The Republican journal., 1899-03-30
CIVILIZATION.

fined, cultivated or reclaimed from saw
age life The American Educator says it
is one of those words in common use
which it is hard to define. Guizot evident
ly takes similar view of the subject, as
he devoteS a whole lecture to the discus
sion of it's meaning. From the above au-
thority we conclude that civilization is an
improved condition of society and may be
applied to the condition of well developed
individual intelligence 1t is derived from
civis, citizen the inhabitants of cities
being more civilized than those in the
country. 1t may be defined as social ac-
tivity, mental activity, or the advancement
from savage state to that condition
which reason and revelation point out as
the ultimate destiny of the human race.
1t is subject of great Importance and
thus far little elucidated
Ancient civilization was founded upon
a single principle which would not toler-
ate rival Every ancient nation was a
pure monarchy, theocracy or democracy.
There could be no mixing of principles.
Christian, pagan and Jew could not live n
harmony together. This very narrowness
of ancient civilization by concentrating
all the energies of the mind produced a
rare form and beauty of literary art un-
eaualled in modern times. The single prin-
clple of ancient civilization led to tyranny,
but the inability of any principle to ex-
clude the others has given birth to mod
ern liberty,
A diversity of ideas have ever striyen
for supremacy. SO long as they were in
tolerant to each other, the progress of
the world was retarded.
Now that civilization has become as d.
veIsifed and as laborious as the great
Universe itself, it marches forward, con
stantly and untrammeled.
The Roman empire was built up from
cities and at its fall it returned to cities,
so that municipal government was the
heritage transmitted from Rome to mod
ern civilization. The Church established
a moral influence, maintained divine
law, and separated spiritual from temper
al power as a means of defense against
balbalism. The barbarians overran the
crumbling Roman Empire and introduced
their love of liberty and fondness for ac-
Livity without labor. This love of indi
vidual liberty. which has enabled every
genius t. do the work assigned him by a
divine Providence, is oui Inheritance from
our barbarian ancestors.
Such liberty was unknown TO the an
clients. They were devoted to the church. |
state or city laws, and thought not of in
djyidual liberty. In the cradle of our
civilization we find municipal society.
Christian society and barbarian society. |
the canons OF the church, the learned |
legislation of the Romans, and the M
written customs Of the barbarian.
The jostllng and confusion of these
diversified elements has caused the world
80 pay dearly for its progress. While we
watch the chaos Of barbaric invasion, we
can scarcely regret the miseries which
have been scattered along the track of
the triumphant march OF progress
There are those like Boulainvilliers who
assert that in the early days of modern
civilization, the conquering nation or
nobility were the sole possessors of au-
thoritY, bat they have Since been despoi-
ed by kings and people Again Able
Dubois maintains that the German kings
were invited over and succeeded the Ro-
man Emperors aud their rights have since
been encroached upon by arstocracy
Able de Mably maintains that free in
stituions held sway after the fall of the 4
Roman Empire. /
The church of Rome claimed the hight
to govern because all the blessings Of
civilization and truth bad come through
her laDors. We have stated that no one /
element obtained exclusive mastery in
our modern civilization. and now we find
shat each claims supremacy on account of
It's antiquity. A little later we see the
Italian and Swiss arstocracies and democ-
racies, the republic of san Marine. and
Che most powerful monarchies, all found
ing their claim to legitimacy on the
priority Of their peculiar system of GOV
eminent. In all times aud all places.
there is always some portion of the social
system which claims great ANTIQUITY.
Violence may have presided at the birth
OF governments or societies, but none
wishes to be considered the offsprings of !
violence Hence, every movement seeks
other claims to authority and strives to
rest its claims upon justice, right and
reason. If social system is continually
augmented by being accepted by more in
d'viduals, it proves that it possesses de-
gree Of intelligence right and justice,
making it suitable to the needs of the PEG.
pie.
legitimacy belongs to all systems
where truth and justice prevail and it is
not dependent upon priority Or antiquity
Hence those who have argued the prior
ity OF the different systems have mistaken
its value. AS each element of European
ciVliiZat claims tn hava held surname