Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-10


II is easy to see why Rome trended
downward when great slave titled farms
spread over what had once been
countryside of peasant proprietors'
when greed and sensuaIIIy ate like aclds
into the liber of the upper classes. Inc
fall of Rome before the barbarians Is
quite sufficiently explained by the mere
fact that the average citizen had LOST
the fighting ejge-an essential even
under a despotism and therefore far
more essential in free, self-governing
communities such as the English
speaking peoples of today. But this
hoes not explain why the forward
movement stopped at different times as
regards literature, architecture and city
building.
..k,or a period covering the seven
teenth century, Holland stood on the
dangerous heights Of greatness pesloe
nations so vastly her superior In ter
ritorv and population as TO make rall
inevitable Her fall came, but 1t came
far quicker than il needed to come, be-
cause of her shortcomings on her part
To which both Great Britain and the
| United States would be wise to pay
heed. Her government was singularly
ineffective, the decentralization being
such as to rob the central authorit or
an efficiency This was bad enough.
But the fatal weakness was that so
common in rich. peace-loving socieues'
The Dutch were very wealthy Lhey
grew to believe they could hire others
to do their fighting for them on land;
and on sea, where they did their own
fighting, and fought very well, they
refused in time of peace to made ready
f.eets so efficient as either to insure
the Dutch against the peace being
broken or else to give them the victory
when war came.
RACES WHICH FALL MAY RISE.
II is therefore easy to see why Hol-
1 land lost when she did her position
among ne powers, but IL Is rar more
1lrficuIt to see why at the same time
there should have come at least par
tlal loss in the world or art and letters.
Some shark Of divine fire burned out or
the national soul But in Holland, as IN
Rome. IL was not death, but transfor-
nation. which came. Both teach us hat
races which fall may rise again.
In the world Of antiquity each great
empire rose when its predecessor hao
already crumbled. The great expansion
OF England has occurred, on the con-
trarv. during the centuries that have also
seen mighty military nations rise and
flourish on the continent of Europe. The
empire of Britain is vaster in space, In
popuIatfon in wealth. in wide, variety
of possession. in a history Of multiplied
and manifold achievement, than even the
glorious empire Of Rome. Rome fell by
attack from without, only because the
ills within her own borders had grown
incurable What is true of your country,
nv hearers. is true of my own. While
we should be vigilant against foes from
without, yet we need never really fear
them so long as we safeguard ourselves
against the enemies within our own
households: and those enemies are our
passions and our follies. We and you need
ever to keep in mind that qualities indis-
pensable to a great democracy, and sec
ond only TO a high and stern sense OF
duty, are self-knowledge and self-mas-
terry. You. my hosts, and I may not
agree in all our views. Some Of you
think me a very radical democrat-as for
the matter of fact am; and my theory
OF Imperialism would probably suit the
anti-imperialists as little as ii would suit
a certain type OF forcible-feeble imperial
lists But there are points on which we
must all agree If we think soundly.
FORM OF GOVERNMENT A TOOL.
THE precise form of government dem
ocratic or otherwise, is the instrument,
the tool, with which we work. 1t is inn
portant to have a good tool. But, if ii
| is the best possible, II IS only a tool. No
| implement can take the place Of the guild
! ing intelligence that yields II. A very bad
tool will ruin the work OF the best crafts
man, but a good tool in bad hands is no
better. In the last analysis the all-impor-
tant factor in national greatness is ma
tional character.
There are questions we are ever tempt
ed to ask of the future. Is our time
Of growth drawing to an end? None can
tell. The growth in luxury, In love of
ease. in taste for vapid and frivolous ex-
element, is both evident and unhealthy.
The most omnibus sign is the diminution
in the birth rate. now to a larger or
lesser degree shared by most Of the civil
lied nations Of central and western Eu-
rome. Of America and Australia: a dimi-
mutton so great that II It continues for
the next century all the more highly civ
! ilized peoples will be stationary or else
will have begun TO go backward.
There is much to give us concern for
the future. But there is much also
which should give us hope. No man 4,
apt TO be more mistaken than the prophet
OF evil. The fears of the followers OF
Nautilus. the prophecies of Carlyle. q
backed by the police power Of the state.
while the nation can depend upon moth
! ing OF the kind. Therefore, as things
/ are now, it is the highest duty OF the
most advanced and freest peoples to
keep themselves in a state Of readiness
1t would be foolish indeed to pay heed
20 the unwise persons who desire dis
armament to be begun by the very peoples
Who of all others, should not be left help
less before any possible foe. But we
must reprobate quite as strongly aggres
sion and iniquIty at the expense Of the
weak. We should tolerate lawlessness and
wickedness neither by the weak nor tho
strong.
THE foreign policy OF a great and
Eelf-respecting country should be con
Quoted on exactly the same plane OF hon
or as when a brave and honorable mar
IS dealing with his fellows. Permit me Il
support this statement out OF my owl
experience. For nearly eight years ] wa:
the head of a great nation and charged
especially with the conduct of it's foreign
policy; and during those years / took nj
action with reference TO any other people
on the face Of the earth that / woulc
mot have felt justified in taking as ar
Individual dealing with individuals.