The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1854-12-22
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From the Georgia Homie C azette.' -
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action are ltnfoided to veiw. History is a
mirror in which man sees himself in which
lie may view his passions and qualities dis
played under all the circumstances of success
and prosperity, on. the one hand, and disap-
pointment and trial, on the other Here men
may bo seen as the statesman. swaying by
his counsels the destinyof his country--as
the hero, gfaced with triumphs won upon
fields of blood and valour---as g., She patriot
faithful and true amidst prosperity or the
storms of fitte--4as the philosopher, pointing
out the rule of life, or unfolding the sublime
laws of nature--as the fool, playing 'fantas
tic tricks before high .hearen;-as the philan-
throlist. 49,. :a-ss ,y,s- :..s-... ~ ~,
"Who hath tear for pity and hand
r. Open as day for melting charity
or, as the miSanthrope, whose heart was full
Of deadly gloom and hatred for his race
Male and female are here exhibited in their
best, and worst features, with all the immedi7
ate grades Of character,
Nations are seen rising in the distance
from insignificant colonies, or, prviously, un-
important positions, INTO responsibility and
massive grandeur and proportions. Their
progress is marked by strange and startling
events, dark and bloody wars, horrid and in
human crimes Some ofthem stand out for
many centuries raising the proud columns of
their greatness for tho admiration Of their
own TIMES, and for perpetual remembrance
in after ages Of what they euce had been.
We follow them in their early struggles, their
subsequent triumphs in the noontide Of glory,
hailing the arts, and fostering public spirit,
aud blending vast territories and myriads of
population into order, symmetry, and invinc-
ible power. But, after long course of years,
when corrupted by luxury, tyranny and i'm
morality, we behold their bulwarks Of
strength giving way, one after another, we
see their virtues Transformed into vices, till
their suns 90 down at last, amidst clouds to
rise and shed their light upon the world. no
more. Subsequent ages, however, can profit
by all the advantages afforded by their pre-
.cept and example. They can study, with
much benefit, the character and writings of
Cicero, the ornament and admiration of
Rome-of Leonidas, the selfimmolatel. Gre
clan patriot--of Socrates, the philosopher,
whose pious fortitude and sublime resigna-
ton to Providence sustained him to tbelas
extremity--of those monsters, oftyranny and
guilt, whose cruel ambition and enormous
crimes, so productive of human wretchedness.
have given an Immortality, of infamy to
their names These lessons excite admra-
ton of true greatness and virtue in the youth
fu mind, or fill it with detestation Of vice
and crime. .., ..,. .-.. ... .-.......
Society, in its rudest state, and when pa-
ture and art are blended to display thebeali
ties of their rival cliarms--the one, in It's
savage Ignorance, haunted with superstition
aud tainted with every crime of Barbarian
ferocity-the, other, blessed with civilization
and smiling with peaceful morality and art,
reposing in security under wise governments
and prospecting IN whatever conduecs to hui
man happiness--are spread before us, on
the steried page, that we may profit, by the
experience, example and improvements Of
long ages of the past What abundant ma
terials our American forefathers had before
them from which to rear the noble and sub
lime fabric Of our National Government !.
How wisely didtheyi use them, to establish
liberty upon basis where It would remain
unshaken by the violence of anarchy and uh-
profaned by the encroachments of tyrants.
Itis said that History was a fayorite study
of the elegant Cicero. Demosthenes uttered
the most startling d patriotic thunders of his
eioquence in tracing the tyrannic tendencies
,s1Ap Philip Of Macedon, by comparing his nc.
tons with those Of tyrants who had preced-
ed him. The element Cesar was himself an
accomplished historian. The great Scipio
secured the presence and aid Of Polybius,
the historian, in the most of those campaigns
which wreathc such unfading lanrels around
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