New-York tribune., 1841-11-23

i<OSN
making the majority in the State l6,001. The
Aboltioni.,s have poled about 6 900 vetes-rather
more than double their vote of last year.
Mr. BuRRlTT's LECTURE before the Mercantile
Library Association last evening-the second OF
the cour,e-though professedly discussion OF the
question Is Roman Patriotism consistent with
the spirit OF our Republican Institutions > vas in
fact rapid and vigorous examination of the es-
sental principles Of the Government and policy OF
the most eminent nations of all antiquity from the
first universal empire the Assvfian, down to the
overthrow and subjugation of Rome by the fierce
barbariaus Of the North The several Asatic en-
pres, he said, may be regarded as identical in the
grea, error of conceding no rights, no immunities
TO the individual, and of course none to the mass
while they regarded the glory of the sovereign the
splendor and power of the Empire, as the object
Of all cxertion the supreme good
The Roman History is that Of great principle
which has characterized the history of all nations
the Unsuitable cupidity of empire-a principle frst
developed in thu murder of Abel, and illustrated
in the conduct Of the Jews when they conquered
the Land OF Canaan. Nebuchadnezzar gave
new Development or position to this principle, in
setting up his golden image on the plain of Dura,
and compelling all men to fall down and worship it.
The axiom Of his rule was, :" Is not this great
Babylon which have built" Sc. Alexander
the Great merely altered the text, as expressed in
-: IL .. n-;,. Tbora corpo, ba t,yo suns
in tho heavens" The glory of the monarch is
still every thing, the rights, the happiness of the
People netting. Such was the spirit OF the great
Empires of antiquity.
The spirit of the boosted Republics of Greece.
if closely analysed, will be found little better
Their Wanted Republicanism was but the democ-
iacy OF n band of pirates, conceding equality to each
other that they NAV the more etcctually war upon
the rights Of all mankind beside. The lust to
shine or rule, the passion for conquest and domin-
ion, was as strong in their breasts as in those OF
Tie greatest desPot,; and their Wanted exPodi-
tons against surrounding or distant nations, from
that Of Jason after the Golden Fleece, were little
better than mere formidable piracy. At length,
this lust of conquest turned them against each
other one member Of the confederacy assumed to
DC the Empire State, seized the revenues and the
AIMS belonging to all, and endeavored to maintain
her usurped dominion-but in vain. After
culinary and doubtful struggle, Athens was hum
bled by the prowess of Sparta, a.d her power for
,yer crushed. But distant nations had now learned
E.. IL, "a Ja1
Greece by turning them against each other; to
battle by gold and intrigue where they could NOT
vanquish by force. Thus fell Greece, seli-dcsroyed
a victim of unhallowed ambition
Passing to the history of Rome, Mr. Burritt
considered the origin and early history OF tina, Re
public less censurable than that of earlier nations
But Rome. too was nation OF warriors-their
trade was to subdue and to govern-te overcome
by force or to destroy, by dissensons, all The
tons with which they successfully came in con
tact. Divide and conquer the frs, maxim
of the State and, unlike the Greeks, conquest
was with them not merely political aim, but 4
religious principle. 1t was the soul of their pub
lie policy and written in blood on the history of
nations So rose, iourished declined and fell the
Roman power
There is ne pure Repubhcanism anterior to the
period Of our own history Its first advent wa,
upon the rock-bound shores of our country; and
here is its home Mr. B. closed in ar elegant
and forcible peroration calculated to keep alive in
the hearts of his hearers the flame OF true Democ-
racy, as distinguished from the delusyo and per-
ucious counterfe'-a compound of lust of power
and Impotence of just restraint-which has to-
long and 100 widely usurped its name.