The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-16

corruption was pronounced 'hberality.'
and all men we're only pawns to be moved
in the interest OF the State. Without
scruples OF conscience Louis Nj. u
from the service OF other men their ablest
advisers when he could not use them
treacherously in the councils OF his
Philippe de Commines, the two Chanoellors
Rochefort and D'Esquerdes, who later
became a Marshal Of France, were thus
drawn into his vortex and employed as
effective instruments against their former
masters. Tn methods of Louis XII. changed
the entire character of European diplomacy,
not only ia spirit but in form. To meet
such agenciss as he employed every nation
was compelled to form a efn foreign
policy and either to devise a system" OF
its own or passively take its place in sys-
tems imposed by others.
As correspondence between court and
oourt became more and more necessary
a royal postal system was developed and
was largely the outgrowth Of diplomatic
needs. In iAsO Louis XII. fave II effective
organization throughout France n made
il directly subservient to his interests. II
improvement effected in the rspidity Of COM
munication between i474 and 14SS was re-
markable. A courier sent from Rome
20 Paris in April, i474. promised AZ q great
feat to traverse the distance In thirteen
days. In l4ss, on the other hand, news OF
the death OF Charles VIII, which occurred
in Paris on the evening Of April 7, reached
Rome on the evening OF April IL, just seven
days after the event. To insure secrecy
OF communication cryptogrsphy, which
had been known and practised in Europe
as early az the time OF julius Cesar, was
now developed into a more perfect art.
Every chancellery had it's expert for the
purpose not only of embodying dispatches
in cipher but Of d~eciphering stolen or inter
cepted correspondence by working out the
underlying code. IL was at this period also
that Latin, which during the Middle Ages
had been the sole international medium
of communication, began to yield a place
in International intercourse to the national
languages. Thenceforth each nation oar
ried on a correspondence with its own
agents chiefly in its own tongue, though
Latin continued to be employed in strictly
international documents. BY the close OF
the fifteenth century wen the reports Of
the papal nuncios were written in Italian.
The conception of political equilibrium
NlilN ldh lOlk otl NCA w PiNSNi w WV f
Of Italy was now about to dawn upon the
nations OF Europe, as Offering to them also
their only hope of safety. When the Holy
Roman Empire had ceased to be a pro-
lection and the Pspacy was no longer
universally recognized IA a tribunal OF APP
peal the security Of nations became wholly
dependent on armed force on the one hand
or intelligent association for mutual safety
on the other. Unhappily for Europe the
aspiration after imperial power became the
passion Of the greater States at the very
moment when the ancient guardians OF
peace. the Empire and the Papacy. were
least able TO defend the rights and liberties
they we're theoretically in,ended 20 protect.
Wars of aggression and wars Of resistance
were still to follow one another in the cease
less struggle to reconcile the ideals Of i'm
perial dominion and Of local sovereignty,
but a new and powerful agency had been
brought into action. Diplomacy, made
the instrument of both these opposing
principles, was I o work out h problem
Of controlling, by intelligent association,
that lust for imperial domination which
has made Of human history an unending
tragedy.