Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-08-30


[Brnos.
VENICE still exists, splendid ruin. She is not
buried under the waves the sands of the desert,
the dust of ages, have not covered her ruins nor
need the traveller exclaim, " Where once stood
Venice 7" No, traveller Yonder is Venice, dimly
are her ships Her commerce. Her thronging
population? Where!
Were competent pen employed, and that for
long life, on historical comparison between the
infancy, mature age, and decrepitude, of individual
men and nations, the condensed result of such a
comparison would constitute reflector, necessary
to all who have human conduct to study, to direct
or to control. 1t requires but cursory reading Of
History to discover that the very same virtues and
vices, the same wisdom and folly, which make or
mar in private life, operate to produce like effects
in affairs of Government, with an enormous diff
ference in amount of evil in the latter case, as
reaching to a greater or less extent the whole
community.
In process of analogy it would be found that no
providence, but could be more than paralleled in
communities, ana In nations TOO.
Behold the reckless course of the Heir of a for
tune, amassed by industry, honesty, care, and long
years of life and toll ! Behold him contemnng all
the thrift and the forecast of his ancestors travel
ling with needless haste headlong to ruin COM
peed in the end to abandon to strangers his already
dismantled mansion, and the broad lands by which
it is surrounded Extend the view to the conduct
and action of Nations, and parallel to this picture
may be found in every page of history.
If such work as we have suggested were COM
piled, and accessible to every honest inquirer after
truth, the experience bequeathed by one generation
to its successors would not be wholly lost, even
though for the present disregarded. The pages of
such work would abound in examples of the most
humiating adversely, produced by the deterior-
ating intoxication Of success. The most exalted
interests of Nations would be shown to depend on
the very same principle as the success the failure
in life of the most humble individual. In Societies,
the family in which harmony and persevering union
to prosper. So in Governments, in unity there is
strength in disunon there cannot fail to be weak
ness, disorder, and eventual misery. Produce the
conditions, and cause and effect will follow
We have already family shown what ITALY was,
and what Italy is-and what FRANCE was, and what
France is; and why the one country has become
covered with broken fragments of once glorious
prosperity and the other has struggled triumphant
ly, and through centuries, to overcome barbarism
TO reunite instead of dislocating the Provinces of
most splendid part of the earth's surface to give
to people speaking common language the kin
dred advantage Of a common Government.
We now leave the soil of France to visit another
theatre Of human vicissitude, in which similar
causes have produced like effects. Between France
and Germany proper, and on the high crown Of
Central Western Europe, and in the elevated
Alpine valleys from which flow the higher fountains
of the Po, the Rhone, the Rhine, and the Danube,
spreads country of about one hundred and seventy
miles in length, between the Lakes of Geneva and
Constance, with a width of seventy miles, COM
prising an area Of about thirteen thousand square
miles. This comparatively confined mountain and
lake region, rendered sublime by the Alpine crests,
was the HELvETIA of ancient, and is the SwITzER-
LAND of modern ages : land wherein Nature has
assumed her most stern and imposing features,
and wherein Man has acted some of his most
heroic scenes.
Obscure in their mountain recesses, the Gallo
Celts, or first known inhabitants Of Helvetia,
emerged into historical light by their casual
nexion with the Cimbri, Teutones, or Gaus. This
was not, however, until within the first century
before the Christian era, and in consequence of the
military operations of julius Caesar, by whom
they were partially subjected. Reduced to Roman
province by Tiberius, more less rigidy subject
ed to Rome until the extinction of that mysterious
empire, Helvetia partook in the various vcissudes
of its history Christianity was one effect of Ro
man domination. But the country of Helveta,
OBSCURE only comes into view casually, and during
the first FIVE hundred years of the Christian era its
history is almost blank. Involved in the long
distracted Frank Monarchy, it was not indeed until
in the reign of Charlemagne that Helveta assumed
a distinct provincial position. Civilization ad-
vanced, and shielded by mountain walls, the people
have ever since maintained distinct nationality.
In the division Of the Carlovingan empire Helvetia
fell into the German part, and shared its fortunes
through four or FIVE centuries of change.
As time advanced, so new causes Of action arose
and made themselves visible. A most active and
insidious agency rose impercepsibly, and. until the
present time has not ceased to operate with varying
power on the destinies of Southern Europe. The