Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1921-10-07
HEATHEN SOCIETY, OR GLORY
AND SHAME.
Chapter III.


Turning from the forms of gov.
crnmcnt to the administrators OF it,
we find nothing in them that is
worthy of commentator or that
marks them us bcnafactors of man.
kind; but it matters little whether
the Empcrors were good or bad. II
the regime to which they consecrat-
cd their energies was cxertcd u
crush the social and moral virtues Of
the masses; those administrations
that crushed the refined and noble
sentiments of the people, marked the
mounrful rerogade step in civiliza-
ton, and implied the general degri-
dataion of the people, and would
have been impossible in the days Of
Cato, Scipio, or Motulliis.
Now. turning from the Emperors
to that class which had the ascend
cncy in the state and for several
centuries the supreme power, we shall
also find but little that once marked
man ms "divine creation" follow
ing the working principle of sin, or
rs some may say, error, the image
was marrcd. Under to Empcrors the
aristocracy had degcneratcd not only
IN influence but also in morals ana
other principles of noble manhood.
They still retained their enormous
fortunes, originally acquired rs gov
errors of provinces and continually
increased by fortunate marriages and
spcrulations. Indeed nothing wa;
more melancholy at Rome than the
vast disproportion in fortunes, re-
CARELESS of the natural causes. In the
better day of the Republic property
was more equally divided; for tho
Republic had been founded on an
equal division of the conquered terr.
tories, but through idlcness, prodip:,
lily, and general bad management
on the part of many of these original
owners. their estates gradually pass
ed from under their control, as It
would to-day if an equal division
should be made on the rinciples of
what is called socialism. These lanos
thus having gradually fallen into tn,
hand of skillful family leaders, the
latter becnme a powerful source Of
political Influence.
Remembering that we are studvin-
heather society, we must affirm that
the class-spirit was naturally de.
vcloped, and not artificially as some
Sc. iiSStS uii ihlJ lncrclOre the
classes of society widened as great
fortunes were accumulated; pride Of
wealth kept pace will. pride of anccs-
try; and when a plebcian or poor
family had obtained great estate,
1t WAS amalgamated with the old
aristocracy; so when poor man be-
rated the aristocrncy, he was only
h:tin@' lis own class risen to highc,
social by his art in economy or en-
ergy i'll speculation. The pursuit {
money became II passion among the
classes of people. and tho rich as
sumed all the Importance and CON
sldcraticn, which had once been be-
slowed upon those who had rendered.
great public service; knights ulti
nate'v rivalcd senatorial families.
and the person, with money. was Civ
en- all the honors, regardless OF pcrs-
onal denominations,
Because of the peculiar form of
the government. the wealth of the
empire naturally flowed to Rome. the
Capitals; that city became city OF
princes, whose fortunes were almosc
incredible; it took almost eighty thou
sand dollars year to support the
ordinary senatorial family. Trimal-
chic. rich cx-slave, whom Petronius
ridiculed. could afford to lose thirty
million sestcrces in single VOYAGE.
without scnsibly diminishing his vast
fortune; Pallas, another ex-slave, Of