The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-28

chants. Isolation, then, not navigation,
was the crucial fact, thanks to which the
Venetian Constitution shaped itself with
almost unexampled deGberateness and
expressed the inmost character OF tho
people.
It is a familiar fact In the history Of
Venice that the so.called Council OF Ten
chosen for year partly by the Great
Council and partly by the Doge and his
advisers-gradually acquired power
which. In practise, was supreme. This
council came into existence as temporary
Committee Of Public Safety, and was de-
clared permanent in 1885. According to
the original conception of their functions,
the Ten constituted the Ministry Of Police
They guarded against rebels at home an d
enemies from abroad; they kept strict
and morals. Political activity being
limited by law to the patrioians, the Ten
jealousy suppressed it among the other
classes. That the Ten should eventually
encroach beyond their original PROVING,
and come to be looked upon as the real
executive was inevitable. They were re.
spected by the lower classes, however,
for although patrician body they often
stood between the commoners and the
patricians. In view OF the prevalence
Of treason and rebellion in Italy, our author
holds that the extreme precautions taken
by the Decemvirs were certainly justified
and that to them belongs the credit Of
preserving Venice from any serious danger
during nearly Ave hundred years, But
as they worked secretly. employed spies
detectives We would now call them) and
punished swiftly they had terrible reputa-
ton, which it was their policy not to protest
against Like all other medievals, they
resorted to torture when they deemed it
necessary, but Mr.. H, F. Brown testifes
that an examination of their archives
does not lead to the conclusion that they
were either cruel or sanguinary."
The common belief that the Ten acted
blindy upon anonymous accusations,
slipped into the Lions Mouth" s pro-
nounced by Mr.. Thayer unfounded, for
the reason that they paid no attention to
such charge unless five-sixths of the
Council approved. No doubt secrecy
favors abuses; espionage, suspicion. terror,
raise a presumption aga inst those who
employ them. Neve rthelese, in judging
the Ten, full weight is given in the book
before us to two points; First it Is de.
clared incredible that a domino mt class
should choose such body from its own
members and tolerate it for 500 years II
they believed its rule to be unjust, cruel
and corrupt Secondly, as the Deoemvirs
served only year, and could not be i'm.
mediately reelected, there were always
two or three hundred patricians alive
who had been members Of the Council of
Ten. conversant with it's secrets and re-
sponsible for it's methods. We repeat
that 1t is Incredible that so large a number
of persons should habitually oonnive at a
system which they knew to be unjust,
cruel and corrupt
".
Some historians, made wise by the sequel,
have written as II every one but a fool
ought to have recognized In 1904 that the
Latin conquest Of !Constantinople would
eventually lead to the ruin Of the Venetian
Republic. 1t is conceded in this volume
that the Venetians peryersion of the Fourth
Crusade into plundering expedition
gainst the Greek Christians had abso-
lutely no excuse before the bar of abstract
justice. Morally, 1t is as detestable as the
partition OF Poland or most OF the British
oonquests in India. Judged from the
point Of view. however. Of Venetian self lin
terest in 1904, the conquest of the Byzantine
Empire and the new policy which 1t called
for were fully justified. Tho conquest
removed from Constantinople a dynasty
with which the venetians had long nursed
a sullen quarrel. 1t not only gave them
a great advantage over their old rivals,
the Genoese and the Pisans, in ports with
which they traded In common, but also
made them masters over a maritime empire
which promised, under their wiser rule, to
increase rapidly in wealth. It is further
pointed out that at the time there could
seem to be no reason why these immense
benefits, which were self.evident to Doge
Dandclo and his advisers, might not endure
as far In the future as any eye could see,
Until mortals shall be endowed with the
gift OF prophecy It is unlikely that any
conquerors will act with more sagacity
than the Venetians displayed In dealing
with the problems which confronted them
during and Immediately after the Fourth
Crusade
In one Of his later chapters Mr.. Thsyer