Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-10-24

'The thing that hath been it that which shall be and
that which IS done, that which shall be done and there is
thing under the SUM-"
els there any thing whereof may be said, See this is
new II hath been already of old time, which before
u.s."
There is no remembrance Of former things neither shall
there be any remembrance Of things that to with
those that shall after. -Eccsasfe 8, 10, IL.
Here have the philosophy of history sanctioned by
twentye centuries. The thing that hath been It is that
srie shall BE- Yes, the apparently evervaryng is only the
evershng drama of human affairs. Like the seasons, the
days of fair and foul weather may be the
sise years the tree bears the number Of
leaves in different is with the history of
tons empires ise flourish and fall and those who read
without reflection, "a majority } it appears that every
differs from all others So they do but
like produce like effects and therefore,
appears the of history, substantially the passions
rule, and consequently that toich DONE that sh
hsdone But though il impossible foe any profoundly
Aectng mind read the pages of human history
without behong the perpetual reproduction of effects yet
on the memory of those who do read may be said of
immense majority there remembrance IF former things,
explicitly in dom, there reasunng of the
facts of history aid judging of the present prepar
ing for the future
In all ages and all countries there have been individuals
who have held high with the awful past The rulers
of nations those ministers of destiny, those dispensers of
regarding the of experience The records of time
open them These records comprise the statute laws of
national life, the laws of national existence, and they
in all his pride evade than he can
those of gravaton
We may here pause the first of such in
curry, and ask why is it that whole nations pepeuay
paying the penalty of infringing neglecing those laws
And why that wise counses the repugnant to
the great of the earth Does it not appear that few, very
few exalted stations deserve have the sauary pre-
sent made to them, TRUTH No such truth and those
who approach them with alike distastefu In hours
of calamity they may bow their heads and harken in
those OF prosperity, The terrible cup OF adversely
forced them by the laws they ransgressed they
taste but alas the bitter draught is be drained TO its
dreg by millions who had share in brewing the
Of the bitter chaIice.
Well those of blood tears, death, and which
have been reproduced in all ages countries and nations like
the storms OF past year, spend their ubde and pass
even from memory of the surviving few refuses
in the closet place the record rising gen.
erasions there is remembrance Of former things And
terrible and fatal may be the description of race all
history gives testimony Of its truth Neither shall there be
any remembrance of things that come ih those that
shall come after.
Let glance a few examples Twothousand two hun
dred and sevenyfour years have passed away fleet
and army left the harbo of Athens invade Syracuse
other Greek city Now before lies manuscript lecture
this truly remarkahe erpe.tiaa, Per, which
cannot but transcribe.
Athens then ante c. 432) every attribute Of great
the head of mankind weghy reasons ough
have prevented the Athenians from ntermeddng
with the affairs Of Sicily attempt the conquest syria
cuse Scattered and detached the existing domnions
and dependencies Of Athens demanded great resources
and unemittng diligence preserve the authority of the
paramount State All this and their uncomfortable numbers
when compared with their subject allies ought have taught
the Athenians the danger of Withdrawing distant and pre-
caous attempts any considerable part Of either their land or
naval force And even certainty had been possessed of
the acquisition of Syracuse, this appendage their already
too extensive territories ought in good policy, have been
refused The domination of the Ahenians over cities PEG.
pied by their congeneate Ionic race endured with
much impotence but places peoped by the Dorc
Greeks the rule of Athens held horror hence if
CURED, Syracuse would have demanded
army and fleet little if any, less powerful than for
conquest.
con the other hand the attempt made unsuccessful
y, powerful auxiliary would be added the rivals Of
Athens and the condition Of the Ionic colonies in Sicily rem
dered hopeless In either carry the Sicily
demanded expenditure Of men and money
with the limited extent and Of Atca. Many other
equally cogent urged by the experienced
and rejecting Ahenans dissuade their countrymen from
oyracusei IN language oil eau
and prudence addressed to the heated magna
whose ardor and ambition still more inamed BY
the harangues Of such Acbades. This bold
unprinciped INDUCED in the extravagan
views Not only all Greece and Sicily but Italy ALSO
included in his speculative conquess With his splendid
evd eoquence these projects placed before and dazzet
the minds Of his deuded felow-citzens"
Ncias, in brief though appointed
by and experience taught the folly and danger and
reused unwonted fervor in opposition the undertaking
But the laws Of human nature too powerful for feeble hu
Comparatively speaking, the greatest naval and
Syracuse, ultimately defeated and destroyed And, "a
use the language Of Cicero, "The power and fortunes
Athens persisted in the harbor Of Syracuse"
Who the reader who has heard OF Pynhus and his
Minister Cneas Few, is the and those who have
must remember the wise counsel Of the minister and the d
vaded Italy with army of 10000 and twenty ele
phans The Romans there receive him. Pyrrhus
ma general was the first Of the age the Romans had then
no apparent oce to encounter the troops brought from Ep
rus But mere military rules much Wanted and so effec
tive when opposed to people conquered in advance by their
own iea are but minor agents the of national con-
tests where any parity Of genius and national force exists
In the instance before as every outward dazzling and de-
cepve advantage appeared he side Pyhus but every
solid and permanent advantage on the side Of the Ro
mans They acting in their own defence in their own
ground advantages TO them omnpotent That steady nm
shaken and perseveng policy il peculiar to- was pre