The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-24

wen as Re, how many advantages there are in
fighting valianty against your enemies, but rather
making the daily Increasing grandeur OK this COM
munty the objec. Of your thoughts, and growing
! quite enamored OF it. Aud When It really appears
great IN your ap prehensons, thin az ain that this
! grandeur was acquired by brave and volant men
I by men who knew their duty, aud in the moments
| Of action were sensible Of shame and feared ro-
! ploach; who whenever their ate npts were unsuc-
cessfu thought 1t dshonor thst their country mould
stand in need Of any thing their vaor could do for IL,
and go made il the most glorious present Bestow-
| ing their lives on the public, they have every one
received praise that will never decay, sepulchre
that will always be most iustrious- not that in
which their bones lie moulde ring, but that in which
their fame is preserved, to he on every occasion,
when honor is the theme OF either word act, eter-
nalIy remembered. This whole earth is the sepul-
chre OF iliustrious is il the inscription on
the columns Of their native soil alone that show
their merit, but the memorial OF them better than
al inscriptions. III every foreign nation reposited
more durably Ia universal remembrance than on
| their own tomb From this very moment, ems-
latng these noble patterns, placing your happiness
IN liberty. and liberty in yalor. be prepared TO en-.
counter all the dangers Of war"
Gentlemen, does not every page, paragraph, and
sentence ct what have read, go homo to all our
hearts carrying most gratifed consciousness Of
us resemblance to Whist is near and dear to us in
our native land Is it Athens or America? Is
Athers or America the theme of these immortal
strains! Was Pereles speuking of his own coun-
try, es ne saw 1T or knew it, or was he gazing upon
q bright vision then two thousand years before
m, which We see in reality, and as be saw in pros
pect!
But the contests of Sparta and Athens, what were
they in lasting Importance, and in their bearing
the destinies of the world, in comp arison with that
ever memorable struggle which separated the colo
nies fro 70 the dominion OF Europe
How different the result which betded Athens
fIom that which crowned the glorious efforts Of our
ancestors; and therefore, this renowned Grafton Of
PeIcles what is IL in comparison with effort of
historical eloquence which should justly set forth
the merits Of tho heroes and the martyrs of the
American revolution And the liberty Of Athens,
4 and Of the other Grecan republics, being founded
In pure dem ocracies, without any principles of repre-
sentatlon, was fitted OILY tor small States. The ex.
ercise OF popular power, in purely democratic
form. cannot be extended over countries Of large
tents because, IN such countries, all cannot assemble
in the same place, to vote direotly upon laws and
ordinances and other public questions. But the
principle OF representation is expansive 1t may be
| enlarged, il not infinitely, yet indefinitely, to
meet new occasions, and embrace new regions,
While, therefore, the love OF liberty was the same,
and It's general principle the same, in the Grecian
republic as with us, yet not only were forms essen
italy different, but that asO was wanting which
We have been taught to consider indispensable to
It's security; that Is ixed settled, definite, funda
mental law, constitution, imposing limitations
and restraints equally governors, and governed
We may, therefore, inhale all the fulness and
greatness of the Grecian spirits but We necessarily
give its developement different form, and subject
II to L eW notifications.
But history is not only philosophy teaching by
general progress OF society IN knowledge and the
arts and the changes OF manners and pursuits Of
men.
There is an imperfection both in ancient and
modern histories, and those Of tho best masters in
this respect While they recite pu bio transactions,
they omit, in great degree, what belongs TO tho
civil, social ard domestic progress Of men and ma
tions. There is not, so fur as know, good civil
history of Rome, nor is there an account of the
manners and habits in social and domestic life, such
as may iLform us OF the progress OF her citizens,
from The four dalton of the city to the time of Livy
and Sallust in individual exhibitions Of character
We know, indeed, ething Of the private Iur-
suits and private vices Of the Roman people at the
CON mence u ent Of the empire; but we obtain our
knowledge ct these chiefly from the severe aud in
dignant rcbukes Of Sallust, and tho inimtabe
tires Of Juvenal. Wars, foreign and domestic, tho
achievements OF arms, and national ALTAR ill up
the recorded greatness of the Roman empire.
1t is very remarkable that, in this respect,
Roman literature is far more deficient than that Of
Greece. Arissophanes, and other Grecian comic
writers. have scenes richly filed with tho define
alton Of the lives and manners of their own people
But the Roman imitg tors OF the GTecian sage
gave Themselves up to the production of foreign
| characters On their OVID stage, ami presented IA
! their dram as Greci8n MAI ner5 also, icstsad OF
Rom an manners. How much wiser Slaks.
peare, WHO es chained the attention CT his audiia-
cee, and still enchaiIs the attention Of the whole
IeutCnc race. by tie presentation Ct English
manners and English history
Falstaf, Justice Shallow, and Dagbarry, are not
shrubs of foreign growth, transpianted idto TIE
pages OF Shakespeare, but genuine productions OF tao
soil. the creations Of his own home bred fancy.
Mr.. Banks has written civil history ell home;
but it seems not TO have answered the great end
which IL proposed.
The labors of Niebuhr, Arnold, and Merivale,
have accompiehe much towards furnishing tho
materials of such history and Becker, ia his Cal
lus, has drawn picture nor uninteresting, Of the
| private life OF the Romans at the Commencement
| Of the empire.
krow nothing Of the fact, but once had an in.
! timatitp, that one Of the most distinguished
| writers Of our time ard Of our country has had
! his thoughts turned to this subject Tor several
years. II this be so, and tho work, said to be in
contemplation, be perfected, it will be true, as |
! have doubt that the civil history OF he great
republic Of antiquity viii have been written, not
only with thorough research but also with Gle.
! gance of style and chaste classical illustration,
! by citizen Of tie great republic eff modern
| times. trust, that when this work shall appear,
if it shall appear. shall not only see the Roman
| consul and the Roman general, tho Comtia and
| the Forum, but that wo shall, also, see Roman
bearths and affairs, the Roman mRtron at the head
Of her household, Rsman children in their schools
Of instruction, and the whole Of Roman hfe fully
presented to oar view, 80 far as the materials, gov
existing in separate and special works, afford the
means.
1t is in our day only tina. the history and progress
Of tic civil ard secal institutions and manners OK
England have become the subjects o. particular at
tehtion
Sharon Turner, Lingare, and, more than al, Mr.
Hasm. have laid this age, and all following ages,
n1uer tpe neAVlest oolgatlolsS ny lne ools - s.9
field Of literary competition; nor would separate
from them tho writings OF most learned and clo-
quent person, whose work on English history is
now in progress, ror the author Of the Pictorial
History Of England But there is sin wanting
full thorough, and domestic social account OF
| cur English ancesttts--that is, history which
shan trace the progress Of social life Ia
| the ipterccursc of man With msn, the advance
| Of arts, TIE various changes in the haoits
and occupations Of indiyduals, and those improve
merits in domestic lie, which have attended the
condition and IL clioIatej the circumstances Of men
/ in tire lapse OF ascs We still have not the means
o. leaning, TO any artat extent, how our English
ancestors at loiT homes ard in their hcuses,
| ied, s1d lodged, AID clothed ard what were their
| daily enpl0yments. We want o history Of fire.
| s,dcs: we want TO know vixen kings and queens OK
! changed bees of straw for beos OF down, aud
4 ceafed 70 breakfast on beef and beer. We wish
i Il - 800 Old l-n.r nrn II the caannes