The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1919-05-15
Some Lessons from History
WILLIAM f. FREELAND
The Decline Of Roman CitizenrY

"A well regulated militia being nee
essary TO the security Of a free state
the right of the people 10 keep anc
bear arms shall not be iniringed. -
Constitution Of the Uoi,ed States.
For some time there has been ;
tendency to glorily personal aulocracy
that augers i'll for our future as a na
tion. This inclination has treated viii
disdain the plain intent Of our consti
tuition and in some cases has sought
to force personal ambition 10 take
precedence over even the most speci
fc provisions Of our organic law. No
thing in this world is secure without
constant vigilance. We feel that oul
liberties are so we'll guarded that they
can not be overturned but Of late
there have been many indications
that the citizenry Of America must
rise to its own protection. Some
where in the old school readers oI
thirty years ago there was speech by
Patrick Henry that began somewhat
as follows
Man is apt to indulge in the il
lusions Of hope. We are apt to close
out eyes against the painful truth and
listen to the song Of that siren until
she transforms US in beasts"
Gibbon in his Decline and Fall Of
the Roman Empire has given US an
invaluable study Of the glory and de-
cadence Of a people who had once
been the boldest and ireest men on
earth. But in truth the real decline
began when the nation permitted the
Caesars to destroy the power of the
senate and substitute for the rule ol a
free citizenry the domination of one
man. II when the crisis came there
had been man OF great power who
really cared to serve the people the
history Of Rome would have been diff
ierent. Consider for an instant what
would have been the effect on human
destiny had the mighty Julius been
intent on serving the people rather
than his own ambitions.
When our lorelathers were struggling
with the problem Of nation building
and our national life was resolved into
seeming chaos thoughtful men sug'
gested to Washington that he become
king. Had he been a Caesar or a
modern autocrat seli'centered and de-
,ermined to become a dictator he
would have taken advantage OF the
chance to further his own personal
ends. But he was not. Washington
loved his country truly and sought 10
give 10 her all ne had For this
reason he associated himself with the
strong men Of the nation many o.
whom differed with him greatly. As
a result the colonies passed through
the storm and became a great republic
For centuries Rome had the mos
virile citiz.nry ever known. During
the days Of the republic every mar
was potential soldier ready TO pas
from the plow or the artizin's bench
10 the sword and shield Of legionarl
This is the Rome that beat back tht
Volcians, that hurled Tarquin from
power, that stayed the inrush Of Bien
nus and unified Italy. When Phynu
brought the Macedonian phalanx Il
Italy and the Roman soldiers, unable t.
cope with the terrible machine iha
Philip had organized, gathered tht
great pixies into their bosoms or dVinl
hewed of the spears that their com
rades might reach the Greeks and joir
battle, Pyrus said that with sucl
soldiers I could conquer the world
Later when the surprising the genius 0
the Great Hannibal brought war 10 th
very walls Of the city, the stern reso
luton Of Rome had reached its high
est constancy. Two successive year
brought the successive disasters @
Trebia and Lake Trasimene. Forces
10 admit in practice that she had n
leaders able to cope with the Cartha
genian, Rome determined TO crus
him BY sheer weight Of numbers. T
th;s opd che rnustered on aPriO nj nue