The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-23

We ind the following apposite illustration
fiom the History Of Greece, 10 the Mobile Asrald
and Iribuas. journal remarkable for the ability
Of it, conductors, aud coptdhuton;
. The following extract from Gsots's History
Of GREECE exhibits the arts by which the free
Democratic constitution of the city of Athens
was overthrown by the FEDERAL party Of that
commonwealth That party fret sought to cor
rupt the people, by assuring them that the mea-
sures which had reduced them to extremties
were unavoidable and irremedable. "They were
the best that could be obtained" The next
plan was 10 destroy their opponents,--the mon
who adhered to the ancient constitution, and re-
fused to countenance the new organization
This being done, the'people were made, through
the forms of tho constitution, to subvert the
constitution and with it the liberties of the peo-
pie.
We, too, have our politicians tanning the po-
pular mind with the ignoble thought that mea-
sures which subvert the equality of the States,
and the rights of the South should he submitted
to, -for better could not be had" We too,
see efforts to destroy the noble champions who
sustain the cause Of the South The beggars
at the treasury send their daily incense Of lies
to its chief in the form of calumnies upon such
men. The hireling writer's in the venal authori-
ty presses-men who walk in ISLANDERS and make
lies their refuge-folow after Quitman, Butler,
Inge, Mason. Soule, with ceaseless bay.
The Grand Pensionary. Webster, one who
not long ago gave mould and fashion to the
ant.slavery sentiment of Massachusetts holds
out prospects of coercion and conflict to South
Carolina. When every complaint is silenced
when the tongues Of the patriot statesmen and
the energies of the heroic will of such men and
of that gallant State shall be palsed under this
daring conspiracy, then will come the final con-
summation SOUTHRON
"Antiphon, about to employ this anti-popuar
force in one systematic scheme, and for the ac-
complishment Of a predetermined purpose,
keeps still within the same ostensibe constitu-
tiona limits He raises no open mutiny he
maintains inviolate the cardinal point of Athe-
nian political morality--respect to the decision
of the senate and political assembly, as well as
to constitutional maxims. But he knows well
that the value Of these meetings. rs political Sc
curities, depends upon entire freedom of speech
and that if that freedom be suppressed, the as.
sembly itself becomes nullty-or rather an
instrument of positive imposturc and mischief.
Accordingly, he causes all the popular orators
to be successfully assassinated, so that no man
dares to open his mouth on that side; while on
the other hand, the anti-popular speakers are all
loud and confident, cheering one another on, and
seeming to represent all the feeling of the per.
sons present. BY thus silencing each individual
leader, and intimidating every opponent from
standing forward as spokesman, he EFFORTS the
formal sanction of the assembly and the senate
to measures which the large majority of the citi-
zens detest. That majority, however, are bound
by their own constitutional forms-and when
the decision Of these, by whatever means OBJ.
tanned, is against them, they have neither the in
clination nor the courage to resist In no part
of the world has this sentiment of constitutional
duty, and submission to the vote of legal ma
jority, been more keenly and universally felt,
than it was among the citizens of democratical
Athens. ,Antphon thus finds means to employ
the constitutional sentiment of Athens as a
means of killing the constitution; the mere
empty form, after its vital and protective efficacy
has been distracted, remains simply as cheat
to paralyze individual patriotism.
" II was this cheat which rendered the Athe-
mans indisposed to stand forward with arms in
defence Of that democracy to which they were
attached. Accustomed rs they were to unlim.
tied pacific contention within the bounds of theil
constitution, they were in the highest degree
averse to anything like armed intestine conten-
ton This is the natural effect of all established
Tree anu equai Poiity-to suosl'IuLe Co cohIesIS
of the tongue for those of the sword, and some
times even to create so extreme Discrimination
to the latter, that if liberty be theoretically as
sailed, the counter energy necessary for its de.
fence may probably be found wanting. So diff
cult is it for the same people to have both the
qualities requisite for making free constitution
work well in ordinary tines together with those
very different qualities requisite for UNFOLDING
it against exceptional dangers, and under trying
emergencies. None but an Athenan of extra.
ordinary ability like Antiphon. would have un.
derstood the art of thus making the constitu-
tional feeling of his countrymen subservient to
| the success of his conspiracy-and of maintain
ing the forms Of legal dealing towards assem-.
bled and constitutional bodies, while he violated
them in secret and successive stabs directed
against individuals"
| IMPORTANT Discovery the last meeting