The Peril of the Republic of the United States of America - Percy T. Magan

degenerate into a monarchy herself in truth, if not
in name. And it may yet be with her as it was with
Rome of old, concerning which Gibbon said: “The
image of a free constitution was preserved with
decent reverence: the Roman senate appearedto
possess the sovereign authority, and devolved on
the emperors all the executive powers of
government.” And these emperors were backed by
enormous military establishments.
It is urged that war makes men brave and
patriotic. On this point I must again quote words of
wisdom from an author already cited:--
“Let me now pass to the institutional aspect of
the case as far as it concerns this republic in
particular. I am far from predicting that the
organization and maintenance and use of large
armaments will speedily bring forth in this country
the same consequences which they did produce in
England in Cromwell’s time, and in France at the
periods of the first and second French republics.
With us the ‘man on horseback’ is not in sight.
There is no danger of monarchical usurpation by a
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