The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-05-16
VENICE.

one WOEsGHd Poh''oS'
VENICE.
A history OF this celebrated State, COM
monty called a Republic, has been recently
published ia France, by the author, VI. Da
~. 1he only account we have seen OF
this " York is in the last number OF the Quar-
trry Review, which contains an interesting
article upon il. The Reviewers commence
their remarks by saying that" The origin
of that celebrated republic must be dated
! from before the commencement OF mo.
dern history /; and its extinction has been
numbered among tue striking political e.
vents Of our own times. Emerging lrom
! the bosom of the waves IN the darkest ages
oil Italian misery, the queen oil the AdrlatIe
herself mmoteable, became mOurniul
spectator of the hong agony aud dissolution
of the Roman Empire. For thirteen hun
died years she witnessed IN security the
subsequent rayages of continental wars, the
risr aud drClension of nation ofnations, the
change Of dynastes -the whole awful dra
ma Of human fate until the last surviving
witness of antiquity, the common link be
tween two periods of civilization, she fell
in her turn, and has reached the lowest
depth of abasement.
We have often admired the bravery and
exploits Of the Nenetlans, aod from a very
mpei feel knowledge of the true character
of their government, did suppose that there
must have been something, dtleast, that was
praisew0rthy and free; and when We found
the reviewers making the following broad
Pronunciation, We were for a moment sur
prised. After mentioning her wars with
Genoa, and other places, aud the extension
of her dominion and Influence over great
part of Lombardy, and in Italy, they add,
E" But even these yield in interest IL the
fearful and imposing spectacle which is Of
fered by the constitution and policy of her
government: the glOomlrst fabric of real
despotism ever erected for the pretended
security of republican freedom. History
has no parallel To that silent, mysterious,
ioexorable tyranny tyranny to its sub
jects,
-" subtle, invisible,
Aud universal as the air they breathed;
A power that never slumbered, never pardon
ed,
All eye, all ear, now here and every where Z"
Strange as it may SEEM" under this
dark aud relentless administration, Venice
was the throne of pleasure. the chosen seat
not only Of Italian but of European 'esiivi-
ty )" aud after giving an account of the gal
ETY. aud splendor by which she was distin
gui5hcd, the reviewers say: But in 80
fair city, all this spendonr, frstivity, and
lively activity, was consistent with scenes
Ofsecret, but excessive horror. Her paIa
ces and her prisons were contiguous and
while the masque and the resel encrclcd
the edihce of government, that ancient pile
covered abodes of misery, from which mer
cy and hope were alike excluded. During
the gayest hours of Venetian pleasure, in
the throng Of the Casino, or in the maZrs
of the carnival, individuals Disappeared
from society, and were heard of no more
TO breathe an inquiry after their fate, was
dangerous lmprudence ; even to mourn
, their loss, was an act of guilt" The in
| hlence of secret police pervaded the city !;
| there was no privacy in domestic life, no
confidence Of familiar discourse, which was
not chilled or violated by fears and suspi
cIons, or a detesahle treachery, against
| which there WAS no assurance, which no
caution could guard against, and where no
sharp sightcdnPss could point out the source
of danger.
Duing this state Of things, all the pro
eesdlngs of the government were kept
IN mysterious obacurty y" The secret
archieNes of the state were withheld
from the inspection of It's subjects " Hence
all historical accounts of the republic
were superficial and imperfect. But
times are essentially altered at Venice as
the review crs remark. " The period has ar
rived when all the fearful rrcesses of the
Venetian despotism may be securely in
Ve~tig ted. The most secret records of
the cXtinGpished state have been barred to
the inspection of the curious and even
the dungeons Of ST Mark have been open
ed 10 the traveller" " The removal of the
republican archives by the French, after
the conquest of the republic by Bonaparte,
has paved the way for full exposure of
the horfibeinquity Of the government, and
this service has been performed by NJ. Da
ru. And more detestabe system of go
rernment, or a more tyranuical and san
Culinary administration under II, we do not
believe ever existed. We may hereafter
notice II more particularly. At present,
wr have only room enough to say with the
reviewers, that II the state had not
been peridiously oyerthrown by the French
the epoch had arrived, when il must have
sunk under the weight of It's own corrup
tion ; aud our detestation AT the treachery
of its betrayers Is mingled with tls ron.ic
ton, that humanity has, at least nothing IN
regret IN the catastrophe"
V Y Daily .4dr.
MIRACLES
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