New-York daily tribune., 1854-07-18

l. Dotvef unqeretood ano explained. IL Doglns 70 be
felt that the deferentisl respect paid BY earlier
scAolarship to the classical beauty of ancient wri-
tsrs and their perfection Of style, was unfavorabe to
comprehension of the real spirit Of the times and
events described by them. Once it was not allowed TO
doubt the words Of the master II was then forgotten
thata Greek or Roman philosopher historian was
man moved by human passions, that he belonged to
the parties whose struggles Gil the annals Of these
nations and even participated or less violently
in the hostilities and intrigues of the period.
Erudite critics used to attach themselves more ex.
clusvey to the pathological and euphonous character
Of authors instead Of trying to penetrate and master
the true spirit of the so-caed classical writers and
classical nations But now all this is changed
Among the old nations none speaks to US so power
fully as Greece. AL the various developments of
mind and society in that land still cherished ythe
world, after nearly thirty centuries. They are cher
ished, but not justly appreciated. Indeed, the
causes Of the rise and fall Of Greece have
been almost universally misunderstood and mis-
represented and fallacies on this subject have be-
come general. Demo ,racy, above all, the only life
giving power in the Gre,ian world, has not been
comprehended. This error is, however, now removed
Here s new historian who with keen eye penetrates
the Grecian past and elaborates the truth. No one
hitherto has understood well the social and polit
cal activity prevailing in the Grecian world. He
yindcates eternal right and against ISLANDERS
of scholars and professors II is true he does it in
style whose ruggedness may be apt to deter readers
bent simply on recreation. His matter however, is
worth study He proves irrefragably at every COM
plicaton of the historical chain, that the Greeks
and, above all, the Athenians, prospered from the
democratic element in their system, securing to
the OF freemen degree Of protection elsewhere
unknown at that period, stimulating the national
genius to achieve miracles Of beauty in art, and
leaving superior minds sufficiently free to soar above
the political and religious doctrines Of the age and
become the teachers of posterty.
Sparta and Athens were the two powerful individu
slities of Greece, forming the antithesis around
which the other nations grouped. The one re-
presented the ogarchic, the other the democratic
principle. After paying fitting tribute to the
world-renowned Spartan character, Grote describes
dispassionately how mischievous the egotistica
influence of Sparta on the Hellenic destinies. He
Justly appreciates the military discipline and the
rigorous private training of the Spartan youth and
citizens but shows they gave birth to the naughty
exclusiveness of close, unscrupuous and all-pow-
erful oigarchy. The Spartan character, as formed
by Lycurgus, was of low type, rendered savage and
fierce by excessive bodily discipline; vodof any ofter
culture or humane element; immersed in narrow
speciales and taught to despise all that lay beyond
and above it. The citizen belonged to the State, and
by it was educated and shaped. Thus Lycurgus
formed an oligarchy to endure for centuries,
and stamped it with the character we have in
dicated Soon in Athens, the other hand, began to
legislate for the relief Of the poor who were op-
pressed by the rich and the Oligarchs, and finally he
struck blow for the ensayed He did so at an epoch
when all the Greek Governments were either des-
pOtic or oigarchical, to which latter class Solon
himself belonged. The poor debtor had been
obliged to sell himself his children into slavery
SolOn Cancelled all the contracts by which the debtor
had borrowed the security of his person or his land
and forbade all such arrangements for the future.
Further he decreed that all who had previously been
condemned to civil disfranchisement on account OF
debts poverty should be restored to their full priv
ileges citizens After these laws passed, there
prevailed in the Athenian Democracy a high respect
for the sanctity of contracsan evidence that harsh
stringency in the law does not determine the morality
of free people. Thus, while Athens maintained her
preponderunce she never attempted depreciation of
money-while in Rome, in the Kingdoms of mod
ern Europe one debasement OF coin has succeeded
another The Democracy of Greece in general in
regard to honest dealing with the coinage stands far
above royalties.
Solons laws if not democratic at once, in the absO
lutte meaning of the word, laid, however, the ndis
pensable foundation for the subsequent Democracy
lie gave not only to the artizans possessed OF small
property, but to the general mass, locus saHdt
against the rich aristOcrats; he enabled the peo
pie to protect themselves by the peaceful exercise
of o constitutional franchise in the public Assembly
which he established; out of which grew the Assem-
bes that listened to Perices and Demosthenes From
Solon likewise came the encouragement given In
Athens to artizans and manufacturers. lie was
anxious to attract immigrants and turn their Efforts
to manufacturing industry, rather than to tllllng
the soil Ha father had not taught his son an occupa
ton, the son was relieved from all obligations to
maintain his parent in his old age. He made 1t the
duty of the Senate to punish every one who had no
REGULAR means of livelihood He desired, that foreign
commerce, as general thing shouldbe carried on oy
exporting manufactures and not agricultural products
BY this means the Athenians acquired elf-sustain
ing habits and resources. II may be emphaticaily
remarked in regard to the laws of SOlon, that seden
tary labor was honored whichn most parts Of Greece
in Rome. and in aristocratic Europe to this day is
REGARDED as dshonorable. There are certain truths
as Old as common sense, which grown the democratic
soil which never see the light under olisarches or
despotisms. Political freedom raises up msn VINO
win their way to Just renown unsided by caste or
family influence by landed inheritance rcourty favor
This truth cannot be weakened or altered by any