The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-02
Mr.. Webster-and Homer.


We referred the other day, in casual manner,
to the recent classic discourse of Mr.. WEBSTER
to the Historical Society of New York. We
must superadd some observations.
Mr.. WEBSTER alluded to many great intel
lectual works, and dwelt upon the unity OF de-
sign they displayOd--the unity in variety His
own discourse was distinguished for its unity in
yariety--and it contained long tribute at its
close, to this Union.
But to confirm the general tenor of his views
Mr.. WEBSTER quoted some classic authorities,
which we are not willing to concede him. He
cited the Had and the Odyssey. The Had was
work Of vast variety-but all illustrated the
wrath of ACHILLES" Mr.. WEBSTER was, per-
haps, willing to leave the inference to others
that ACHILLES was a secessionist, and that it
was that secession, which brought such great
calamities on the Greeks.
Now, such is the first impression made on
the mind by reading the first lines Of the 1iad /:
" Achilles wrath, to Greece the direftll spring
OF woes unnumbered, heavenly goddess sing
That wrath which hur'd to Pluto's gloomy
reign
The souls of mighty chiefs untimely slain,
Whose limbs, unhuried on the naked shore,
Devouring dogs and hungry vultures tore"
Such would seem to be the idea which HOMER
intended to convey in these lines thus far
ACHILLES was one Of the sovereigns of Greece
and seeded, and seeded from wrath-from vio-
lent passion, and hence the woes of the Greek
Union. But HOMER does not stop here. Either
constrained by the actual history, or by his own
wisdom, from such monstrous conclusion as
that mighty confederacy was doomed to dis
aster for nine long ears, and many of its mighty
chiefs to untimely death, and to dogs and wilt
ures by the wrath of single man-HoMER pro-
ceeds to unfold the real cause, and adds
g Since great Achilles and Atrides strove.
Such was the sovereign doom and such the ,riil o.
Jove."
So the power of destiny, or the will of Hea.
ven is introduced--and the ancients were great,
or believers in destiny, in manifest destiny, than
the modern disciples of that school. But either
HOMER was not an implicit believer in it, or
history, or tradition corrected him. So he pro.
ceeds TO give still better reasons.
"Decare Muse in what ill-fated hour
Sprung the fierce strife from iohat offended poicer
Latona s son a dire contagion spread
And heaped the camp with mountains ofthe dead
The king of men his reverend priest dsfied
find for The kings offence the people died"
Here then the original cause of the calamity
that .befel the Union Of the Greeks is disclosed
The king of men was ATRDEs, the commander
in-chef of the army and navy of the Greek
Union--the executive or federal power. He
had defied and insulted the priest of APOLLO
A council or Congress of the Greeks was
convened to deliberate on the pestience thai
prevailed. On that occasion, CHALcAs, a proph
ct of the Greeks, rose to declare the cause
of the evil and the remedy. For the rel
gion Of the Greeks was restraint, sort o.
constitution that limited the power of govern
ment But before he dared to proceed he ask
ed the protection Of ACHILLES, either as one o
the most religious or one Of the most powerful
OF the Greek sovsreigns, sgainst the vsngsapc,
OF the federal executive for what he was abou
TO declare. And ACHILLES promptly pledges
him protection. So CHALcAs then announced
that the pestilence was owing TO the refusal o
ArRDEs to deliver up CHRYsErs, female cap
tive, 70 her father the priest Of APOLLO, refusa
delivered with insult and defiance. And CHAL
CAS- said she must be delivered up in order 3,
appease APOLLO and arrest the pestilence. AnC
at this the wrath Of ATRDEs was kindled, n,
was quite natural at any limitation Of executive
power or spols. So he breaks forth
"For this are PhGbus' oracles explored,
To teach the Greeks TO murmur at their lord Z"
But rs the assembled kings applauded The
words Of CHALcAs, ArRIDEs had TO yield. ii,
however resolved that bis spoils should not be
iessened, but that he would indemnify himself
out Of ACHILLES, whose only fault was that b
had given protection 10 the oracle, to declar,
the counsel for the general good-and thus ad
dresses him:
"Even in thy tent, I'll seize the blooming prize
Thy loved Briseis with the radiant eyes;
Hence shalt thou prove my might, and curse tn
hour
Thou stoodst a riral 70 imperial posrer-
And hence 70 all oar host il shall be known
Thai kings srfi1tjsei 10 The gods sone."
This anger al the successful resistance OF on
sovereign member Of the confederacy TO tn
federal power, and this assumption Of absolute
or divine authority for the Union, have recentll
had remarkable parallels in the history Of thi
country.
At this proclamation Of despotism and sg
gression, ACHILLES naturally enough fell int
a psssion, and threatened an immediate resor
10 the ahght Of revolution"--he threatened
civil war, and was preparing TO attack ATRrDEs
the federal authority, at once with arms--b
proposed 70 resort 70 the remedy Of the South
ern Union party, and even Of Mr.. WEBSTER, in