Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1849-08-16
MlSGEL l. AN Y.
The Modern YandaIS.

The siege OF Rome by a barbarous
host is not new event in the history of
the world. The Eternal City, during its
long existence, has often seen the enemy
at its gates; and it is remarkable how
many Of its most mischievous foes have
been Frenchmen. Every school boy
remembers the invasion of the Gauls, and
many fancy, in the incident OF Bremmus
throwing his sword into the scale, type
of that arbitrary and brutal interfer nee
with the course Of justice, of which the
Gauls Of our own time have been guilty.
A case more like parallel is that Of
Robert G~iscard, the Norman, who at
tackled Rome as the soldier Of Pope
Gregory vi. Hemade breach in the
wall, entered, and restored the banished
Pontif, and set fire to the city from the
Latern to the Coliseum. But General
O~d'"ot has not yet gone so far as
Gwiscord; and there is less fortunate
omen for him in tho example Of the
brave and reckless Constable Of Bourbon,
who led an army against Rome in the
sixteenth century, and was killed on
ladder as he was scaling the walls
These notable Frenchmen must divide
with the Cloths and the Vandals, the
disgrace Of having converted the paint
mgs, sculptures, monuments, and other
historic treasures of ancient Rome, into
a heap of ruins. But there was one
point in which those enemies, and espe-
ciafiy the barbarian of the fifth century,
differed from the modern assailants.
They neither had nor professed to have
respect for the masterpieces of art which
TREY destroyed, nor concern for the lib
critics of the people whom TREY Cypress
ed. The Vandal King gave the city to be
sacked without any compunctous visit
ing of conscience; and the Gothic Alar
ick, instead Of making greater parade
of humanity than he felt, was found to
be more rough and savage in speech,
than IN his actual dealings with. the citi-
zens. TO the suggestion that the Ro-
mans were numerous, and might become
dangerous from despair he replied -
"The thicker the hay the easier it is
mown." Yet he spared the city for
ransom and punished some Cloths who
had insulted party of its people.
The rude and savage sincerity Of those
early times was infinitely more respecta-
BILE than the refined Vandalism of Gen
eral Oudinot and his masters. The
French leader is perfectly well aware
that it is a disgraceful thing to fling
sheels amongst The historic monuments,
tAe libraries, and the treasure of art with
which Rome is crowded yet he does it.
He copies Hemserick without having, like
that chief, the excuse of ignorance, and
treads in the steps of Gwiscard, without
Guiscard's devout conviction that he is
fighting in the cause of God. He risks
the infection of irreparable injuries up
on civilization with the clearest possible
perception 'of the mischief of his acts,
and to crown all he strives to escape from
the consequent odium, by fixing the re-
sponsibility of what may ensue upon the
victims of his violence. He addresses
formal proclamation to the government
and people Of Rome, setting forth the
lamentable results of bombardment ard
military assaults. and declaring that if
they do not at once submit, they must
be held guilty of all the devastation that
French soldiers and French cannon can
accomplish. Really this new version
of the fable of the wolf and the lamb
has modesty peculiarly its own. If
the French Generals power of strategy
is equal to his power Of face, the destiny
of Rome is not doubtful But though
the city should fall into his hands, and
should see yet another barbarian oen-
queror ride up the steep
"whsfe the car climb'd the Capitol"
let not General Oudinot imagine that the
infamy of his success can be transferred
either from his nation; or from himself.
It will cling to them and become shame
and torture, from which even repen-
lance will bring no deliverance.
London Enquirer.