became merely pri-
Natc contract and one of the common
conditions upon which lands We're held.
HOW THE AUTHORITY or THE
FEDERAL SYSTEM GREW.
In some manner other functions Of
! the Observation-Disclosures of justice.
coming of money, ctc-passed into pri-
waite hands. The exact process by
which this came about is not by any
| means as clear as in the case of the
wns rnni usurn.tinn or ia ,,,,, 81 80
local lord while I'm otbc,. rosos ,bo,n
was n gradual tr,nsforr,,tion .r,n,,,tn.,
out of nm otfica,. Of tbn s,a,o ,ct,,nin1
authoritv nc - r,i,.,t, ir,i,.id,,,, ,,.,,;nie
had originally icon in,r,,ct,d ~ h;,, nc,
n nubIic ofJicnr l,ut bo,vav,, 40
| changes may have occurred tho com
| plctc rcudal system show, un nvtrnor-
| binary amount, of hover of y,rious
| kinds i'm thn hands of rsudoI lord.
! These feudal lords vcr, tho sourcns az
| strength in their own lor,litv Tbov
| only were capablc of mointaininc. any
| real order ana security For This very
reason their power cradunIiy incrcoso6
! 1t was better for thn v,es,js nnd nthor
| dependents to obey the lord ana 10 lool,
! than To be merely subjects of y STATE
whose authority existed ONLY in theory
/ During the whole period of fcudalism
1 the theory of the absolute power of the
state continued to be recosni%cd' but
Of the local lords in their strong cas-
! Ties surrounded by their own little ar
/ mics. and the state could do nothing
/ The lack of roads ana other means OF
communication rendered it Impossible
| Tor the state to bring its power into di-
| rect contact with the people in different
/ parts of the country. Again all the ofii-
GERS OF the state were necessarily To-
cal maSnates who were constantly
STRIVING TO shake off any control and
increase their own Importance. The in
tcrests 81 Inc people in one part of the
country were not the same as those II
another. ana everything tended 10 de-
| S''UA 't'iitr man cieate any nationa