Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-06-27

homes were attended bv consequ ances in
Europe far greater than would nave been
the conquest of all the East and the rescue
OF the relics of all the saints. In the hrsr
place they had broken the power OF the
Saracens by successive impacts upon hem,
by prolonged conflict with them.
They had fought fire with fire. Religious
fanaticIsn was matched against religious
fanaticism, and it inflicted such PUNISH
mcnt upon the rapacious and crue. MuSsml-
man that he has never been able TO raily
from 1t. Although he reached tic shores
OF Europe later on. he was exhausted win
the struggle, and has continued IN state
OF languishing impotency ever since. In
the second place the Crusade hal 4
marked and lasting effect upon the Cru
saiers themselves ard in spite OF tier
suffering and losses the gam was greater
than the loss. for it brought them INTO d.
rect and immediate contact with the
East. at that time the cultivated ana re-
fined norton of the word. Constantine
PIE and Antioch. the two great storehouses
of ancient art and learning. and the CEN
tres of the wealth and culture OF the East,
had become familiar to them. Antioch
was fo;. a time in their hands. The sp!en-
did buildings. fine fabrics. beautiful stat
ues. costly gems, were a revelation TO the
Crusaders. and served as object lessons.
while the elegant ren1ements. splendid
courtesy. magnificent manners and ancient
learning of the East were not without their
effect upon the coarse. nude and untamed
barharians Of the West. Those who. sur
vivcd the conflict returned with new ideas
oi the character of the world in which they
lived. of the meaning OF civilization. OF the
possibilities OF humanity. and OF the de-
fleets OF Europe They had been to school
and had Travelled. Their view of life had
been broadened and their minds enriched
by contact with superior conditions of life.
Il of,,ts
lad been wrought in them.
Eut the Crnsades had also an immediate
and lasting effect upon Europe itself. For
hv enisthg in the Crusades the serf bought
his freedom from the soil. The debtor was
freed from his creditor. He that went out
a slave came back free man with gold
coin in his pocket and some new ideas OF
the world in his head. Serfdom. villainacc
and slavery were practically abolished IN
Europe. The cities also had been able, by
immense sums of money paid to the hered-
itary PRICES who held lordship over them.
to bny their freedom and secure charters
for themselves which made them independ-
ent i'll the control OF petty rulers. and by
the long absence OF the noh,cs in the Fast,
the middle classes had learned 10 admins
ter their own affairs. and so the backbone
of the feudal system was broken and the
neriod of freedom and enlightenment came
in. Modern industralism was Inaugurated.
New ideas sprang up and redistribution
OF wealth and privileges took place. to-
Eether with a new sense of their own place
in the word and new wants and ambl-
lions in the common people. The imme-
date results to Europe OF the Crusades
were incalculabe a new spirit OF human
ity and OF enterprise, OF hone and Of am
bi.ion had sprung M. and the death war
rant was signed of the ancient regime OF
ignorance. superstition and terror which
had reigned for thousand years.
The second great movement that hast
cned the final conflict for religious liberty
vas the Renaissance or revival of learning
in Europe which followed upon the taking
of Constantinope by the Turks in 1883.
That was momentous event for W estern
Eu.ope 1t sent hundreds of Greek schol-
irs and literatti Ia find refuge in the West.
The learning and the Mss. which they
brought with them created great stir.
Schools. academies and universities sp-anS
up everywhere and the church ceased to
he the sole custodian OF knowledge. lt
as n part ri that movement that the
University of Wittenberg was established
hv the Elector OF Saxonv. to which ono
Martin Luther came in l50S as preacher
and professor OF theology. 4 spirit of in.
1uirv was awakened. investigations were
instituted. and historical and scientific
studies were taken up in real earnest. The
.od and lifcless Journalism that had char
scterized the logic of the school men dis
appeared. The study OF the Greek and Ro-
nan classics became n passion. Princes
md potentates WED with each other in Sc
uring eminent scholars and elegant liter
atti to adorn their courts. and the rich
and the great became the profuse patrons
Of learning, and shared no pains and no
expense in collecting Mss. and creating
libraries and schools OF learning. The
minds OF men already liberated from their
l,,- hn
auickened and enlightened by the new
learning which soon spread among all
classes OF the people.
Tn addition 10 these great movements
.ud perhaps as consequence OF them was
the spirit of adventure which now broke
mt simultaneously in Italy and Spain,
France and England. Germany and Hol-
land. Inspired by Columbus, native of
Genoa. Italy. hundreds OF adventures
braved the perls OF the untraversed seas
in search OF new lands. or new passages to
the East. New continents were discovered
and the globe was circumnavigated. In.
rention also was nuickened. printing by
movable types and the manufacture OF
paper from rags had hut recently been in
rented. The mariners compass came into
general use in navigation. The telescope
was invented and the heavens explored tor
new worlds as the seas for new lands.
The whole period was one OF unprecedcnt-
I'd mental activity and ferment. Coperni--
.us. by his new system OF astronomy, and
kepler, by his laws. were soon revolution
zing astronomy. All OF these things had
their effects upon the minds OF men. The
discovery of the size and shane OF the earth.
II its relation to other bodies in space: OF
The immense distances in the heavens and
he vast systems Of worlds in space: the
changes OF mems ideas az 10 the centre of
The universe and the revelation that it was
not the earth. but that the earth was only
In insignificant member Of a system whose
centre was the sun: all served to teach
men the uncertainty and instability OF
things they had been accustomed TO regard
as established beyond tns peradvcnture of
doubt, and led them 10 expect and nre-
pared them to receive changes in other
spheres of thought and realms OF life. \
spirit OF skepticism became general and in
vaded even the church. and cverv;h hing
seemed to converge upon and conSpre to-
ward a single point. until nothing could
withstand the conjunction of forces which
Eorked to free the human mind from bond
age and the human spirit from thralldom.
Beginning with the struggle for religious
liberty. it ran on TO compass the liberty of
The whole man and was destined not To
stop until he was every whit free. 1t has
already secured for Us the liberty OF CON
science. the right OF private Judgment POI
litical and OerSopal Freedom En-. tho ouJ