The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-12-02
conssantlnnrls.

New i urk Tribune. Whatever may
be the direct outcome Of the present
war N Thraee, we may confidently
assume that another epoch has been
marked In the arvellous history 81
Coustantinoula 1t may remain the
capital o. the Ottoman Turks for
Years 10 cune But # VIII thus EXIT
only On Eufferancs. undsr an iuterna-
tinnaliy guaranteed neutrality instead
OF being the seat of q power al once
imperial and impsriouB; md even
thus, with IT'S span OF life limited
Such is the twentieth century lot Of
0na which for nearly sixteen centuries
has ranked easily in the first class of
The worlds historic cities, Al it's III
fiuaacs upon the ancient world rival
led only by Jerusalem, athens and
Rome. Indeed, Il we reckon Byzan-
tinm continuously with ii, ii has been
of note for more than TWENTY-FIVE cen
turtles. since the Argfves and Megar-
ians founded II on q site SO suRerbiy
chosen for beauty, for commercial
utility and for military provess as to
the Deiphic oracle.
The nine centuries Of Byzautium
were indeed rich with the deeds OF
0Ianes anu Darius HystaEpes, OF
Pausanias, Of Ginnon, of AscibiRdeE, Of
Isysandsr. OF Epaminnndas, and Of
Philip of Macedon Much Of Greek
history, and of the story Of the i'm
memorial conflict between Europe
and Asia, canterea upon the hills uv-
erloolzing the Golden Horn, where
the narrowing synlplegades wf1itened
the cliffs Of Fropuntis with spray
Nor must we forget that when BY
zautium fell beneath the might @.
Sererns the Roman empire II the ac1
Of destroying it opened the way ful
its own destruction, for with Inc dis
appearance OF that fortress city ths
passage OF the straits WIS assured ii
the Goths from the Euxine To tins
Mediterranean
4 a new era was begun in the his
tory Of the world when. on May II
3330 the new city on the I'D site be
came Cungtantiness imperial seat
marketed with the official recognition
and adoption OF Christianity II wa
indeed the first great Christian cap
ltal, and as such it seemed to enjoy
charmed existence Before it was
half century old Va.ens was crushe
. al Alrianople, but Gonstautinopl
: held out against the cnnauering hord
r OF Cloths and Huns II was attacke
/ by the Avars, kinsmen of the Bnl
CARS twice by the seljuE Turks an
: twice by the BuIgars. hut To them a
: the wallis Of Constantine proved in
pregnabie- Strangely, the piae
2 which for nearly nine centuries wa
: the great eastern bnlwarE OF chr1
: 1ian Europe was Tor the first tim
r captured and looted by the armies I
/ christian Europe itself. profesaedly @
the fourth crusade against the Turk
: After itE restoration 10 the Cracks
: was twice assaulted by the 0ttoma
!, Turks, and On the second occagio.
. largely because Of the onduct
European ctiristians, ii fell into ii
9 hands which ever since have held
d III q savage grfp.
r That date, May 2s, 1853. has ey.
d Bince been rightly regarded as OF
r Of the great landmarks Of nigtor
Ii from which the annals Of sueceedfr
: centuries were computed II Constr
: tines foundation 81 the city narks
i new epoch. no less 80 did Il
second Afahomets conquest 81 ii; n
" 20 nucn because Of the ByzantiI
ie power which was thus finally d
= strnyed. and which had iong been
.- pitiable remnant, as because Of 4
d commanding position which II gave
d inc conguerors II the foundation
ID the city was coinclden1 with the Of
" cial adoption and PRONUNCIATION
= etlristianft5, It's fall gave the uiumI
se ant impetus 10 tbs movement wh5
ii revealed the existence OF the am,
:, leans and opened the new world
IA civilized settlement Ii might be /
ID much 10 expect the impending disJ
= gition Of the city 10 be married vi
81 circumstances Of comparable u
a ment to the world yet II would
I'd rash TOO greatly 10 depreciate its u
<. sible Significance
M