Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-04-10
From the National lntelligencer.
HISTORY is PHILOSOPHY TEACHING
BY EXAMPLE"

BY
More than four hundred years before
| the Christian era, deputies from several oI
| the Grecian cities, which formed what
was called the Peloponnesian League, as
semblcd on a certain occasion at Lace
damon. CoRINTH wished to excite a
general war. Her deputies addressed
the Assembly. They reclted their grie-
vances, real or imaginary, their past SUI
fering, and npprehensions for The future ;
and, after ut,ering all that jealousy or ha-
tired could inspire against the A~thenlans,
one Of the Ambassadors OF Corlnlh took
up the subject, and vehemenily %reproach.
ed the Lacedmmonisns, the chief or head
OF The C~oniederacy, with indifference to
the interest of the neighboring States"
Having ended their harangues, the Am.
bassadors of Corinth quilted the Assem-.
bly, and ARcHIDAnUs, the Republican
King of Lacedamon, who (as the historl-
an informs us) "united great experience
to profound wisdom," perceivIng, from
the agitation Of mems minds, that wal was
inevitable, was yet DESTROYS at least to re-
tard the decisive moment.
"People of LacedBmon /" said this
age and patriot Chief Magistrate, ~
haze been pitneSs to many wdrs, as also
have several amongst you, and am Tor
that very reason but the more disposed 10
fear for the event Of that you are about
10 undertake. Without preparation, and
without resources you are gong to at
tack a nation expert in naval affairs, ior-
midable from the number of its soldiers
and its ships, and rich from the produc-
tons Of its country and the tributes OF It's
allies. What is to inspire you with this
confidence? is it your fleet? what Q
length ftime will it require to restore II!
Is it the state OF your finances! We have
no public treasury, and individuals are
poor. Is it the hope of bleaching from
Athens her allies7
y
"Hos,ility between cities and ino'Vio-
uals IS transient but whenever IT IS once
enkindled between W powerful States,
il is as difficult to foresee the consequent
ces as to extricate ourselves with honor.
al am not OF opinion thai we should
abandon our allies to oppression. only
say that previous to taking arms we should
send Ambassadors to the AthenIans, and
open a negotiation
"The hardness imputed TO us has al
WAYS constituted our security. Never
have praises or reproaches excited us 10
rash enterprises. We arc not skilled
enough to depreciate, by eloquent mar
argues, the power of our enemies; bu'
zoe knop that, to enable us to conquer, we
mist esteem them, judge of their conducs
by our own, guard ourselves against their
prudence as well as against Their vaior,
and reckon less upon their errors than on
the wisdom Of our own precautions.
"Let us not" continued A~RcHIDAMUs'
"deyiate from the maxims we have recei-
we'd from our fathers, and which have pre-
served this State. Deliberate at leisure
let not a single moment decide on your
property, your glory, the blood oil SO ma
nv citizens, and the fate OF so many ma
lions! Let war be prepared tor, but oe-
clare it not! Make your preparations as
if you expected nothing from your ne'gn-
bors and reflect that these measures are
the most useful to your country, and the
best adapted to intimidste the A'nenl'
ansr"