Southern telegraph., 1838-08-01

- AGAIN we have assembled 10 this house,
corsecrated by worship, and endearcd by
Letters. The Declaration just now so elo-
Ouentv read explains the cause OF on
meeting. No fgment Of the fancy, docked
in substantial mockery; no UtOpian rePdb-
lie. founded in abstract reasoning, bnt IN
applicable to practical purposes, has al
tracted your Footsteps hiiher. The spark
Inc eve, the flushed face, The sympsihizlnr
countcnance betoken genuine joy, sprnt-
ing from p pereneal and copious ,onrce.-
low rrarfI' should we he 10 the grea FL
nal ca. Sc. tina instead of celcbralm9-at
hc'ng compelled to celebrate the day N
S. hich nation wns ensaved and the gal-
mo sif .iae D. les utiSm were riyetted
upon galian, bu unfortunate people--of
singing TIE Duem 10 The praise OF hims
Mhom sc mos, ferven,y ahhorred-we are
We permitted to live under kind and eqiI-
table government The origin and nsture
of this government, the best, and perhaps,
the only means of It's continuance end sta
',il;tv, as also comparison between u and
o.her governments, will compose the pre-
sent discourse. Roll back the tide uftiBne,
and through the medium of history, eur
vey antiquity. BeholdIhe hanGhty Spar
tan and the humble IIelot; the lor5ly Athe-
mean aud ths owly Sef; the Roman pe;ri-
clan aud the Rlmon plebisn. Nh1i ~ The
dis;inction2 Immense. Power nsurped
the tribunal of Astrea-poverty was a
crime-brth INSTRUMENTATION OF law,
supported bv numerical strength, Obtained
promotion. The punishment was the stripe,
confinement in some loathsome dungeon,
the poisonous goblet, the secret dagger,
the snlfocatng cord. or, perhaps, the more
useful one of being given prev TO fishes
to please the pampered luxury of the great.
The forum was the place of injustice; the
temples were ful! of corruption and bribery.
The very mysteries Of the Gods were but
"a mask for sensuaity, the domestic couch
wa prostituted for the basest purposes
All was confusion. Luxury, with her Ger.
cean chaIice, narcotic and demoralizing,
had vanquished virtues and undermined
tho foundations of moral goodness. JUS
tee, with her cOuntenance no longer Sc
renely beautiful, had flown upward and left
behind not a vislage of her former presence.
Twas impossible for mortal to effect an
amelioratiOn No wonder then that there
cleaned the lightning Of retribution, that
there shone upon the wall with terrific
brilliancy, TIE armless hand and the denun-
ciating words--no wonder that nations we're
scattered and their abodes made desolate.
There is naught save vanity, said Solomon.
Human power and riches are lasting, said the
1, Nman. 'Tis false,' exclaimed the Vandal,
and n brief time, the rude devices Of the
barbarian waved, where before gliuered
the pr 'ud eagles of the '"Queen of the
world" You ask why was this downfallS
The SEEDS Of decay, Of destruction were in
herent; the tree was planted and its fruit
was reaPed. The INDECENT lived for the
wealthy; the wealthy for themselves.
Equality was not recognized; seldom, or
ever, was right dispensed. Party spirit
would not yield to public good, nor power
to principle. intellectual was preferred 10
moral culture; indeed the latter w5s almost
totally neglected This brief rehaspec-
tive view of small portion Of ancient histo-
~ suggests many differences, the most pro-
minent Of which is, that our present happy
polity could not have have sprung from prin-
ciples and laws then in existence. De
scending in close and regular succession,
we discov or similar state Of things, Tnodi-
fed only by local peculisrities or to suit the
precise nature O. the cose, Coming down
siill Further Htfhe slKioenth-cen
furrs Cnaftr trTRloped the
hl sN which