The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-01-23
VENICE

The Ocean.Suoen, once so proudly seated on ber
hundred sles, was, IN her origin, an asylum, amidst
hor ioriorn lsgoons for the outcasl and the outlaw
lOr the prosecuted who flung aside the soft humaui-
ties In present desiituton and desire Of future
x.ance-and the prescribed and banished Of social
life, who bu, too glad 10 JON any banner which
raised against the existing powers, and suthori-
ties, aud systems of the world. Venice rs The youn-
ger sister OF Rome creation more finely and deli
ca,eiy wrought, but less robust-necessary less en-.
during at least, without the vitality for secondary
existence Rome As the especial city Of ousiere his
tory Ia every thing that breathes OF Venice there
the hutier Of romance IL looks like a mirage Of the
! ocean like one Of those pageant cities which the
deep, at the termination Of ceran magic cycles is
tabled 10 give for h. when the genii Of the world be.
meath the waves, leaving for the time, between the
hux and the reux OF the tide, their cold dull
and yaueless treasures their sad coral forests and
nurky fountains IN word all the impossible hor-
indicated by the funeral light Of their own sun
less regions, allowed TO visit the upper air,
eonjure up fairy city, visible TO every eye, the
theatre for their wild and high soemny. Here, in
the show OF this Venice, such fabric would seem,
by power mighter than their own to be enforced
10 stay and rendered real and substan ial Yet still
the while you gaze upon II IN the distance, you do
feel as though IFS appropriate inhabitants should be
dwarls, and giant blacks, and genii kings, and en-
chaned ladies OF surprising beauty and that sooh
say, il should in all things the aspect Of the
East-oi the portal city TO the land Of and
gorgeous fable Its wild story, too accolds with its
appearance. How much Of astounding crime and
most glorious achievement is there not recorded for
il, mobiles They were more constitution lily luXur-
Gus, refined, OF nicer tastes and, perhaps gene
rally OF subtler powers Of intellect than the Romans
but this only made them the wicked; for they
were quite stern, as naughty, bloodthirsty and
as mplacabe as the old patrcians They, too, bore
about Them all the tokens of their origin from
insecure OF life, the enemies of all other
They, too, we're utterly regardless OF human sui
ferngscareless OF human lfe-setting not the slight
est store by II in others, because they reckless per
ed their own and because, from the nature OF ber
government they never knew how many moments II
might be Their osn to throw away. For the rest, in
likewise, they were grave debauched superstitIous
false, ueacherous every man in Venice had his dag
ger, every woman in Venice had her gallant. But
the sea-wolves were quite as brave the wolves OF
Italy and the State was in its palmiesl days. almost
chivalrous under terrible disasters Certain
ly when the winged lion spread his wings abroad
their shadow fell widely and darkly over land and
sea they oveTshadowed even the capital Of the
great Eastern Empire.
Constantinope cannot for an ms ant compete in in
terest with Venice the victorious Venice was, in
truth, the city of the Crusades she was insprited,
too, and supported in her wild career by spirit and
will like those which belonged TO the Crusades them
selves; wild and headstrong, and therefore 10
wear utterly away far sooner than the calm and
deep, and consecrated will of Rome. But within the
city the oppression OF the many more terrific
than anything that had ever been before known-for
II proceeded from the tyranny Of government, not
alone irresponsible, but invisible There were few
freemen, because they inaccessible it, indeed
men who the tyrants Of Others can be themselves
deemed free but all the rest Of the population noble
or plebeian, native or stranger, were mere slaves
Fraser.