Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1852-03-04

reaches its highest polish and peiiection
Now the wonder is how language
should become SO perfect as was The
Greek Of Homer, at the time when that
language could have been very lille
writ en-. Doubtless in succeeding ages,
the compass Of The Greek tongue was
enlarged as knowledge became more ex-
| tended, and new things called for new
words; but within the compass OF Gre
clan knowledge, as il existed IN the
time ol Homer, IL can scarcely be ques-
toned that the style Of Homer is quite
~ perfect and polished AS that oi any
OF his successors. The cause oi this
apparent anomaly is hat the language
had not ouly been spoken for many cen
iurles, by people Of great ingenuity
and extraordinary good taste, but had
becn carefully cultivated by the reci,a-
iion oi poetlica competitions, ona great
variety of!religous and tcs tive occa.
siore.
II was not until The legislation Of So
lon had laid the foundation Of free poiii-
cal institutions, and these institutions
had uniolded II free and powerful and
active political lite, in the Athenian re-
public until Tie discussion Of public
affairs, in the senate and the popular
assembly, had created deliberative eio-
quencc; and the open administrator of
| justice in the courts and under the
laws established by Solon, had applied
| TO the transactions between the citizens
all the resources OF refined logic, and
drawn into the sphere OF civil rights
and obligations, the power OF high for
ensic oratory-it was not until these re
suits Of the legislative wisdom Of Solon
had been attained, that the art Of history
rose and hourished in Greece. With
the decline Of Grecian liberty, began
the decline in the art Of historical COM
position. Histories were written under
the Grecian kings OF Egypt; and long
line OF writer's flourished under the By
zantine emperors but the high art OF
historical composition, as perfected in
the master works Of Herodotus, Thucy-
dides and Xenophon, had perished in
the death OF political freedom.
The origin, progress and decline Of
history, as an art, we're nearly The same
in Rome. SaIlust and Livy flourished
at the close Of the republic and the
great works Of Tacitus himself are
thought by many to betray the begin
ming Of d, cline in the art, and the later
writer's exhibit its tall.
The art Of history again revived with
the rise Of tie Italian republics; and
since the revival Of literature, at the
close of the middle ages, ii will proba-
be found, that three things naturally
rise into importance together, that is 10
say civil liberty, cloqurnce, and the art
OF his,o' ical writing.
Oiher foundation is not 10 be laid for
authentic history than well authentica-
ted iactsj but on this foundation struc
tur 9 may he raised OF diil,ren, char
acterisiics, historical, biographical and
philosophical One writer may confne
himself to exact and minute narra-
ton. another, true 10 the general story,
may embellish that story, with more or
less Of external ornament, or Of eloqLence
in description n third, with a deeper
philosophical spirit. may look into the
causes OF events and transactions, trace
them with more profound research TO
their sources in the elements Of human
or less success, that must important
question how far the char acter OF indi-
vlduals has produced public events, or
how lar, on the other hand, public events
have produced and formed the charac-
ter ofindividuals.
Therefore, one history Of the same
period in human affairs, no more rem.
ders another history Of the same period
useless, or unadvisable. than the struc-
ture Of one temple iorbids the erection
OF another. or one statute Of Hero ulcs,
Apollo or Pcricle., sh uld suppress all
other attempts to produce statues Of the
same persons.
But, gentlemen, | must not dwell lon
ger OH these general topics. We are
Americans. We have country all
our own; we are linked to It's fa,es and
fortunes it is already not without re-
nown it has been the theatre vi some
Of the most important OF human transac-
tons, and il may well become us to re-
fleet on the topics and the means fur
nshed for historical composition in our
own land. ! have abstained, on this oc.
casion, gentlemen, from much COM
ment OH the histories composed by Eu-
r,pcan writer's Of modern times and, for
obvious reasons, | abstain altogether
from remarks upon the writer's Of our
own country.
Works have been written upon the
history Of The United States, other
works upon the same subject are in pro-
gress, and, 10 doubt, new works are
contemplated, and will be accomplished.
1t need not be doubted that what has
been achieved by the great men who
have preceded our generation, will be
properly recorded by their successors.
A country in which highly interesting
events occur is not likely TO be destitute
Of scholars and authors fit 10 transmit
those events to posteriiy. For the pre-
sent I content myself with few gen.
eral remarks on the subject
In the history Of the United States
there are three epochs. The first ex-
tends from the origin and settlement Of
the colonies, respectively, to the year
177i. During this much tie longer
period the history of the country is the
history Of separate communities and
governments, with different laws, and
institutions. though all were Of com.
mon origin not identical indeed, though
having a strong family resemblance,
and having more or less reference TO the
constitution. and common law Of the
parent country.
Ia all these governments, the principle
Of popular representation more or less
p evailed. Ii existed in The state gov.
ernments, in counties, in large districts,
and in townships and parishes. And it
is not irrelevant TO remark, that by the
exercise OF the rights enjoyed under
these popular principles the whole peo-
pie came to be prepared, beyond the
EXAM MI. nI all nihers Iar The oh.e runnca