The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-24
CARTHAGE NUMBER :
Tunis Rises Near the Ancient
City's Sepulchre.
TRADE OF THE INLAND SEA
After Twenty Centuries Seeks
Its Old Center.

New York, April 2S-Nathaniel Schmidt,
professor Of Semitic languages in Cornell
university, writes: Hannibal, before he
went into exile in 195 B. c., went to the
top of neighboring mountain to take his
farewell look at the city. The great me-
tropols of north Africa was seen through
the eyes Of her greatest SON At every
point Of interest he would naturally look
back into the past. Thepalace on the
Bosra, the Forum the hall of the Judges,
the chamber of the ten Supervisors open
ed yistas into bygone ages. More paric-
ularly was this the case at the Necropo-
lis, where he saw himself surrounded by
the great dead who had made Carthage
what 1t was, the first commercial city on
the Mediterranean.
I'm these landmarks the fascinating
story Of Carthage was told from its begin
ming to the time of Hannibal himself.
What would be its final destiny2 my
fancy Hannibal saw the city reaching
out with its tremendous power and in
fluence in all directions. until all the ma
tons that bordered the inland sea would
pay tribute to the Carthaginians. But his
hopes were doomed to be disappointed.
The Roman hatred which found its tyDi-
cal expression in Cato's "Delenda est
Carthage pursued the Phoenecian city
with relentless energy, and the victorious
arms Of SciDio finally destroyed the for
midable rival whose existence Rome
could not brook.
But the real causes Of destruction
were not in Rome. but in Carthage her
self. Her weakness lay in the extraor-
binary and arbitrary power exercised sby
the hundred judges who Constituted a
supreme court. This court practically
usurped the power of the regularly elect
ed administrative officers and of the peo-
pie Created in order to control the chief
magistrates in war, to keep them within
their constitutional limits. and to pre-
vent them from becoming kings, they
soon became themselve the rulers, and
handicapped the administration of affais
both at home and abroad. Another source
of danger and ultimate ruin was the sub
jugation of foreign people, who were
forced into servitude, whose resources
were exploited freely, but who, by the
contact with Carthage, leanred her
strength, her arts. her civilization, and in
the course Of time became strong enough
to wreak a terrible vengeance upon their
masters. The course of oreign conquest
which filled Carthage with wealth left
its curse in every land which her armies
tired. What is Sicily today? What is
Sardinia, Corsica, Numidia, or Libya?
Yet these countries once blossomed as
the gardens of paradise. Now they are
in most deplorable condition, economic
ally, politically, morally and intellectu-
ally. Two thousand years have not suf-
feed to free them from the banefu in
f1uences which followed Carthaginian in
Yasion.
"a potent cause Of the final fall of
Carthage was political corru9tion. Her
mighty millionaires used their wealth to
buy the souls of men,to render the SER
wants Of the republic their own agents
Immense sums OF money were spent in
elections. Ali the charity to the poor
for which Carthage was famous could
not atone for this corruption by the
wealthy, aristocratic classes. Even the
noble and strong personalities of such
men as Hamilcar and Hannibal could not
stay the destructive forces that wrought
the final ruin OF the state.
Carthage today is a heap of ruins.
Near to the old site, however, where
Hannibal once paused to admire the
stately towers of his beloved city, the
modern town Of Tunis IS steadily rising
into prominence as commercial city.
Under the wise, fostering influence of the
French government, Tunis bids fair TO
fulfill the mission which its ancient pre-
decessor tried to accomplish. and be-
come the center of trade and culture for
the entire coast Of north Africa-another
Carthage"
Mrs. Frank Culver, Birmingham, Ala,
writes Of Beggs' Hair Remover, the we'll
known P11arantaed nrenaratf tim. at gives