The record-union., 1899-10-30
COMPARISON
OF THE
ROMAN AND AMERICAN
REPUBLICS.
OF THE

Prepared for the Monday Night Club
or Auburn and presented on OCTOBER Z5d
py hiram Hoyt Richmond.1
From the expulsion of the Tarquins
about SO B. c. to the overthrow of the
conspirators at Phillippi 20 B. c.
period of approximately about SUI
years, may be said to be the outside
chronology of the Roman republic. The
expulsion of the Tarquins had resulted
from such an abhorrent breach of pow
eP that no sudden rehabilitation Of the
k1ngly prerogative was possible.
Very naturally the Patricians or gen
try, that had become fortified under the
kingdom. were extremely jealous for
what they termed their vested rights
The only legislative body at the time
of the expulsion was the Senate, and
composed entirely of Patricians. The
first change was from kingdom to Con-
sulate and very naturally, the Senate
controlling, no one but Patrician was
eligible TO the place. 1t was not
thought best to limit the power of the
supreme rulers, but their tenure Of
office was limited to one year. A lower
Assembly was also granted which in
membership was open to the Plebeans.
1t might be we'll to consider briefly
the two principal castles mentioned, the
Patricians and the Plebeians Much
of course, must be left in doubt, but,
quite generally the Patricians were the
claimed descendants of the original
land owners or the fathers of the coun-
try, as the word indicates. OF course
during the period of the kingdom,
through valor or favoritism and largely
from both, the body had become great
ly enlarged.
Very naturally the definitive bounda-
ries of the Plebeians are suggested neg
atively by what they were not. Orig
inally composed of hangers-on, retain
ers, artisans and interiors socially, the
charmed circle of the Patricians was
vigorously closed to them. In fact,
they were the common people. that
class of people that Lincoln said God
must loved, because He made so many
of them. In fact. Ancient Rome had
the same vicissitudes that have been
repeated through bis As she de-
veloped and grew stlrns she attracted
as we'll as conquered races, and the in
fuxes from migrations led to many
structures against the late comers, and
in favor of the original lords of the.
manor. The word PIebeian from the
Latin implies, to fill, is the subsequent
OF the Greek plethos, multitude. and it
is very easy to infer that the Plebeians
greatly outnumbered the Patricians.
when the kingdom gave way to the
Consulate.
The present fight against combina-
tions in this approaching twenti-
eth century. is as old as organized gov
ernment and even goes back TO the
patriarchal Certain it is. that the
Plebeians or common people of Rome,
vastly outnumbering the noblesse, We're
susceptible to coin control, and it took
nearly 250 years for them to fight their
way to practical equality with the
strongly intrenched and wealthy Pa
tricians
We have said that the Patrician SEN
ate had limited the Consulate TO one
year and granted a lower assembly, but
the Senate still held the veto power,
and with the Patrician Consulate had
little difficulty in still retaining the
mastery Of the people. In fact it was
period of capitalistic control, and re-
suited in the enlarged severity of the
creditor over the debtor class. A great
revolt Of the Plebeians occurred 494 B.
c. which led to the establishment of
the famous Plebeian Tribunate as q
sort of rival to the Patrician Consul
ate. Up TO this time the magistracy
had been held by the Patricians, and
this led to the appointment of the De-
cemviri, the Court of Ten, by the
V'r-ib a VIE
protest, but final consent Of the Pa
tricians. The unlawful lust of Appius
Claudius led to its abolition only two
years from the date of it's formation.
It might be said that from the period
of the overthrow Of the Court of Tenp
for a hundred years there was an open
rupture between the two castles Of peo-
pie, the Patricians, though out
numbered, being able to control enough
Of the common people to prevent set
tlement or the grant Of needed reform.
To show the stringency of the Pa
trician control it is stated that mar
riage between the Patrician and PIE
beian was not legalized till 445 B. c.
By the, granting of equality in the
local magistracy of the country, and
other concessions, the struggle was
will be seen that about half of the
period assigned in history to the Roman
republic had passed. before it was pos
sible to apply what might be called in
any enlarged degree, republican prin-
ciples.
The lines Of caste being for the time
placated the republic entered on a
period of conquest. The Punic wars ex-
tending over a period of sixty-two
years, the Macedonian wars. the tri-
umphant conquests of Julius Caesar
while still representing the republic, the
virtual control of the west, must be
said to have laid broad and deep the
foundations of the empire that fol-
lowed.
If history and experience have proven
anything, they have proven that oil
and water will as readily coalesce as