The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23

That they are Romans by origin rs
true. II Is truer in their case than It
was in the case OF St. Paul when he
implaaded his Roman citizenship
Neither they nor he was such "A Roman
citizen as the republic knew each was
the citizen Of the empire. st. Paul de
rived his citizenship from a municipal
fly which was always provincial, tho
Rumanians dwell in a land which was
the seat of empire, particularly in
that final fash of imperial power and
dignity which shed lustre on the Roman
name IN the reign of DioClctian, an
empire whose monuments yet attract
TIE student 20 the ruins # Spulato, an
empire whose munimcnts are the core
Of civil liberty as set forth in tho pan
dects and coG's which unicrlc all law
Even when one Is the anaChronism Of a
border priClicr, a rcever r ones neigh
nor's sheep and of ones ncighhor' :
hnusfier. II Is yet something fin" to hc
nh!e t. say 4 am Roman--Ciris 70
ntunus sum-" In the pride we are
ready to forgive the larceny. all the
more since these Romans of the south
crn Balkans live where runs no writ
Of king nor has run for this thousand
years. 1t is inspiring to remain a
Roman, citizen of no mean city, in the
midst of the barbarian. The title Of
these shepherds in their militanCy 5
better than most such proud boasts.
The author offers a diagram in which
the source of the peoples of southeas.-
ern Europe is set forth To view; in this
we find the union of the Dacians with
the peninsular Latin folk has yielded
the three allied groups of Rumanians,
South Rumanians and Istrians; the
Serbs. the Bulgars and the Abanians
are yet one further step removed from
the clear Roman stream.
Lazar records with great hrevity tho
wars Of the Wallachs in the past. their
wars Of the recent present he avoids
in that wise comprehension of the his
torian which recognizes that. while II Is
proper TO gather material of events dur
ing the lifetime Of those who partici.
pated therein, it is impossible t. write
history until the lapse of time has given
perspective wherein To interpret the mo
tives OF men and the dependence OF
events. Accordingly We are not To look
in this volume for a presentation Of the
plot and counterplot which have led u,
10 such Balki1 conflicts a. are within
recent memory.
The loss is scarcely felt. There is q
sufficenCv OF war in all the past T.
satisfy those who find the life Of q
people in the clash of arms, There !.
nothing Of milk and water in this his
tory, When men fought they fought
hard they fought until they were vic
toriQus or were whipped. In the latte
plight they were even as Sir Andrew
Barton Of our own battling days. VIII,
asked to Nc propped M that he Nigh
be killed again. These are not prett'
wars. but then Ottcrbourne and Chevy
Chase were not pretty. There /!
abundance of the shedding Of blood tn,
blow is quite as often in the dark, th'
popular hero 81 ses his reign at the
point of traitor dirk. In other word
the Balkan mountains have continued
the Middle Ages down into the twenti
eth century.
National feeling runs strong anon!
the South Rumanians, Vet II has no
come into the stat" Of national unity
Each village chief is capable of actin
for himself and for the men of hi
valley. war Is a series Of raids and re
pose, victory is satisfied with booty, rey
war comes when the need Of NOR
booty is felt in the domestic or in tn
village economy.