The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-01-09

Abercrombie, N. De- Jan, g.
To The Forum: The Fargo Fo-
rum seems to give the impression
that the Rollo statue, donated
to the city Of Fargo by the city OF
Rouen, Normandy. is a matter that
mainly concerns the wegisn-Amer-
leans.
Rollo and the Normans are progen-
itors OF the so-called Anglo Saxon
race, and they are therefore of equal
interest to Americans in general
When we, this year, are celebrating
the Norman millennium, this event is VI
equal Importance TO all peoples, whose
tongue is either French or English. II
Fargo, successfully, shall be the main
place in the United States where our
Norman millennium Is TO be celebrated
in the latter part OF July, the Fargo
people in special must help to spread
that part of the history OF our race
that will tell about our Norman fore
fathers.
Macauley in his The History OF Eng
land gives a short review OF the traits
and history OF the Normans, and he
says:
eleventh and twelfth centuries the
foremost race OF chrlstendom Their
valor and ferocity had made them con-
spicuous among the rovers whom
Scandinavia had sent forth to ravase
western Eupore. Their sails were long
the terror Of both coasts of the chan
mel. Their arms were repeatedly car
ried into the heart OF the Carlovingian
empire, and were victorious under the
walls OF Maestricht and Paris. AT
length one of the heirs OF Charlemagne
coded to the strangers CRollo and the
Normans) a fertile province. watered
by a noble river. and contiguous TO
the sea which was their favorite ele-
ment. In that province they founded
mighty state, which gradually ex-
tended it's influence over the neishbor-
ing principalities OF Brittany and
Maine. Without laying aside that
dauntless valour which had been the
terror OF every land from the Elbe to
the Pyrenees, the Normsns rapidly ac-
quired all, and more than all, the
knowledge and refinement which they
found in the country where they set
tied. Their courage secured their ter
ritory against foreign invasion. They
established internal order, such as had
long been unknown in the Frank en-
pire. They embraced christianity: and
with christianity they learned a great
part of what the clergy had to teach.
They abandoned their native speech
and adopted the French tongue, in
which the Latin was the predominant
element. They speedily raised their
new language to a dignity and import
ance which it had never br"7ge pos
sessed. They found it a barG.uus Jar
gon; they fixed IT in writing. and they
employed 1t in legislation, in poetry,
and in romance. They renOunced that
brutal intemperance to which all the
other branches OF the great German
family were too much inclined. The
polite luxury OF the Norman presented
a striking contrast to the coarse vo-
racity and drunkenness of his Saxon
and Danish neighbors. He loved to
display his magnificence, not in huge
piles Of food and hogsheads of strong
drink. but in large and stately edi-
fees, rich armour, gallant horses,
choice falcons, we'll ordered tourna-
nlents, banquets, delicate rather than
abundant, and wines remarkable
rather for their exquisite favour than
for their Intoxicating power. The
chivalrous spirit, which has exercised
so powerful an influence on the poll
tics. morals, and manners or all the
Euporean nations, was found in the
highest exaltation among the Norman
mobiles. Those mobiles were distin-
guished by their graceful bearing and
insinuating address. They were dis
tinquished also by their skill in nego-
tiation, and by a natural eloquence
which they assiduously cultivated. II
was the boast of one of their historians
that the Norman gentlemen were ora
tors from the cradle. But their chief
fame was derived from their military
exploits. Every country, from the At
lantio ocean to the Dead sea witnessed
the prodigies OF their discipline and
valour. One Norman knight, at The
head OF handful OF warriors. scat
tered the Celts OF Connaught. An
other founded the monarchy Of the
Two Sicilies, and saw the emperors
both OF the east and west fly before
his arms. A third, the Ulysses of the
first crusade, was invested by his fell
low soldiers with the sovereignty of
Antioch, and a fourth, the Tancred
whose name lives in the great poem OF
Tasso, was celebrated through christ
endom as the bravest and most gen.
eEoua OF the Geesvarers OF fhs holy
seph zbchIs.
1.-THE vicinity OF so remarlca.ble a
people early began to produce an effect
on the pub!is mind of England. Be-
fore the Conquest, English princes re-
oeived their education in Normandy
English sees and English estates were
bestowed on Norman& The French
OF Normandy was Familiarity spoken in
the palace OF Westminster. The court
of Rouen seems to have been to the
court OF Edward the Confessor what
the court OF Versailles long afterwards
was to the court Of Charles the Sec
ond.
"The battle OF Hastings, and The
events which followed il. not only
placed a duke OF Normandy on the
English throne, but gave up the whole
population OF England TO the tyranny
of the Norman race. The subjugatior
of a nation by a nation has seldom
even in Asia, been more complete. The
country was portioned out among the
captains OF its invaders. Strong mil
itary institutions, closely connected
with the institution Of property, en-
abled the foreign ccnquerors to OPP
press the children OF the soil.
During the century and hall
which followed the conquest. there is
to speak strictly. no English history
The French kings Of England rose, in
deed, to an eminence which was tbs
wonder and dread or all neiEhbourins
nations. They conquered ireland. They