The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-06-26

Cliher ASA or Africa, their exodus from
Europe and their return 10 their lor,ner
homes were attended by eonsequ ,noes in
Europe far greater than would cave been
the conquest of all the Past aud tn, rescue
OF the relics of all the saints. In the nrst
nlaee they had broken the power Of the
S0racens by successive impacts upon hem,
by prolonged conflict with them.
They had fought fire with lire. Religious
faucticisnl was matched against religious
fanat.cism, and IL inflicted such nun,sh-
ment upon the rapscious and crue, Mussu'.
man that he has never been able 10 rally
from II. Although he reached the sd5res
OF Europe later on, he was exhausted With
the struggle, and has continued in 2 State
ot ,angulshng lmpotency ever sln'". In
the secoad place the Crusade lad a
marked and lasting effect upon the Cruz
sa6ers themselves, md in spite OF teeir
suffering and losses the gain was greater
than the loss. for IL brought them into di.
rect and immediate contact with the
East. az that time the cultivated and re.
fined portion OF the world Constan,ino-
PIE and Antioch. the y great storehouses
OF ancient art and learning, and the cen.
tres of the wealth and ca,ture Of the East,
had become familiar 10 them, Antioch
was for \ time IN their hands. The splen-
did buildings. fine fabrics. beautiful stat
ues. costly gems. were revelation 10 the
Crusaders. and served as object lessons.
while the elegant rehnements, sp'en lid
co.rtesv, macni6cent manners and ancient
le'rning Of the Fast were not without their
eject upon the coarse. nude and untamed
barb orians of the West. Those who sur.
vivid the conflict returned with rev ideas
oi tNe character Of the world IN which they
lived % the meaning Of civilization, of The
nossb''jtic Of humanity, and OF the dc.
fees OF Europe. They had been TO school
and had Travelled Their view of life had
been hroadened and their minds riehed
hv contact with superior conditions OF iie.
and a great mental and moral revelation
ad been wrought in them.
Rut the Crusades had also an immediate
and lasting effect upon Europe Itself For
nv enlsting in the Crusades the sert bought
his freedom from the soil The debtor was
freed from his creditor lie that went out
slave came hack free man with gold
coin in his pocket and some new ideas OF
the world in his head. Serfdom, vlllainacc
and slavery were practically abolished IN
Europe. The cities also had been able, hv
immense sums of money paid 10 the hcred.
itary princes who held lordshp over them.
20 buy their freedom and secure charters
for themselves which made them indcpend'
ent in the control of petty rulers. and by
the long absence OF the mobiles in the East,
the middle classes had learned TO admins
ter their own affairs. and so the backbone
OF the fcudal system was broken and the
ueriod of freedom and enlightenment came
in Modern industralism was inaugnrated.
New ideas sprAng un and redistribution
of wealth and privileges took place, TO
Cother with n new sense ot their own pace
in the word and new wants and nmbi'
tions in the common people. The imme'
date results TO Europe OF the Crusadcs
were inca,culablc A new spirit of human
ity and OF enterprise, of hone and ol am
hi ION had sprung up, and the death war.
rant was signed of the ancient regime oi
ION nj
had reigned for n thousand years
The second great movement that hast
ened the final conflict for religious liberty
was the Renaissance or revival of learning
in Europe which followed unon the taking
of Constantinople 10y the Turks m lio3.
That was n momentons event Tor western
Europe II sent hundreds OF Greek kchol'
ars and iitcratti to find refuge in the West.
The learning and the MSS which they
brought with them created great stir.
Schools, academies and universities sprnng
up everywhere, and the church ceased 70
he the sole custodian of knowledge. "
was as n part Of that movement that the
l'niversitv of Wittenberg was established
Nv the Elector Of Savonv. 10 which ono
Martin Luther came IN 1908 as preacher
and professor Of theology A spirit oi IN
duirv was awakened. Investigations were
instituted and historical and scientific
studies were taken up IN real earnest. Inc
cold and ifcless Journalism that had char
| acterizcd the logic of the school men dis
appeared. Tho study Of the Greek and Ro'
| man classics became n passion. Princes
| and notentates We'd with each other IN sc'
curing eminent scholars and elegant liter
att 10 adorn heir courts. and the rich
| and the great became the profusc patrons
OF learning. and shared no pains and no
expense IN collecting MSS. and creating
| Libraries and schools of learning. Inc
minds Of men already liberated from Their
ancient thralldom bv the trusades were
| quickencd and enlightened by the bew
earning which soon spread among all
classes Of the peop,"
IN addition 10 these great movements
and pprhaps as n consequence OF them was
the spirl, of adventure which now broke
iut simultaneously la Italy and SPAN,
France and England Germany and Hol.
land Inspircd by Columbus, a native OF
Genoa. Ita,y. hundreds Of adventurers
braved the pcriis OF the untraversed seas
in search Of new lands. or new passages TO
the East New continents were discovered
and the globe was crcumnavigated In
vcntion also was ouickened. printing by
movable tvpes and 'he manufacture OF
uaper from rags had but recently been in
vented The mariners compass came INTO
general use ~ navigation The telescope
was invented and the heavens explored ior
new worlds. a. the seas for new lands.
!
ed mental activity and fernent toperni,
Gus by ms new system OF astronomy. and
kepler. by his laws were soon revolution
lginQ astronomy. All Of these lhngs had
their effects upon the minds of men. Inc
discovery OF the size and shane ot the eaTth;
of its relation 30 other bodies IN space: ot
the imuynse distances IN the heavens and
the vast systems oi worlds IN space; the
changes of mems ideas a. 70 the centre of
the universe and the revelation that u was
not The earth. but that the earth was only
an insignificant member Oi n system whose
centre was the sun: all served 10 teach
men the uncertainty and instability OF
things thew had been accustomed 10 regard
as established hevond the peradventure OF
doubt, and led them 20 expect and pre-.
pared them 20 receive changes IN other
spheres of THOUGHT aud realms oi life.
spirit Of skepticism became general and IN
vaded even the church and everything
seemed 20 converge upon and conspire 10.
ward n single point, until nothing couIh
Withstand the conjunction Ot forces whlch
worked 90 free the human mind from bond
age and the human spirit from thralldoin.
Suffice IL 90 say in closing that the great
est blessings we row possess, the sancttty
~ our homes our personal security ana
freedom and the right 30 make the most
Of ourselves. has been secured 20 ne as the
result II that w0rld.lOng struggle for relig.
iOus liberty The freedom Of the press,
The right Of every man 10 worship God IN
his own way. the democratic principles ot
government the right of man A. such,
regardless ~ hig place or pOstiDD m the
social scale or Of he worldly pOssessions,
and the demand for absoiute justice for all
men. equally irTcsuectIve ~ race. sex or
condition of hie-theFe and many Of tho
great principies now taking front rank
among The objects devotediy 20 be sought
in the twentieth century have been made