New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-27
Rev. Henry Giles's Lecture.

theN. Henry G1leS> Lecture.
The Third Lecture of Mr.. Giles's Course
before the Mercantile Library Association, was de-
llvered on Tuesday night at Clinton Hail. where, in
spite OF the great nclemency of the evening large
audience was assembled to hear the favorlte lee
turer The subject was the Roman Man. or the
Man OF Sway
Mr. Giles SAID that he should begin at that point in
the history Of Rome, where 1t had attained TO po-
htlcai UNITY. There was period, though brief,
when the Constitution absorbed the conditions Of
patTiclans ard plebians in the unity Of the Roman
citizen. The manner in which this was effected, is
LUMINOSITY treated by Niebuhr, and is worthy Of
profound study. 1t shows the ngenuities by which
a ruling class maintain their position and crush
whatever is opposed to it and at the same time,
shows that political wisdom will not cove, mo-
nopoly OF power But this lesson is slowly learned
by ruling class. 1t appears plausible at first blush
that if one order of men exclude all others from
wealth, dignity and power they will have an ascend
ency founded on the general prostration. But
Dlsiorv teaches that If this proshatlon amounts 70
despair, the ascendency itself Is but supremacy
over rum.
The aristocracy Of Rome would have reached this
SUPREMACY, with different character In the Com
IONS One way TO depress the masses Is TO keep
them poor TO burden their labor and embarrlSs
their industry, involving them hopeleSsly IN debt
and thus keeping them hOpelessly dependent. The
Roman CommOnalty became thus involved By
taxation. war aud usury. But the Roman arstO-
clacy wiser than those OF later date, did not per-
nit misery to proceed ~ madness lac Roman
Commons cd not destroy the state The Roman
Aristocracy did not drive them to extremity. One
source Of independence was withheld from the
Commons of Rome, namely the occupation Of the
public domain.
For ages. tins was the cause of deadly strife
The Agrarlan question WAS long the chief question
of Roman agitation. The rlgAt of the Commons
to a share IN the public lands could scarcely be
matter of abstract dispute. But there were pIlc-
teal difficulties IN the arrangement Of law. The
need of distribution Of some sort for the lmpoyer-
lshed Commons Is now admitted by all historic
students who have mastered the su0Jecl. leI
Agrarlanism has become another name for the most
reckless and destructive radlcallsm. rms SHOWS
the force with which ruling class can transmit a
prejudice 10 pOsterlty.
There were other means by which the Commons
were depressed. They were precluded from social
intercourse with the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS from
int rmarrage Of enjoying the dignltles
of the priesthood, and the rights of political citl-
ZenShp.
The character of the Roman Commons was not
such IS 10 lead them to submit To social and political
degradation. They were made of the stun 81 the
Roman people and It was not the material OF slaves
out of which were formed the masters OF tle world
BY their energy of will, they broke down all the
barriers between them and the most sacred nghts OF
citizenship.
~
complete Roman Man. lie Is no more PatrcIan or
Piebean-but One, lndvisabie Roman and hence
forth, his faculties tend TO universal empire Inc
idea of unlimited sway became the animating ele-
ment of Roman war. On returning from cam
paigD as the Capital first met his eye, the Roman
might feel that he was only p!e5ean of the CITY
hut vixen he went cut from the sacred precincts
elrded for unknown fights IN the ImltleSS yastness
before hun, he deemed himself the Pdlflc!dh Oh the
Universe.
The idea of universal empire was long held IN
check by single city and oy one great mda me
city was Carlhage-the man was HANNIBAL. but
Carthage did not subdue Rome. This was lmposs-
BILE from the nature OF the case. Rome hal a great
super iorty in her element OF pernanence as well as
in her spirit Of persistence. Carthage h.i "etth,
but wealth does not raise men 10 enthusiasm-1OeS
spire hcroism. States that rest wealth have
no secure foundation. Tine JOY which wealth IN
paris is that OF personal possession. The mass do
lot rejoice with the owners of riches on the con-
tary they envy them Both classes. therefore, are
uferer iu antagonlsm than IN communion. IL not
thus with native instinct ami native prnclples.-
These can be shared IN common BIZ all Mere pecu-
mary distinctions are obiterited IN the spiritual no.
biltI Of sentiment, IN which al glory-In wmcA All
feel Great Rome was permanent from the strong
roots which her habits aud institutions had planted
in the soil. This gave her great advantage over a
mercy maritime state. Sentiments l'cate them
.elves best on land. There they become hlsar'@Ai.
n,lr,able objective Names, family and story belong
10 isnd The tree the well, the riyer the temple,
the battlefield the boundary Of tfbeS-ali thi gives
fxedness to popular ideas, belong 10 land Ihey are
the UnemOnlcs Of nationality
Hannibal was overcome no. because SciplO was
wiser statesman or a more accomplished soldier
Luf because the contest was IN great measure ne
tween Hannibal himself and Rome no single hnl
could snatch the command Of EARN from me com
paet organization OF Rome. Inc grcdtnes OF haunt
bal NAV be measured by the greatness OF his opp0-
uen, TINS was not a Roman General, Dut the
Roman state. His greatness may be lniefed from
the difficulty Of finding man TO compare WIN nun
After two thousand years, sill see him raised on
the heisht OF his stupendous actions We 90 MN IN
Justice when We estimate his power by ms solder
Ship or his sOldershlp by his battles Inc inteuecl
the will exhibited III the conduct OF itannioai are az
most suporhuman. In all respec,s, he was largely
cultivated man,-skilled in Greek and Pdnc learn
ing consumaie in policy as IN conduct as wise III
peace, as mighty in war as eminent toI VISION As
Tor yaIor Hannibal was the object OF admiration to
Nanleon and a. the latter had Waterloo, Han
nibal had Zama but the glory ana onulahcy OF
ueifher have been cloIdet ny the triumph OF a
Scinio or the success OF Wellington
Carthage fell, and the world was opened 20 the
sword OF Rome. Universal empire was achleYe1
in the republic the next step was Us concentration
IN an Individual ,,
the nerson of some daring usurper wAo could olnd
the leeons to his fortune, gam the masses and crush
the factions such one was JuluS Cesar. lie
TODD alone in greatness for he was hlmseli an EN-
nrea man IN who the imperial idea Of Roman
supremancy was IndlvldualZed. some ctlzen
hailed him as King, ." am not called hing, sAiI ne
~. name IS Cesar
We behold IN him the fun grown Roman Mana
tyne ofthe Roman character IN al rs completeness
Intellectual, daring, decisive, ambitious with all
he dimensions OF q masculine genius upon the
most imperial scale, he stands among the ages OF
history as the colossal lmpersonatlon oil tae Rohih
Soul lie was thinker, writer, orator, statesman
soldier, with that sovereignty OF character "nicn
answers 10 our ideal Of Roman thought, Roman
eIcxence, Roman dominion and Roman battle
MIR Giles then went into an examination OF the
moro abstract elements of the Roman character, and
concluded his eloquent discourse with an Impressive
tribute to the superior life which was developed
soon after the Roman splendor was at us hlght.
A nobler and ioftier life was made manifest
vhen Greece had reached the limits of her genus
and Rome had exhausted ali the forces OF her power
This life endured amid the fragments OF the Empire,
and became the recuperatlye energy iol new iolui'
90 oc,e,v II hrouoht INTO new acton the religious