Earlier text: General ArticlesThe Ostrogoths and the Visigoths.
By A. T. J.
"The character of the civil and military officers on whom Rufinus had devolved the government of Greece, confirmed the public suspicion that he had betrayed the ancient seat of freedom and learning to the Gothic invader. The proconsul Antiochus was the unworthy son of a respectable father; and Gerontius, who commanded the provincial troops, was much better qualified to execute the oppressive orders of a tyrant than to defend with courage and ability a country most remarkably fortified by the hand of nature. Alaric had traversed [A. D. 396], without resistance, the plains of Macedonia and Thessaly as far as the foot of Mount Oeta, a steep and woody range of hills almost impervious to his cavalry. They stretched from east to west, to the edge of the sea-shore, and left, between the precipice and the Malian Gulf, an interval of three hundred feet, which, in some places, was contracted to a road capable of admitting only a single carriage. In this narrow pass of Thermopylæ, where Leonidas and the three hundred Spartans had gloriously devoted their lives, the Goths might have been stopped or destroyed by a skillful general; and perhaps the view of that sacred spot might have kindled some sparks of military ardor in the breasts of the degenerate Greeks. "The troops which had been posted to defend the Straits of Thermopylæ, retired, as they were directed, without attempting to disturb the secure and rapid passage of Alaric; and the fertile fields of Phocis and Bœotia were instantly covered by a deluge of barbarians, who massacred the males of an age to bear arms, and drove away the beautiful females with the spoil and cattle of the flaming villages. The travelers who visited Greece several years afterwards could easily discover the deep and bloody traces of the march of the Goths; and Thebes was less indebted for her preservation to the strength of her seven gates, than to the eager haste of Alaric, who advanced to occupy the city of Athens and the important harbor of the Piræus. The same impatience urged him to prevent the delay and danger of a siege by the offer of a capitulation; and as soon as the Athenians heard the voice of the Gothic herald, they were easily persuaded to deliver the greatest part of their wealth as the ransom of the city of Minerva and its inhabitants. "The treaty was ratified by solemn oaths, and observed with mutual fidelity. The Gothic prince, with a small and select train, was admitted within the walls; he indulged himself in the refreshment of the bath, accepted a splendid banquet which was provided by the magistrate, and affected to show that he was not ignorant of the manners of civilized nations. But the whole territory of Attica, from the promontory of Sunium to the town of Megara, was blasted by his baleful presence; and, if we may use the comparison of a contemporary philosopher, Athens itself resembled the bleeding and empty skin of a slaughtered victim. The confidence of the cities of Peloponnesus in their natural rampart, had tempted them to neglect the care of their antique walls; and the avarice of the Roman governors had exhausted and betrayed the unhappy province. Corinth, Argos, Sparta, yielded without resistance to the arms of the Goths; and the most fortunate of the inhabitants were saved by death, from beholding the slavery of their families, and the conflagration of their cities. The vases and statues were distributed among the barbarians, with more regard to the value of the materials than to the elegance of the workmanship; the female captives submitted to the laws of war; the enjoyment of beauty was the reward of valor; and the Greeks could not reasonably complain of an abuse which was justified by the example of the heroic times. "From Thermopylæ to Sparta, the leader of the Goths pursued his victorious march without encountering any mortal antagonists; but one of the advocates of expiring paganism has confidently asserted, that the walls of Athens were guarded by the goddess Minerva, with her formidable ægis, and by the angry phantom of Achilles; and that the conqueror was dismayed by the presence of the hostile deities of Greece. In an age of miracles, it would perhaps be unjust to dispute the claim of the historian Zosimus to the common benefit; yet it cannot be dissembled that the mind of Alaric was ill prepared to receive, either in sleeping or waking visions, the impressions of Greek superstition. The songs of Homer and the fame of Achilles had probably never reached the ear of the illiterate barbarian; and the Christian faith, which he had devoutly embraced, taught him to despise the imaginary deities of Rome and Athens. The invasion of the Goths, instead of vindicating the honor, contributed, at least accidentally, to extirpate the last remains of paganism; and the mysteries of Ceres, which had subsisted eighteen hundred years, did not survive the destruction of Eleusis, and the calamities of Greece. "The last hope of a people who could no longer depend on their arms, their gods, or their sovereign, was placed in the powerful assistance of the general of the West; and Stilicho, who had not been permitted to repulse, advanced to chastise, the invaders of Greece. A numerous fleet was equipped in the ports of Italy; and the troops, after a short and prosperous navigation over the Ionian Sea, were safely disembarked on the isthmus, near the ruins of Corinth. The woody and mountainous country of Arcadia, the fabulous residence of Pan and the Dryads, became the scene of a long and doubtful conflict between the two generals not unworthy of each other. The skill and perseverance of the Roman at length prevailed; and the Goths, after sustaining a considerable loss from disease and desertion, gradually retreated to the lofty mountain of Pholoe, near the sources of the Peneus, and on the frontiers of Elis, a sacred country which had formerly been exempted from the calamities of war. The camp of the barbarians was immediately besieged; the waters of the river were diverted into another channel; and while they labored under the intolerable pressure of thirst and hunger, a strong line of circumvallation was formed to prevent their escape. "After these precautions, Stilicho, too confident of victory, retired to enjoy his triumph in the theatrical games and lascivious dances of the Greeks; his soldiers, deserting their standards, spread themselves over the country of their allies, which they stripped of all that had been saved from the rapacious hands of the enemy. Alaric appears to have seized the favorable moment to execute one of those hardy enterprises in which the abilities of a general are displayed with more genuine luster than in the tumult of a day of battle. To extricate himself from the prison of Peloponnesus it was necessary that he should pierce the intrenchments which surrounded his camp; that he should perform a difficult and dangerous march of thirty miles as far as the Gulf of Corinth; and that he should transport his troops, his captives, and his spoil, over an arm of the sea, which, in the narrow interval between Rhium and the opposite shore, is at least half a mile in breadth. The operations of Alaric must have been secret, prudent, and rapid; since the Roman general was confounded by the intelligence that the Goths, who had eluded his efforts, were in full possession of the important province of Epirus. This unfortunate delay allowed Alaric sufficient time to conclude the treaty which he secretly negotiated with the ministers of Constantinople. The apprehension of a civil war compelled Stilicho to retire, at the haughty mandate of his rivals, from the dominions of Arcadius; and he respected, in the enemy of Rome, the honorable character of the ally and servant of the emperor of the East." About this time Synesius, a Greek philosopher who was at Constantinople, delivered an oration before the Emperor Arcadius, in which the emperor was exhorted to banish luxury from the court and camp, and, in the place of his barbarian mercenaries, to enlist an army of citizens of the empire, put himself at their head, and drive the whole gang of barbarians out of all his provinces, and back into the wastes of Scythia, or reduce them to slavery. But:— "The court of Arcadius indulged the zeal, applauded the eloquence, and neglected the advice, of Synesius. While the oration of Synesius and the downfall of the barbarians were the topics of popular conversation, an edict was published at Constantinople which declared the promotion of Alaric to the rank of master-general of the Eastern Illyricum. The Roman provincials, and the allies, who had respected the faith of treaties, were justly indignant that the ruin of Greece and Epirus should be so liberally rewarded. The Gothic conqueror was received as a lawful magistrate in the cities which he had so lately besieged. The fathers whose sons he had massacred, the husbands whose wives he had violated, were subject to his authority; and the success of his rebellion encouraged the ambition of every leader of the foreign mercenaries. "The use to which Alaric applied his new command distinguishes the firm and judicious character of his policy. He issued his orders to the four magazines and manufacturers of offensive and defensive arms, Margus, Ratiaria, Naissus, and Thessalonica, to provide his troops with an extraordinary supply of shields, helmets, swords, and spears; the unhappy provincials were compelled to forge the instruments of their own destruction; and the barbarians removed the only defect which had sometimes disappointed the efforts of their courage. The birth of Alaric, the glory of his past exploits, and the confidence in his future designs, insensibly united the body of the nation under his victorious standard; and, with the unanimous consent of the barbarian chieftains, the master-general of Illyricum was elevated, according to ancient custom, on a shield, and solemnly proclaimed king of the Visigoths. Armed with this double power, seated on the verge of the two empires, he alternately sold his deceitful promises to the court of Arcadius and Honorius, till he declared and executed his resolution of invading the dominions of the West. The provinces of Europe, which belonged to the Eastern emperor, were already exhausted; those of Asia were inaccessible; and the strength of Constantinople had resisted his attack. But he was tempted by the fame, the beauty, the wealth of Italy, which he had twice visited; and he secretly aspired to plant the Gothic standard on the walls of Rome, and to enrich his army with the accumulated spoils of three hundred triumphs."—Decline and Fall, chap. 30, par. 2, 3, 4. THE STRAIGHT PATH.
By E. Hilliard
"The Bible is so strict and old-fashioned," said a young man to a gray-haired friend who was advising him to study God's word if he would learn how to live. "There are plenty of books written nowadays that are moral enough in their teaching, and do not bind one down as the Bible does." The old merchant turned to his desk and took out two rulers, one of which was slightly bent. With each of these he ruled a line, and silently handed the ruled paper to his companion. "Well," said the lad, "what do you mean?" "One line is not straight and true is it? When you mark out your path in life, do not take a crooked ruler!"117 WEBSTER defines prophecy as follows: "A declaration of something to come; an inspired foretelling." Prophecy, then, is of the utmost importance to us, as it points out future events and makes known God's dealings with mankind. It is certainly desirable to know what is to take place in our generation. It has been the privilege of every generation to know what events were pending in their day. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3: 7. The prophecies of the Bible span the whole history of the world. Great events that were to occur at certain periods have been distinctly foretold, and heralded by signs and warnings. Heaven has ever been most deeply interested in the salvation of men. Man is his own enemy in the matter of his salvation. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" This inclination to do wickedly has led the great majority in every generation to depart from God and to disregard his word. This has made it necessary for God to chastise the people from time to time, with some great punishment. But he never has done this in any age without first giving them warning. Signs have preceded any punishment that God was about to inflict. One of the most remarkable instances where the people were warned by signs and supernatural sights, was just prior to the destruction of Jerusalem. As we read of the wonderful precursors that heralded its desolation, we can scarcely credit the stupidity of her citizens in not recognizing their danger. The Saviour had cautioned his disciples that when they should see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel stand in the holy place, they should leave the city and flee to the mountains. Matt. 24: 15, 16. Here, then, the Saviour referred them to the sign that the prophet had foretold as an omen of the doom of that city. Luke makes this warning still plainer in the 21st chapter of his Gospel and the 20th and 21st verses: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains." How plain! It would seem that no other signal need have been given, and yet we are told that supernatural sights appeared, foreboding disaster and doom. We quote from "Great Controversy," vol. 4, pages 31, 32, as follows:— "A comet, resembling a flaming sword, for a year hung over the city. An unnatural light was seen hovering over the temple. Upon the clouds were pictured chariots mustering for battle. Mysterious voices in the temple court uttered the warning words, 'Let us depart hence.' The eastern gate of the inner court, which was of brass, and so heavy that it was with difficulty shut by a score of men, and having bolts fastened deep into the firm pavement, was seen at midnight to be opened of its own accord. "For seven years a man continued to go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, declaring the woes that were to come upon the city. By day and by night he chanted the wild dirge, 'A voice from the east; a voice from the west; a voice from the four winds; a voice against Jerusalem and the temple; a voice against the bridegroom and the bride; and a voice against all the people.'" Also see Josephus, book 6, chap. 5. Notwithstanding these wonderful demonstrations, the great majority perished in the siege. Just as the Saviour had predicted, the armies encompassed Jerusalem. When everything seemed favorable for an attack, they withdrew. All who took heed to the prophecy seized the opportune moment, and fled to the mountains, while the careless, and those who prided themselves on being the chosen people of God, thinking themselves safe, remained in the city. Soon the armies returned, and it is stated by Josephus that over eleven hundred thousand Jews miserably perished in the siege. They knew not their doom until it was too late. No less stupid is the present generation to the fulfillment of the prophetic word. The signs that were to appear in the heavens, viz., the darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars (Matt. 24: 29) have all appeared, and are recorded by historians as supernatural events. For the darkening of the sun, see Webster's unabridged Dictionary, art. Dark Day; for the falling of the stars, see "New American Cyclopedia." Aside from these signs, other premonitions that are of an unparalleled nature are almost continually occurring around us. Luke, after speaking of the above signs, says: "And upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity." To show the condition of the nations a few years ago, we quote from the San Francisco Chronicle of Jan. 30, 1875, as follows:— "A careful survey of the European situation seems sufficient to justify a belief in the prediction of the enthusiasts who declare that the true interpretation of John's Apocalyptic vision shows that, 'The battle of the great day of God Almighty, at Armageddon,' is actually at hand. All Europe is at present one vast camp. The nations are arming from the British Channel to the Ural Mountains, from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, as if with a prophetic understanding that a terrible and portentous crisis is at hand. The nations are becoming armies; the general masses of the people are being turned into soldiers. The arsenals are busy shaping more deadly weapons of destruction than were ever before known. The foundries are casting colossal cannon, compared with which those heretofore used in warfare are but children's toys." The outlook ten years later (1885) is certainly no less appalling. With socialism and nihilism in all countries, can we not see the fulfilling of the prediction, "And upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity?" The Lord further predicts: "The sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." Luke 21: 26, 27. Tidal waves, cyclones, and electric storms seem to be the order of the present age. The Interior speaking of them says:— "The cyclones, tornadoes, water-spouts, and tidal waves of a few years past are the most remarkable of any recorded in history." This fact is indisputable. The very elements are in disorder. Nature herself seems to be unsettled. Like the rushing waters before the cataract, and the preliminary chills and pains before dissolution, these naturally impress the mind as portents of the terrible day of God. These are evidently referred to in Luke 21: 25 as signs of the day of Judgment. Such atmospheric and cosmic disturbances cause the "roaring of the sea and waves." The prophet Daniel makes a prediction that is most significant of the end of the world: "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Dan. 12: 4. From the above scripture we conclude that near the end of time there will be an increase of knowledge. Have we reached such a period? Let us glance about and see. If we look for the fulfillment in religious knowledge, we have only to notice a few facts. In 1429, the enormous sum of two hundred and twenty-five dollars was paid for the New Testament. Now, the whole Bible can be purchased for forty cents. If a man is too poor to buy a Bible, it is given to him. The different Bible societies have issued, since their organization, ninety million copies of the Scriptures. Is not this in the providence of God, so that just before the destiny of all is decided, each one can have a Bible to investigate, whether rich or poor? If found unprepared, shall we not be without excuse? With all this prophetic chain before us, and its remarkable fulfillment, but few will discern the signs of the times. The great majority will slumber on, as did the inhabitants of Jerusalem, until the coming Son of man thrusts in his sickle to reap the harvest of the earth. The nearness of the event should serve as an incentive to make a speedy preparation to meet our Saviour in peace. Why not heed the words of the apostle Peter? "We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation." 2 Pet. 1: 19, 20. A Full-grown Man.
By Baptist Weekly
It may seem to be very commonplace to speak of a full-grown man. There is not the slightest suggestion of originality in the expression as applied to people in general. But when referred to Christian people, one is strikingly impressed with the suggestiveness of the term. Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, speaks of several gifts which are imparted to Christian men as the result of Christ's ascension. According to the Revised Version, Paul is made to say that the object of creating the several offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and pastors, is "for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of ministry, unto the building up of the body of Christ, till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a full-grown man." Further on the apostle urges that we should "be no longer children." Now it is a blessed thing to be the "children" of God, and Paul would not be disposed to dispute this assertion; but by both precept and example he vigorously protests against the Christian remaining in spiritual childhood all the days of his life. The idea of being a Christian baby continually was repulsive to the aggressive and ever-growing apostle. Spiritual inertness was what he could not tolerate. And next to seeking the conversion of sinners, Paul sought with great diligence to have men and women "grow up" in the health and strength of men and women in Christ. This is one of the greatest needs of our time. All through our churches are to be found a large number of little children in Christ, who are spiritually feeble. They have been long enough in the church to be full-grown; but, alas, they are still babes! They cling to the diet of milk, and prefer even to have that reduced. And we have reason to fear that their preference is too often gratified through the kind of milk-and-water preaching they get. If Christians would get out of their spiritual babyhood, they must be nourished on the "strong meat" of Bible doctrine. They must partake of the evangelical truths of inspired writ. For these they need an appetite which has been sharpened by much prayer and the Holy Spirit's presence. The true Christian does have an appetite for the bread of God and the meat of the gospel, and it is because of his abuse of it that his appetite ceases to act normally and progressively. If we would grow in grace, we must neither misuse nor neglect those spiritual cravings of our new natures which by divine impulsiveness call for supply and satisfaction. Let us so exercise ourselves as to become full-grown men.—Baptist Weekly. The Statutes of the Lord Are Right
"The statutes of the Lord are right." A HERETIC is one who creates divisions or factions, but it will not do to conclude therefore that every one who divides or separates is a heretic in the Scripture sense of that term. Elijah was a factionist in the eyes of the united prophets of Baal. Jesus said he came to divide and not to send peace. The Roman Church has always averred that Luther was a heretic, a schismatic, an innovator against the established and uniform faith. Wesley was a separatist of the worst kind, in the eyes of a world-loving church. In many parts of our country the Baptists, not very long ago, were looked upon as troublesome people, disturbers of the peace of modern Zion. Roger Williams was a notable heretic, not to be tolerated by his orthodox neighbors. By this it will be seen that the common use of119 the term has always been very different from its Scriptural use. A facetious divine once said, when asked to define orthodoxy and heterodoxy, “Orthodoxy means my doxy, and heterodoxy means your doxy.” And this definition is adopted by many unto this day. If any variation is admitted, it is to this extent, that that which is popular is orthodox, and unpopularity is heresy. In the popular sense the Catholics are the only body of professed Christians free from heresy. Protestants have always shown a tendency to divisions, sects, or factions—heresies if you wish. The Roman Church is the only one which is truly “stable.” Catholics say it is because they are better established in the truth. Others say it is because they do not allow of any growth or development in the truth. Prohibition and a Third Party.
By Editor
THERE was never a time when the subject of temperance received so large a share of public attention as it does at present. And it is but recently that there has been any decided or general agreement amongst temperance people that prohibition is the true policy for the present time. It cannot, therefore, be considered surprising that there is considerable difference of opinion as to the best means to accomplish the desired end. For more than thirty years we have been uncompromising in advocacy of prohibition. At the first, our sentiments were shared by very few, even of those who professed to be the most earnest temperance workers. In 1850, our views of prohibition were openly opposed by Sons of Temperance. In 1877, we were vigorously opposed in a "Red Ribbon" meeting; and as late as 1879 we were opposed by a popular temperance lecturer when we gave our views in favor of prohibition. We have had many years to view the ground, and have tried to view it in its various phases, and we shall claim the privilege of retaining our opinion as to the best method of carrying it into effect. We are sorry to say that we have suffered no small amount of abuse for claiming this privilege. This abuse has been poured out upon us in private letters and in public prints, because we ventured to express doubts of the expediency of forming a prohibition political party, now commonly known as a "Third Party." A little political (third-party) sheet in California gratified its spirit of prejudice by assailing us in the most bitter terms, fairly exhausting its power of invective, because, as it claimed, we voted against prohibition in the last election. It even informed its readers that we worked for, and voted with, the Democratic party in order to oppose the cause of prohibition. Its accusations were so unjust and untruthful, and set forth in such a bitter spirit, that we did not think it was entitled to an explanation, and we gave it no notice. A letter from an Eastern State said it did not know how we could consistently claim to be Christians, and oppose the formation of a third party. We are thankful that our standard of Christianity is not so low as that. But in answer to civil queries, we will now say that at the time of the last election we were where we could not vote had we been inclined to do so. And as for our co-religionists in California, we never advised any one how to vote, and we never asked any one how he voted. We gave them credit for manhood enough to act conscientiously in the matter; and we understood that very few in the church of Oakland voted at all. They will probably pursue the same course in the future. Now let us look for a few moments at the situation. In different parts of the country, the political parties have taken different positions on the temperance question. In Maine it does not enter into politics at all, both parties uniting on prohibition. And this has been the case in every instance, as far as we have information, where prohibition has met with any notable success. In Kansas and Iowa it was well understood that the strength of prohibition sentiment was on the part of the Republican party, while in North Carolina and Mississippi it drew its chief support from the Democrats. The position assumed by the Lever, and other third-party papers, that the prohibitionists passed the amendment in Iowa without the aid of the Republicans, is a sheer absurdity. If the prohibitionists in Iowa were so strongly in the majority without any aid from Republicans, why was it that they gave so small a vote in favor of St. John and the third party in the late election? The Democratic party in Iowa took a stand against the prohibitory amendment, pledging to repeal the amendment if that party was successful. Under those circumstances, it seemed to us to be suicidal on the part of the prohibitionists to denounce the Republicans, and avow their intention, if possible, to defeat and break up that party. It needed no mathematical mind to see that if they had succeeded in their effort,—if they had drawn away from that party enough to throw the election into the hands of the opposing party,—they would have endangered all that has been gained in that State; and the certainty would have followed that they could not have recovered the ground so lost in many years. We have said, and we still say, because we firmly believe it, that the success—the permanent success—of prohibition, is not to be found in a third party, but in bringing the temperance men from both parties together on prohibition as a non-partisan issue. Our views are well expressed in the following remarks made in a temperance meeting, as reported in The Voice:— "Mr. Wallace, of Freeport, L. I., was reluctant to disturb the harmony of thought which had thus far prevailed. He protested against much that had been said. He believed that no one present would live to see prohibition triumphant through a separate political party. He voted with that party up to the time of the formation of this society. His church, which he represented here to-day, was then unanimous in support of this movement. It was plain that this was practical work by which something might be done. The result was so favorable that we came within two votes of success. Dr. Olin introduced the bill, and the result was surprising. It received the support of seventeen Democrats, and enough Republicans to bring the vote up to sixty-three. The consequence was, that a sentiment was created, and the majority would now vote for it. Dr. Olin did all he could for it, and the prohibitionists did all they could to defeat him. Senator Thomas did the best he could, and the prohibition party tried to defeat him. If we go to the Legislature in affiliation with the prohibition party, we shall be greeted deservedly with the cold shoulder. He doubted whether any member would now introduce the bill, as was the case in the Legislature of 1885. In Atlanta this success did not come through a third party. "Rev. Mr. Mead asked why. 'Because,' he said, 'the Legislature granted the request of the people, which our Legislature refuses to do.'" "Mr. Wallace resumed: 'If we want Constitutional prohibition, all signs indicate that we shall not get it through a third party. That method operates to reduce the strength of the movement. Look at Ohio, which, in 1883, gave 323,000 votes to the amendment, and now gives only 28,000 votes' [to a third party]. "In Ohio, he said, the cause is a by-word and a laughing-stock among the politicians. The third-party movement has resulted in Ohio's having a license Legislature. Never has Ohio voted for license. Did the fact that 323,000 votes had been frittered away to 28,000 help the cause? The impression was general in 1885 that the prohibition-party movement defeated the amendment in Ohio. If their efforts had been added to the amendment work, it would have been carried. A politician told him that voters would come to the polls with tickets prepared to vote for the amendment, and, finding men there working for the third party, they would indignantly throw away the prohibition vote. Speaking of this State, he said: 'We have been remiss in not trying to get the assembly. We nearly got a majority once, but in the last Legislature we were nowhere.' His pastor was not present, because he suspected that this was a third-party movement. Allusions had been made early in the meeting to the small number of ministers present. Might not this be the explanation? How could we get the thousands of clergymen actively at work in the cause?" Prohibition in Georgia, where it has been adopted, was carried by the members of both parties uniting on this question. And we regret that the proof has been given in third-party papers, that they think more of the third party than of the success of prohibition. When Governor St. John went to Georgia, he reported that influential men of both parties met him cordially, and gave his meetings and the cause of prohibition their united support. Like a sensible man, he did all he could to strengthen their hands, and to encourage them in their work. But the third-party papers raised a loud cry against the Governor, because he made no effort, and took no steps, to organize a third party in Atlanta. Governor St. John well knew that if he took a single step in that direction, these "influential men of both parties" would at once turn their backs on him; and these third-party politicians knew to a certainty that if he had taken that step prohibition would have been most wofully defeated in Atlanta. Now in view of these facts, we think we have the better right to call in question the soundness and thoroughness of their professed love for the cause of prohibition. And when they denounce all but themselves as time-serving politicians, they must remember that others, as well as themselves, are aware that the success of the third party means a "new deal" in the almost countless number of Government offices. We insist that the fact that a person prefers the only method that ever has been attended with any success, and the only one that presents any reasonable prospect of permanent success, is no evidence that he is time-serving, or that he looks to political preferment. We have before called attention to one point, and an important one, but as yet we have not seen any notice taken of it by the third-party prohibitionists. It is this: If prohibition is secured as a political issue, the decision will be liable to be reversed at the very next election. The safety of the cause in Atlanta, and in the State of Maine, is assured by the fact that it does not depend upon the success of a political party; whichever party is in power, it is still safe, because indorsed by both parties. We doubt whether it would be well for our country to have one party continuously in power. If prohibition triumphed only by the triumph of a new or third party, it would be imperiled at every subsequent election. Again, no party can hope to retain power if elected on a single issue. If it had not some policy of Government clearly defined, beside that single issue, it would fall to pieces by the time of the next election by reason of internal dissensions. Looking at the subject in any and every way, we have no confidence in the third-party movement. If the prohibitionists will cease to repel and abuse their friends, to whatever party they may belong, and will try to draw together on this issue the friends of the cause in all parties, past experience proves that they may hope to succeed. Otherwise we consider their case hopeless.