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


came" In fine the attempt Is here made
to demonstrate that on whichever side
we examine the institutions OF Venice
we find order, intelligence, foresight and
harmony. The political spirit worked in
unison with the commercial, but 1t worked
equally, at least In intent, with the social.
"Venice employed experts to apply the
hest knowledge OF her age to government,
law, commerce, business and public health;
Of what State to-day can we affirm as much?
She rose to that attainment Of balance and
solidarity which stamps high civilization.
Every one, noble or plebeian, lived for
VENEzIA, and In return she shed her
benefits Oh every one. II We assume that
an oligarchy is necessarily bad, We snail
never understand her history nor the de-
votion which all OF her children felt for her.
Our author suggests that the example set
by Venice Of the unremitted application OF
intelligence to government may we'll be
pondered by nations cropping after politi-
cal and social reorganization which shall
prove stable "Vence learned to adjust
herself to her extraordinary geographical
conditions and to her complex political en-
vironment. She solved, satisfactorily to
herself, her social, industrial and com
mercal problems. In a word, she found
herself, lived her own life, grew to full
stature and then slowly passed away, not
because she was oligarchic, but because
she was mortal"
IL.
Ruskin has named 697 when the first
Doge was chosen), 1907 when the Great
Council was definitely closed), and 1897
when the Republic was e1tinguished), as
the three epoch ma king dates in the history
of Venice. There are others scarcely less
memora BILE. For some six hundred years
it was doubtful whether the Venetian Com
monwealth would not become hereditary
monarchy. The laws adopted In l032-the
laws enacting that no Doge should be per-
mitted to associate any one with him in the
Dogeship. that two ducal councillors should
assist the Doge in the ordinary despatch
Of business, and that in emergencies or
matters of great moment he should request
the advice OF the chief citizens OF the Re-
public-fxed immutably the place Of the
Doge in the Venetian system. They exor-
cised the dynastic speoter, but they also
foreshadowed the coming ascendency OF
an oligarchy. The tendency toward oil
garchio rule did not. however, for some
time lessen the popular love of liberty or
the belief of tae people that they were their
own masters. just what part the people
had in the actual government for q con-
siderable period after the eighth century
our author does not attempt to determine.
but he is convinced that it was vital. The
arrengo, or assembly OF all the citizens,
was summoned on important occasions,
and Its vote was decisive. at may be
suspected that q small body really gov
erned the State and elected the Doges, and
merely announced its plans or candidates
for popular concurrence. This method
would give the people the power Of veto
which flor many centuriesl it and 7ubtedly
exercised, but that any deception could
have been kept up so artfully generation
after generation that the people could not
penetrate it seems unlikely" That is to
say, the poorer citizens recognized but
tolerated the deception. having, as the
result of experience, made up their minds
that the practical consequences OF 1t were
beneficial rather than hurtful. Touching
this point our author remarks: If we are
puzzled by the paradox that the Venetians
still believed that they had popular gov
eminent after it had come to pass that they
really had an oftgarchy, we must seek for
the things behind the names. We must
dismiss at once the assumption that any
nation, least OF all so high spirited nation.
could have been politically enslaved for
centuries without knowing 1t. The oligar-
chy developed 30 naturally that all classes
looked upon 1t as the best safeguard Of the
State. Popular indignation, fear or within
exploded against many a Doge, but no
popular revolution ever put the oligarchio
system in jeopardy. The Venetians found
that system compatible with freedom as
they conceived it, and they were satisfied
with the thing. whatever it's name.
1t will be convenient to consider in con-
nection With this topic what our author has
to say about the closure of the Great Coun- !
Gil, to which previously all classes Of citi-
zens had been equally eligible. The event
took place as we have said, in 1897, when a
law was passed defining the qualifications
for membership in the body just named. !
This Serrata del Mdopior Consigio, "the
Locking OF the Great Council" fixed ire
vocably, as the future proved, the govern
ment Of Venice. Thenceforth the entire
power OF the Venetian State lay in the
hands of small privileged class. 10 assure
the purity of whose blood the Golden !
marriages Of all patricians eligible to the |
Great Council and the births Of their chill
dren. II is interesting to note that the |
immediate effect Of the closure was to swell |
the number Of members, because every
body entitled to nomination asked to be
balloted on. In 1897 only 2lO members
had passed the new law; fourteen years
later the number rose to iOl7; in 1887 to
1 300; in 1910 to 1871. Small as the govern. !
ing class was at largest. our author does not
fail to note that it was relatively larger in
to the whole population-the
Venetian capital never had more than
200 900 inhabitants-thant the nobility which
ruled France under the dncien regime or
even than the arstocracy which dominated
En- gland down to 1882 Moreover, although
the main entrance TO the patriciate was
locked forever, side door was left open
through which man OF exceptional ability,
otherwise Ineligible. might be let in. This
seldom occurred. but the fact that ex-
merit mig It lift its possessor
into the charmed circle provided safety
valve against ranking injustice. Pecu-
)iarlv Venetian aleo was the proyision