American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-10-10

present condition. ThemistOcles proposeP to
violate the hospitality and treaties of his coun-
try-to rob and destroy merely because acct
dent had given him the power. Those up
holding modern reputation propose that these
states shall rob their creditors Of two hundred
millions OF mOney-not which accident has
thrown in their way, but which has been con-
hdmgly loaned to them, brought into their ter
Gitory and placed under the dominion Of their
laws at their own urgent solicitation. The
case in Herodotus is not as strong as our own,
for the Grecian fleet had not been invited INTO
the harhor of PagasD-but it had perfidy
enough to fix a stain upon the character Of
Ihemistocles that twenty centuries have not
yet washed out.
The other incident of heather history that
has pressed itself upon my mind, as holding
up bright light to US in the present straights
OF our country, belongs to the Roman annals
1t is to be found in Polybus and Livy. After
the battle of Gamma, where eighty thousand
Romans and eighty senators fell under the arm
OF Hannibal and the power OF the Nunidan
horse, when cities had opened their gates to
the victor aud nearly half the provinces had
rovoted, refusing further contributions Of men
and money, Fabus became conspicuous in the
command He exhibited the astonishing spec
tacle Of calling into the field one fourth of the
whole adult male population of the state, and
of throwing into the public ceffers one half of
the whole wealth Of the patricians. All this
he accomplished by the electrical power of
these words: "Let my countrymen remember
that Hannibal is in Italy" What vast com
preston of meaning thore was in those few
words! And they reused Rome. One fourth
of hor sons, with the flower of the senate, Law
LlnnIipp AZ (NopptI, md a.,
saved, the enemy was still in the land. Under
the moral power of the words of Fabus, indi-
yidual, wealth poured in ncessant and volun-
tary streams, into the exchequer; the proud
matrons of Rome pressed forward their hus-
bands and sons into tho army, and, in many
Instances, they, themselves, fought in disguise
in the ranks. A protracted struggle, of fifteen
years, resulted in the expulsion OF the foe; and
Rome was saved, to become the home and
birth place of letters and christianity and the
mother of nations.
And is 1t lnapposite to admonsh the people
of these coniederated states that a worse foe is
amongst them than even Hannibal was to italy,
Terrible as he was, our enemy is still more
terrible. The one contemplated only a change
of government, TO reduce Rome to the sceptre
OF foreign Princc-the other strikes at the ho-
nor OF the modern republic. These lessons
from history are at once edfying and strength
ening They throw light upon the paths of
duty, and make more obvious the perils of great
departures from them. The incidents we have
quoted are from the histories of the great re-
pubcs of antiquity. The American govern
ments are republics, and they should draw their
instructions from the experience of those that
have gone before them. Why is it that the
Athenean name comes to us, through twenty
centuries, bright upon the page ofhlstory' Be-
cause the people of that republic refused to
drown and rob the Peloponesan fleet in the
harbor of Pdgassa. Because there was a proud
public sentiment in Athens that repealed such
fraudulent suggestions, that could put aside the
advice of Themistoces, the great, and listen to
that ofAristides, thej Just. Why was it that Rome,
gathering up, as it were, from all nations, and
the earlier centuries, the widest and widest
streams of time and population, became the
home OF letters and religion and the nursery of
empires2 Because there was public ear in
Rome that listened to the counsels of Fabus;
love oi country that was kindled by his words;
ptIde OF sentiment, i'll the heather republic,
that poured its population into the field, its
wealthinto the public Golfers, and that could not
rest while there was an enemy in the land
Suppose that that sentiment had not prevailed
liidt tue lePuollC lldu lnelteu away before the
heats of the punc wars, and that Hannibal had
established his arms in Rome What, then,
would have been the pcture' Italy would
have become an African province, the lights
of civilization would have been put out, the
alphabet of Cadmus would have been forgotten
by mankind
it really be our desire, as we so loudly pro-
fess it to be, to hand down to posterity our
forms Of government, we must present them al
so with pure and unsullied records of our doings
under them. Time, after all, is the great tutor
five connect the legacy with shame and bro
ken faith, they will reject both the one and the
other, and renounco the affnities Of blood that
connect them to our name. In different forms
of government they will seek better securities
and presentations for liberty and property, bet |
ter guarantees of the public honor, better sane
tions for the public engagements
But, sir, such is not to be the future reputa- |,
ton Of Maryland, or the future fate of its inha-
bitanls. Another year will see her restored TO
her true positon-by the side OF Pennsylvania,
Virginia, New York and Massachusetts, pay
ing her honest debts, and complying, honorably, |
withall her engagements.
pray you to believe me, very sincerely, and
truly, your friend, J. j. S.
Reported for the American Republcanl