Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1854-02-14
For the Loud0n Free Press.
AMBITION


most essential to human greatness and political
distinction, or disastrous to those subject to its
arbitrary dominion. There seems to be pre-
disposition implanted in the nature of man, to
seek renown and appreciation: all other passions
becoming ubservient-wholIy employed in the
means most conducive to accomplishment Of its
interests and purposes. To call into requisition
the desire of praise and ignobe ambition which
actuated or impelled Erastratus to burn to Gin
ders the temple at Diana and the irrasability of
Eschylers, because Sohocles, his antagonist,
was honored and adjudged the prize in theatre
cal exercises, would not be foreign and irrevo-
lent in the telling of some of the injuries accru-
ing from such unholy passion. 1t has its horrid
nurseries, from which terminate some OF the
most malignant evils, ever chronicled in the
cycles of the worlds history. The ample sweeps
of its 'emulous scythes" has cut short the fair
est blossoms of sublunary bliss, and made many
parts of our terrene sphere, the envenomed hot
beds Of monarchy and rancorous dissipation
To discover that ambition strikes at the foun-
dation of all national greatness-obliterateS enl-
pires-assassinates the purely innocent, and
embtters the fraternal ties of life, we have only
to look to the malign catalogue of heartrending
crimes, perpetrated by men of olden times, when
engulphed the great water of unruly and I'M
laudable ambition. Common genius, erudition-
ties terrestrial and philanthropic, and the hap
by preladeS Of Immortality, have all been parals
ised, because of this lamentable, delaterious
apathy-ambition. l may in all candor say,
that reckless ambition is, even in this enlighs-
ened day, becoming the bane of Church and
State-of christian and political world--a pain
full disease indeedl Ambition may be termed,
and very appropriately too, kind ofdropsy; the
more q man drinks, the more he wants. But
all admit that excuses and superhuites are iniu,
rious in all cases. Go ask the sepulchre of
him, who, in the Phrenzy of passion desolated
the wOrld-conflagrate many magnificent cit
adels--subdued puissant monarchS and provin-
ces, and who inundated Clytus and Eypetrian,
if ambition is not the great cause of so much
ruin and bloodshed? Go ask the turfy grave of
Cyrus, Cambysis, and all the Persian line of
eminent generals, they will tell you that ambi-
ton leads the dance--fills the path of life with
the blood of the innocent; and finally nantes
itself in ruins blacklist garb, and touched by
the fire of ire, blazes and consumes every thing
commendable. eNapOlean' sambition, when
DESTROYS of infinite power, it OverloOksth casket
of envy and strife, when the rights OF no one is
menaced or impugned; and though wisdom and
prudence, whisper lenity and propriety, it will
shut the door of reason, cause deaf ear to all
the sensible reprimands and forbodings of con-
science, and the rights of humanity; and not
81, 4,
damps the elevated arms of christian philan-
throphy morality and repubhcanism; and causes
superb structures to fall in cumbrous ruin
Alexander, the desecrator of the world, was so
prohgate intolerant, and wicked, that he could
commit crimes of the darkest hue, and sit in
his beautiful pagoda and hear the plaintve
groans and agonies of fastened widowhood:
thinking he ought to be subserved, however,
and panegyrised, because of his ''inglorious
warfare" Bonaparte was an ambitious, hostile,
warlike man. His character was somewhat pro-
dicious, and his course as a military tactician,
has never been commended by any distinguish.
ed writer or biographer, except j. /. Headley.
Instead OF eXtolling his name, as a great man,
he ought to have odious epithets prefxed to his
appeation, as insidious and dark as language
can express. He possessed a consummate, des-
potic villa conscience as elastic as elasticity
ITSELF pliabe only to his own diversified inter
ests. He paid alteration to no god, but insatiate
ambition. When he knelt it was at the shrine
of idolatry. His cupidity for national and mil
itary distinction, was fountain from which
flowed some of the most detrimental collisions,
that were ever known. / imagine | see him
leading his bilegerent forces across the cloud
capped and sky-lit peaks of the Alps, towards
the heart of the European continent. His nu-
merous forces, like the mighty rush of frighten-
ed Buffalow, make the country apparently quake
from centre to circumference. / see his innu-
merable hosts of martial men, standing in bat
tie array, and while EQUIPPED, aroused in spirit
by the melody of warlike music. | now see
them fixing for immediate deathlike engage
ment. Listen, hear the peals of successive
cannonade. The dying sheks of the magnan-
amous wounded saturates the surrounding ele-
mentS from hamlit low to lofty mountain top
Alas what sheeted volumes of beautiful smoked
What muttering donations Of musketryl How
his valient men recoil before the incessant rolls
of cannon balls-tumultnous swarms of able,
good hearted men, falling PROSTATE continually,
to CRAFTY his indomitabe ambition!! Napoleon
was quarrelous dangerous, misanthropic char
acter. His enmity knew nothing of sauvity and
lenity--he cared not for opposition. The gen.
tic waters of the Pc and Tuscan-the heights
of the sky-begirdled Apprentices and the strong
works of Italy were not sufficiently great and
strong to impede his onward, precipitate, ag
gressve and base ravages. He cut short the
International intercourse and patriotic principles
long adhered to. No youth should endeavor to
initiate him, because his examples are ruinous
in their tendencies. No person possessed Of a
feeling of any humanity can gather any fresh
inspiration from any contemplation of his life.
could we to-day converse with those stately
domes of Italy, they would inform us that the
gentle rivulets were saturated to their margin
tops, with blood ready to inundate the valhes,
with the gore Of innocent women and children.
Ambitions works are great-frOm her diaboli-
cal ravages the earth has almost been dismem-
bered. Naval thunders have arisen amid furi-
Gus elements-tall temples with their lofty spires
peering the zenith of midday have bowed lamb
like at the shrine, are Wondering into nothing
ness. Over wales extended and mountains tall,
the grievouS lamentation and indescribable ruins
have arisen to testify against excessive, ungov-
ernable passions. Could the bloody battle field
only speak, on which many precious souls have
fallen, they would say that Bonaparte, Aexan-
der, Cesar, and Colgula stood among the first of
the earth's desecrators-reproach of benign
Heaven. What causd the demolishment of the
Romish Empire and her diplomatic literature?
I~respond it was ambition in its multiplicity of
Proteus-like character She once stood as a
towering pyramid-a beacon light: as brilliant
Il q E T. i