Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-11-26

the whole of California. We know that
Russia, trying to steal Manchuria, and
Turkey, in her massacre of the Arme-
mans, have been outrageously wicked.
We know that Spain, in her cruelties
toward Cuba and the Philippines, and
the United States government, In its
cruel treatment of the North American
Indians, have done wrong. But though
our modern governments In some OF
their dealings with the weaker nations
and with their own weaker subjects
may have been sinfully culpable the
present governments are as far ahead
of the ancient governments in right
eousness and justice as the brightness
of midnoon is ahead Of the darkness OF
midnight.
EnGland's Ways Versus Rome's.
Compare the conquests Of our day
with the conquests Of ancient times.
Like the eagles Of ancient Rome, the
British standard has been unfurled in
every cline. 1t waves over an empire
greater than Rome ever dominated.
What does England do when she con-
auers country? Study her treatment
of India. She Immediately stamped out
in India the horrors Of infanticide and
suttee. She Immediately made the
home safe and compelled man to re-
spect the liberties Of man. She gives
to her subjects OF every land she rules
civil and religious liberty. She makes
It possible for every man to worship
God In his own way. What England
has done for India and her other colo
MES the United States government Is
doing for Alaska and the Philippines
and Porto Rico. What did ancient
Rome do when she conquered a coun-
try? Did she consider her conquered
colonies a sacred trust? Did she care
for their rights as carefully as she
would care for her own peoples rights?
Oh. no. In ancient times the law OF
conquest implied the right to enslave
and oppress the conquered foe. when
scipio .Emilianus returned from his
celebrated Carthaginian wars what
did he do? He brought back with him
6OO00.of his late foes whom he had not
slain upon the field Of battle and sold
them In the common slave markets to
be the chattels Of the Romans. These
men who fought for their countrys
liberties now had to moan and vince
and beg for mercy under the slave
masters lash. When Caius Marius
made his triumphal entry in Rome he
handed over 100000 Cimbri as spoi''
for the slave markets. Emillus Pau
lus' conquest over the Greeks glutted
the Roman slave markets with 10000
captives of. war, while the conquests
of Pompeius and Caesar gave to Rome
at least 100000 new slaves. ask
you, are not our modern governments
in their treatment Of fallen foes more
merciful and just than were the an
cient governmental
Ancieat Rulers and Their Tyr'nny.
Then compare the administration OF
our rr.iers to that OF the ancient rulers
over their. subjects. In ancient times
the rulers had absolute power OF life
and death over the inhabitants of their
kingdoms. as a Roman subject at will
could slay any one Of his slaves and be
held accountable to no law. We read
In history how Nero, the Roman en-
peror, used to revel in cruelty and out
rage. No life was safe under the tyran-
nv of that monster. Any excuse served
for the qualification Of his lust for
bloodshed. Even his own mother and
his most faithful adherents fell victims
to his Unsuitable brutality. But we do
not have to 20 clear back to the Roman
era 70 find the unlimited power over
life and death Of subject vested IN
the hand of a king or a prince. In 70,
only q little over 400 years ago, Nj
hammed H., the sultan Of Turkey,
summoned a f-mous Venetian artist,
Giovanni by name, to paint the picture
of himself and his mother. While a
guest Of the Turkish court Giovanni
painted a picture for the sultan enti-
tied John the Baptist's Head In
Charger" Mohammed looked at the
picture a little while and then said
ARTIST. | think your picture Is wrong.
When a mans head is decapitated the
cords and the muscles Of the neck
shrink and contract instead of expand.
Let me prove to you that I am right"
With that the sultan drew his jeweled
sword out of its jeweled scabbard, and,
with a sweep Of his arm, he cut on the
head Of courtier who stood near him.
AS the head fell at the feet Of the artist
the sultan said: "See, l am right. The
cords of the neck always contract"
The horrined artist said, Eyes, your
majesty, l think you are right" Then
for fear Of losing his own head, Clio
vanni fled back to his home city OF
Venice and reported to the doge what
he had seen.
Ie there any European country on
earth which would allow its ruler tc
do to his subjects as Mohammed IL
did to his? We have our governmental
injustices, but today we have not upor
any throne of the civilized world
Henry VIII. Of England, or sinful, de
bauched Catherine Of Russia, or Nero
of Rome, or a Cleopatra Of Africa, or
Mohammed II. of Turkey. The people
the common people Of every land, have
asserted themselves and demanded anc
won their rights. Everywhere we fnt
that governments are better than theil
predecessors. Even modern Turkey Ii
an Improvement over ancient Turkey.
The governments are better and con
tinually growing better. The churches
are also purer in thought. They have
higher ideals of spirituality and moral
ity than they ever had before. 1t Il
easy enough for men and women to 81
down and criticise the pew, and crit
icise the pulpit, and criticise the way'
of raising church money, and criticis'
the choir loft, but l want to tell yo'
that the church Of the Lord jesus
! |,b.;c+ ia pot oplv nuror in thought bll