Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-07-10
rise OF kingdom, republic, and en-

| But the barbarian from the north
comes down like a wolf on the fold,
and Rome falls, and 1000 years of
darkness envelopes the earth. Out of
the gloom France arises, guided by
the hands Of her-most valiant son, till
William OF Normandy, better known
as William the Conqueror, mingles
the blood of old Rome with that of
the Franks and the Saxons. and on
the shores of England new nation
springs into life.
As we thus hurriedly glance over
the pages Of ancient and mediaeval
history we meet with many things
attract our attention and elicit our
admiration. We enter upon fields of
thought and research that invite US
to linger in their pathway and drink
deeply from the springs of classic
lare. But our time is limited, and
we must move on to speak of mat
ters that concern more deeply the
throbbing, living, present hour.
The most superficial investigation
OF the social and political fea lures OF
these ancient nations reveals much
from which we may be instructed, as
we'll as much which we ought to
avoid. As we read more deeply the
rise, Development and decline Of
these mighty nations OF the past, we
cannot fail to discover that the ele-
ments OF permanent progress are
lacking III their purest governments.
We look in vain for one clear page OF
the history OF human liberty, which
is the real history of man as an i'm
mortal being, in the despotic gov
ernments that rose and fourished in
the valleys OF the Nile and Euphra-
tes.
We have heard much at school of
the liberties OF Greece. and Rome.
True we find in the annals OF both
these nations bright examples of
public virtue, and the record ofmany
true patriots. But we nowhere find
| in them the account of a populous
and extensive region blessed with in
stitutions securing the enjoyment OF
regulated liberty. In freedom as in
most other things the ancient ma
tions while they made close ap-
Iproaches to truth, yet for want of
one great and essential principle
they came utterly short of it in prac-
ltice. True they established form
of popular government in single
lc;ties, but for WantsOf the represents
ative principle they could not extend
these institutions over large and
ipopulous country. The freest of the
cities consequently fell prey sooner
or later either to a foreign invader
or to domestic traitors.
Men had not yet learned or discov-
cred the real object and end OF gov
Igoverument and law. The spirit of
Greece was expansive. In a certain
measure they recognize the natural
element OF human freedom, but they
failed to recognize that human gov
ernments demanI the 1noIal element
OF progress equally us much as the
intellectual.
The object Of government and law
in Rome was power and conquest.
They failed to discover that the
real object and end of government
and law was to secure the rights and
happiness of the individual. For
lack of this necessary element, the
forces Of her life burned out, and she
reached the zenith of her power.
Out Of the smouldering ashes OF
| her former glory another force arose
which solved the problem of human
liberty and met the deepest longings
and most sanguine hopes OF the
human race. To another race are
we to turn that we may read the
first bright chapter in the history OF
liberty. Westward we look for the
first full view OF the glorious banner
OF liberty floating unhindered in the
free breezes Of heaven. The most
casual reader OF history knows full
well that the race to whom this
honor is due is the Anglo-Saxon. and
the glorious banner which symbo-
Lies freedom and liberty to all the
world, is the Star Spangled banner
which at the present hour floats so
majest tically in the untainted atmos-
phere OF American loyalty.
We recall the amazing march of
that Anglo-saxon race, beginning in
it's Germanic home back in the fifth
century, advancing with steady step
and heroic valor, unfur]ing it's BAN
ners in the face Of Danish invasions,
Norman barons, the oppressors of
rights, and the opposer of human
liberties, retaining with almost sup
erhuman courage the Pickering torch
OF liberty's day down through the
dark corridors Of the dark ages.
During the transition period at the
beginning Of the 10th century, when
the curtains of the dark ages go up,
the courage Of the Anglo-Saxon race
is again seen in that it is no longer
contend with a Judgement in Eng
land, but seeks out and wins by dis
covery, conquest, and treaty, fresh
fields and continents new.
Ten or fifteen months before
Columbus touched the continent Of
America, the Saxon Cabots, father