The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1853-06-02

theatre was opened to their enterprise. II
was also fortunate that at this period there
appeared at their head hero entirely cana
bic of directing their energies, and in whom
al. the excellencle5 Of their systems were
most admirably displayed. The unanimous
voice Of succeeding ages has pronounce ced
Cyrus the most accomplished hero OF aniq-
uity in the classic pages ofXenophon, he Is
proposed to our study as the most perfect
standard Of greatness; and even the light Of
Christianity itself, which has reversed the
judgments of men upon The fame OF 30 many
other heroes, has discovered but few bIem-
shes in his character. His courage, mag
nanimity, and consumate skill in military
affairs, were so blended with wisdom, pru.
dence and moderation in the use Of power,
that he merited alike the reputation of
mighty conqueror, and the still more yalua-
able title OF the father of his people. But it
should not surprise us that prince, who in
the mind of God, was destined to accomp l.h
his own all-wise designs in the overthrow of
Babylon, and the deliverance OF his people
from degrading 'servtude, should be udorn-
ed with the most exalted virtues. That Cy-
rus was raised up at this time for the accom-
plishment Of these designs is evident from
the words of Isaias. Nearly two hundred
years before his birth, that great Prophet
had foretold his coming in these moving ac-
cents; "Thus saith the Lord TO my annoint-
ed Cyrus, whose right hand have taken
hold Of, to subdne the nations before his face
and TO turn the backs of kings and open the
doors before him; and the gates shall not be
shut. will go before thee, aud will hum
Bile the great ones Of earth; will break in
pieces the gates cf brass and burst the bars
of iron. For The sake Of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my elect, have even called there
by thy name; have made likeness Of thee
and thou hast not known me. am the
Lord and there is none else; there is no God
besides me: | have girded thee, aud thou
hast not known me. (Isias, ch. 49,
What heart, Gentlemen, is not moved by
these touching words Of the A lmiLh,y: !
giTded thee aud thou hast not known me-"
That is: have loved thee, | have chosen
! thee for my champion, have cheEi she'd thee
with more than parental fondness; "and thou
hast not known me-" thou hast not made
me return of love. Yes, Gentlemen, our
a lmiration of the many virtues Of Cyrus, is
to be accompanied with the sad reflection
that he was Pagan, and knew not the Au.
/ thor Of all his glory! Historians have also
reproached him with another great fault in
the little carehe took in the education Of his
SONS. In the midst of his triumphant career
! he seems to have permitted himself 10 forget
! that the true cause of his own glory and the
prosperity Of his people, was to be found il
| the excellent system OF education under
which they had been trained. Either dis
tracted by multitude of public cares or daz
zlcd by the brilliance of his own good for
tune, he lost sight of the only means by which
he might trar smit to his posterity the scep.
tre OF the word. Few mUnarchs have ruled
a more extensive empire than Cyrus. A
the downfall Of Babylon, his authority wa,
acknowledged from the riyer Indus to the
Egean shore, and from the Euxne and Gas
| plan, to the Arabian sea and the confines o
/ ETHIOPIA. One Of his first carts after the es
tabllshment OF this gigantic empire was tc
permit the captive Israeltes to return t.
their native land and rebuild their city ant
temple. The Jews had n,w expiated by
seventy years OF captivity their repeated in
idelites; and in spite Of the Jealousy OF the
neighbors, they were at length firmly rein
stated in their prosperous situation.
AT the close Of a long life, rendered hap
py by one continued flow of prosperity an,
success, Cyrus, according to the more cred
ible account of Nenophen, calmly expired il
his bed, leaving reputation unsulcd bj
crime, and rendered doubly iIlustrious from
the contrast afforded by the pride and eilcm
macy OF most of his successors. For tw,
hundred years, the excellent constitution
which its government had received from tn,
rigid practice OF virtue for ages and from tn
transccndcnt abilities of Cyrus, enabled tht
.monarchs of Persia to maintain their swal
over the weak and unwarlike tribes Of A sia
but when they led their effenlinate host
against the hardy and disciplined troops o
Europe, they experienced nothing but sham
and defeat. or the kings who swayed tn
sceptre from Cyrus to ID rius Codomanus
the thirteenth and last king of Persia, th
most DISTINGUISHED were DIriuS the son O
Hystaspis, X,rses and Artaxerxes Lpngm
anus.
The first of these MOnarchs manifested M
small degree Of wisdom and judgmen in tn,
government of his vast dominiOn5. His great
ness was not, as an American writer has sait
merely that Of his position; neither can W
agree with the same writer when he tells U
tie to his horse, to whose favor he attributes
his elevation. The study ofgenuine lIisto
ry will never lead mankind to such rdicu
lous conclusions. Darius re-established th
government, shattered aud dsorganized un
der the wretched administration OF two mad
men that preceded him on the throne: h
added new provinces to the empire by the re
ducfion of India, arranged the financial af
fairs Of the nation on q just, firm and soil
basis, and also gave sufficient proofs OF tn
clemency Of his disposition in the fave
shown to the Jews and in the forgiveness o
many offences committed against the maies
" of his throne. But it is not to his talent
nor 10 his conquests that Darius owes hi
greatest fame. IL was in his reign and IN
der his direction, that Persia engaged in tn
most interesting struggle that ever too
place between the conflicting claims of ma
tons. 1t is not strange that the pride
the Persian monarchs should be often wour
ded dy the inexpedient spirit manifested b
the Greeks in their intercourse with othe
nations. Their ambition, too, which had NJ
t diminished with the declining virtues of the
J subjects, no doubt, prompted them to loo
. forward with an eager eve to the earliest OF
portunity Of subduing u people, whose chat
acter and fame had been pictured in sue
glowing colors. Travellers and refugees ha
, from time to time, spread throughout the en-
pire exciting tales OF the progress which I'll
= Greeks were making IN civilization and Il
t arts of their hatred Of despotism, their prl
! dence in legislation and their valor in tt
, field. Glowing accounts had been given
the serenitv Of the Grecian skV of the 81