The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-29


and ceremonies and sacred words
closely resembling those found in the
Book Of the Dead at Luxor etc He
once had in Mexico, Central and
South America an architecture of
Strength and symmetry. a literature
Of force and quaint beauty the rudi-
nents Of astronomy nearly. if not
quite, equal to that of Arabaric Raby-
ionia. What shall prevent him in as
ISOLATION with n civilization based on
that Of Greece and Rome, political in
situations based on those of free an
Gent Germany and Scandinavia and
religion based on the revealed and
lofty monotheism of Mesopotamia, and
/ Palestine. from attaining a high rank
among modern men and himself ex-
erting a civilizing and progressive in
fluence in the world?
one of the most difficult forms of
composition for high trea tmcnt is the
utopia or political romance. TO write
adequately about government requires
both knowledge and tact. Something
more than a simple desire to better
the moral condition OF the human
race is necessary. Hence While there
nave been many philosophic essays.
there have been few successful
schemes OF polity. One prevailing
reason is that usually your philosu-
pher is literary man and not a man
of affairs. devoting himself entirely
in his plan to the pure ideal Now
the ideal is just as important in the
life Of the aired as the actual. 1t is
only by holding up what is abstractly
beautiful or good that q deel impress
sion IS made on the refined nature of
the civilized man. 1t is like, in liter
allure. the difference between the
novel and the romance. The former
Il L.. 4. III
With improbabilities. or at any rate
With mere possibilities. ! wish to be
distinctly understood. Tho romance
has an apparent basis of reality. on
which Il superstructure of sentiment
is erected. And yet this sentiment.
rightly handled leads to truth as sire
y as the other road by strict realism.
So III tha romantic or ideal polity we
have a government founded on what
should be as Il means Of CREATES in
some nart in the future-howeVcf
distant under suitable conditions q
government seat. From Plato To Bel
! lamy the attempts to idealize politics
have been numerous. The republic Of
Plato is the most notable of these.
1t is the most deliberately and care
! fully worked out. The most splendid
in its congratulations the most lucid
perhaps and brilliant in it's literary
style, although not the most adapt
able TO the conditions of society He
lived at & moment when the first LUSH
of Greek. especially of Attic freedom
had ualed and been succeeded BY
some cio1ds of doubt. II was a Won
derful age, following more remark
able one-on age of criticism was set
ting in with the Socratic diSpensa ton,
which l1ato Was to give its highest
moral illustration and Aristotle its
highest intellectual. The great crea-
iiNe .;tgeS of Marathan SstlomiS, i'latca
aud thc lpelonoucsIan Nar-of Aooa-
chylus and Sopboc|es, and Pheidiae
aud ThurydideS, the ages of Miltiadcs
and Themistocles and Of Pericies ana
..thC pure dtmocraCy-had passed
never 10 return. And vet Greek PHI
losophy was in its flower and Greek
literature was still majestic aud noble
oratory nnder pc!Gosthcncs .tpd E,s-
chVcs was later 10 reach It's climax.
Great painters and sculptors were to
arise. Decay had not set in. except
that politically Athens was not So Ger
talnly leader i'm Tho creek wcsld in
all rosaects as she had been, and the
OVERRIDING of ponuar rule was appar-
cit 20 the philoSophc minds of the
little country itself. II was this feel
ing which Influenced Plato il thOsc
DLrtS of liz renublic Whea ne pre-
fer~ the ascctic institutions of Sparta
to those more lbera! and diSintea rat
ing ones of MS own Athens. The re-
public in brief for We must rass on
rapidly. the republic in its scheme OF
socialism or commonisln is I.acedae
Moaiou. It's Inspiration in these parts
was from Lycurgus. and not from
Solon or I<leisthenes. The community
of wives and goods is repcllabt to Our
modern Christian idcas and PRACTICES.
The City Of Gcd of Saint Augustine
is not strictly an ideal of earthly. but
of divine government. 1T is the polty
of the church held no as model OF
TIL. fourth century III the face of @f-
forts ~ hoathea reVivd' on the occu-
patton of Rome by the Gothic tribes
During the middle ages ecclesiastical
and not political topics engrossed
mankind II WIS net untit the begin
ming of modern history with the phi
lo<oI3hiIsi! ideas Of the SiXteent1 cen
fury that VIC see q successor 70 Pl2t'.
With Bodin in France. More in Eng
land and still later C1m.mn"l!a IN
Italy and Bacon IN Eng ana. we nope
true political writing of the philosoph-
ical cast. And i'm Hooker Bacon
contemporary was q predecessor OF
Locke. although his main line OF
treatment was ecclesiastical. ne DO
lifted +, nlances o. that period. or
do not include Maccbiavelies Prince
Which lacks the form cNcn--lhat i,
the really great ones-Slf inoiilds
More's Utopia. Bacon's New Atlantic
and Campagncla's City Of the Sun. fol-
lowed up by Harrington's Ocelna ana
others less known. But With the list
first given properly ends the great
cycle Of TIC Utopias% 7 positively rep
rebate tho attemnt to include such
j works as Koussc&u's Social Contract
in this catalogue.
Bacon IS more devoted TO mere
academic learning and tho pxninit;l-