Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-05-01
Prof. w. A. Bartlett's Address.

We alluded briefly last week to the lit
erary address delivered in the Union Hall,
by VIM. A. Bartlett, Professor Of Lam
guages and Elocution. We intended then
TO give more extended notice of this adj
dress, but space forbade. We now recur to
the subject, in order to give brief and
imperfect outline Of his train of remark.
The speaker in introducing his subject
alluded to the beautiful myth of the an
Gent mortimer, whose favored nymph
could from the most delicate fibre construct
tent capable to canopy host, and from
the power of her enchantment could mar
shall an army of myriads in nut SHE'LL
The analogy Of this wonderful power is
found IN literature. 1t was the province of
the student to expand an idea into volume
or to condense volume into paragraph.
These leading characteristics of authors
had their friends who adhered to one or
the other and he should conform on the
present occasion to the latter, as it vas
more in accordance with the spirit of the
age to take in continents at glance, than
to explore minute localities. His subject.
the Legacies Of the Past, was then taken
up. The speaker preferred to depart from
the usual course, in such addresses, and
take for the development Of his subject,
cities and not men, because the former had
ever been the induces of nations. Gre
cities like great men become immortal
they leave memen!oes that survive their
dying-that travel arm ip arm with time
to the judgment day. There is dreadful
solemnity about dissolution, when single
spirit changes spheres on its returnless
journey, but when the burial day Of
mighty nation arrives; when its death
throes are conferred i'll one Cit
city rocked by el" - '-'u that
when frc~. .enerr;.- and spheres ;
-. the crumbling grandeur OF
"sssss, posterity is to Gull its spiritual pit
lance and consign to the worm its own
this is far grander-more awful specta-
Gle. Man is but three score years, but
here is the growth and glory of centuries.
Here the spiritual part Of a mighty people
is to bury its curruptible body, and, just
here, this spirit is 10 plume itself for i'm
mortality or for an oblivious home. Thus,
there is an analogy between the existence
OF city and man. Amongst all the
cities which loom up in the past, and
which go to constitute the sum and SUBJ
stance Of that past, we recognize Athens
Rome and Jerusalem. Hence the theme OF
the speaker definitely stated would be
Athens Rome and Jerusalem, and their
legacles to the world. Mr.. B. then went
into division Of his subject, the heads of
which we can only give. First, to de-
duce from the leading characteristics of
each, what might be considered their pr.
culiar legacy to the world and second,
to view these legacies thus transmitted in
connection with the present age. He
then traced the history OF Athens from its
infancy to tina: period when from her d.
versifed hill and dale-her magnificent
harbor and sylvan retreat-her groves-her
silent marble, eloquent with the mystery
OF torm--her senate, disclosing the polish
Of her orators; here Parlhenon; Ter Erech-
theum her Lyceum her language,
Athens eternal monument; the finished
simplicity Of the writings of Xenophen,
Herodotus and Thucidides the sweet
lyrics of Pindar and Anacreon the model
tragedies Of Sophocles aud the well train.
ed verse of Homer land her religion !;
for although the light Of later times may
have penetrated her religious absurdties,
yet their mystic lmaginings and wild fam
cles would ever remain beautiful even
in their mystery-from all these her char
acteristic Of Beauty became her great pre-
dominant feature, permeating and constitu-
ting Athens entire self-her legacy 10 tie
World.
The speaker alluded then to Rome's
peculiar Observation-Disclosures her in her an
eient and more impressive period, and not
to her as the shadow of the substance.
Her characteristics were physical aud in
tellectual power. Look at her Senate
chamber; her battle field; her architec.
turc; her sculpture; and you there trace
the development of these peculiar features.
She united strength to strength, and pow
er to power, until towering in her mighty
growth, she stood upon the neck Of abect
Kingdoms and dictated Law to the world
Law which was the direct offspring of her
two great characteristics, intellectual and
physical power.
Refined AIT and Literature and pre-.
found Law could be bestowed by Athens
and Rome, but their religion. how mea-
gree What great city on earth was to be the
prototype of that spiritual eternal city p
what but Jerusalem could Gll the void, and
rule the soul. as Athens and Rome the
mind? Jerusalem wrote her will with Gods
own MATERIAL and sealed 1t irrevocably
with the Cross-the resurre ton. She