Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1849-07-07

They disclose the civilization Of people with
filness and correctness to which the most elab'
crate, ,he most authentic, the most philosophical.
the mos; ingenious and faithfully written histories
ofaHtigaiy do no, approach.
What weud Se no, give ioT a DC o. ko'nsn
daily during The age o AuguS'usl Ito" p'ohiahl
might Ve exchange for It all the histories o' Rome
which ever have been or ever vii. be wrsl'ehl-
Neither Livy nor Tacitus. nor Dion Cassius,nor
Cicero nor Suetanius, nor Piny, nor heauonl
Niebnhr, have told us q 1.-THE Of what would have
found its way into the teeming journals OF that
me,ropolis of nations. We should then he able
turn 10 The date ofCiceros speech Tor Milo, anu
read editorial comments perhaps irem the pen Of
Sallus, or of IIortensus La another column we
nigh; find new lyric Inspired by the muse Of
Horace, q new satire fro'n'he memorable pen OF
Juneval. Further on we would perhaps read OF
The hrs, appearance Of Roscius in the Andrea OF
Terence or of Esop, for this night only, In The
Amphytrion ofPlauus. The struggles OF the 10,
rum and in the halls of justice, the,tequenl and
curious religious ceremonials the daily amuse-
menis, the commerce. the agriculture, the ar.
N.Y. the Iiierature,he industry, the very llle OF old
Rome--all might be found in such record, as
fresh, and as iull, and as satisfactory almost, as
five had been permitted ourselves TO open the
sheet yet damp from the press,under the shadows
OF the Capitohne.
Compared with such record, OF what worth
are all the inscriptions, medals, coins, and mon.
uments transmitted to US by antquiy,over which
full thirty generations ofmen have been por'ng
with whatsoever light their learning,and science
and industry, and wealth, patronage, could she'd
in the vain hope of extracting from ii some Inn
peri Ct trace ofthe old civilizations which have
'died and left the world no copyl'
Iii. a record like this, improved and explained
by the active and educated pens Of three or four
hundred experienced writers and observers, that
tie Legislature proposes, by the bill recently
passed, 10 preserve for those who in the great
procession Of lite are hereafter TO oil our places.
more ma -nidcent beqnest cannot be made by
our generation to its successors than such hiss
tory Of the State Of New York.
We are curious to see the provisions Of the
bill, to know what, il any, guide is given 70 the
clerk in making selection OF papers; what dis
erection, il any, is given him to discontinue or
change them when they lose the character which
originally procured them the preference, or when
the opinions they advocate are different from
those entertained by the officer having them in
charge.
These aud many other serious difficulties in
ciden 10 The practical operation Of such a law.
will occur TO any one upon moments reflection;
aud though very little more reflection might
suggest ample means Of obvialing them all, YET
we confess 10 some sollciiude on the subject -
We ENJOY this satisfactory conviction, however.
that no blll, having the main purpose N view 10
which We have alluded, can be so nartiiciaIly
or-impertct!y dawn as not to produce tho most
bene llcial result.