REPUBLIC, a word signifying a state in which the people are the source of power, The degree of popular sovereignty in republics has varied very widely in the past, most of the so. called republics having been ruled by an aris tocracy which jealously guarded its own rights, but treated the multitude as little better than slaves. Real republican government may be said to date from the American Declaration of In dependence, and even in the United States the government was largely one of class until about the second quarter of the 19th century. when suffrage barriers began to break down. The other so-called American republics have been so far mostly military despotisms, in which order or disorder was maintained by force under the command of a successful general. But the force of true republicanism has been slowly growing in all the ancient Spanish possessions. Argentina, Chile and Brazil are also gradually becoming inspired by the real republican spirit, while Cuba, the youngest of American repub lics except Panama, which has just been ad mitted to the family of nations, is making an excellent record.
As an instance of the way in which the term was used or abused in the past, it may be mentioned that Poland was formerly called a republic because the king was elected by the nobles. In the 18th century it was not uncommon to designate the German Empire by the appellation of • the ((republic of princes.*
The large commercial cities of Italy, Genoa and Venice were called republics because they were governed by an aristocracy of noble families, who appointed one of their number to be su preme chief of the state, as the doge. The re publican institutions of the greater part of the Greek states, as well as that of Rome. at least in later times, were of a more democratic char acter.
Of the tiny republics of the world San Ma rino is the best known. It is situated in cen tral Italy, and its territory covers about 33 square miles and the population numbers about 8,5f10 souls. This miniature state was founded in the 4th century by Saint Marinus. who, hav ing embraced Christianity, fled there to escape the persecution under Diocletian. The capital, San Marino, is on the crest of a mountain over 2,000 feet high and has a population of 1,200. It is one of the most picturesque places in the world, being perched on perpendicular cliffs.
The small half French and half Spanish re public of Andorra, which lies in an almost in accessible valley of the eastern Pyrenees, pos sesses a charter of rights dating from Charle magne in 790. See FREE CITIES ; SAN MARINO; ANDORRA; REPUBLICS, THE HISTORY or; REPUB LICS, DURATION OF ; DEMOCRACY ; GOVERNMENT ; CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.