The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-04-18
Paper Read Before the Chautauqua Circle.

z
A S ONE scans the pages of his
~ tory and dwells on the word
n pictures there depicted, one ex-
periences feeling of regret at )
the idiosyncracies of those who have
gone before US. Yet, after all, it was
perhaps necessary that they should
have suffered in order that we might
be lifted to higher plane. 1t behooves
as therefore to deal gently with their
failing, remembering that we ourselves
will be subject to criticism by posteri-
'ty. purpose to outline briefly few
of the reasons why we enjoy the bless
ings of popular government, and shall
confine my narrative to concise express
sions of fact as CLEANED from the
pages of history, and also to refrain
from bestowing opprobrium except
where the conditions warrant it.
When the keels of C8ser's galleys
grated upon the shores of Britain Sc B.
c., the scenes which met his gaze were
vastly different from those which OBJ
tain today. Then the aboriginal Is
.landers were worshipping Thor, Wooden,
Frea, Tine and host Of other dieties
in the Businesses of the primeval will
derness. Little did the immortal ulius
think that this inhospitable land, peo-
pied by ignorant savages, would one
day blossom forth as the fairest child
of Mother Nature and wrest the laurel
from Imperial Rome herself. But
C@ser was too busy quieting disorder
on the continent to pay much attention
to land of such forbidding aspect;
and while Rome was tOttering to her
fall, this little island was terminating
the seeds of future greatness. Then
came Hengist and Horsa in the 5th
century, leading hordes of warlike ad-
venturers from Jutland aud Angle
land, followed shortly after by st. Au-
gustine bearing the tidings of Christian
ity, whose mellowing influence served
to leaven this chaotic mass. These
men of Jutland and Angleland brought
with them the idea of self-government
The latter gave their name to their
adopted land, and their witenagemote.
or meeting of wise men, was the proto-
type of our own system of government
The Danes were the next to be assimi.
lated into the body polite, and finally
the Norman conquest marks the begin.
ming of Englsnd's prestige. Following
the Norman conquest began those
fanatical migrations to rescue the
Holy sepulchre from the unspeakable
Turk. These crusades, originally insti
gated by Peter the Hermit, who trav
eled about from one principally tt
another, exhorting the people to rail-!
around the standard of the Cross, me-
with dire failure, save the contingen
led by Godfrey, Of BOlogne, who cap
tured Jerusalem and was crowned
king thereof. In one of these contin
gents was the famous Richard Ceu
de Lion, or Lion Hearted, son of Henr.
H., and brother of King John of Magn'
Chsrts fame, who distinguished him
self at the siege of Acre by riding alon'
the battle front challenging the Sara
cen warriors to mortal combat.
In those days it was easier to beguil
people into nousensical ventures thai
it is at present. Ignorance being 8
prevalent that the ability to read wa
considered mark of intellectual su
periority. It was not until 1915 tina
the issues of representative govern
ment and absolutism were locked i
mortal combat. On the one sid
Stephen Laugton, the Pope's legate,
mitred archbishop followed by bette
barons. On the other side were Joh
PlantageBet and his cohorts. The n
suit was decisive defeat for the force
of royalty. And on the memorabl
Island of Runnymede, the predecesse
of Independence Hall, the king we
compelled to sign the historic Magn
Charta, the foundation of constit'
tional government in England. 1t
true the charter of Henry II. had bee
extant previously, but it carried wit
it no provisions for q representsti,
assembly. They had no carpets.
those days; even the poor king did d
have the luxury Of steel foor, so
fell to gnawing sticks and straw