New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-25
GREAT MEN AND GREAT NATIONS.

While Abbott is deluging the country with his false
and feeble ideas Of greatness, in his Life Of Napoleon,
it is instructive 70 look to republic like this which
boasts DO great men, and see what it is doing on
the broad plains Of common working equality. 1t is
but little while since that The Edin5urgh QaIrerly
in the dialect of Twattledom spoke of the age of great
men in America such as the Revolution called FORTH
as passed, leaving medocrities only to take their
places In answer to this declaration it is only sufl
cient TO say that times of peril ike throw un
equaled powers into the hands Of a single individual,
and his erits become so exaggerated, that in few
years be rises 10 myth But the real and permanent
greatness of country depends peace, and thalong
manained so is only after period of rpened exer-
ton that civilization Ofthe eOuntryas well as heciy
show itself This civilization springs from the united
efforts of masses, none of whose individuals is
sufficiently prominent for hero or myth Their
work is so general, so rapid and so natural, that
it almost escapes historical notice. IL seems as
much matter of course as the fall of rain, or
the growth Of crops. When the work of these i'm.
proyements is distributed thirtyOne States, like
our own, each with separate organization, to trace
the prime authors of the great steps OF civilization,
becomes impossible. We may get hold of the name of
De Witt Clinton as an exception, but he who gave
birth to the internal improvements in Pennsyl wanna
in Maryland is without fame.
When tawdry historian, like Abbott has to deal
with hero and his slaves, the hero does ALL because
next 10 nothing is done. He makes Code NAPOLEON,
Which cannot be good CODE as it not the will Of
IL peepe, except as they were betrayed. lie makes
SimplOn road, for bis troops, whereas if he and the
troops did not exist, the road would be made by pr
- i 4
be uEed for military invasons and popular degrade
ton.
But lock at the Canals of this State whose creation
does not entail upon us biographical fireworks and
galvanized fables in o Harpers Magazine These Ca
malls may almost take precedence OF the Atlantic
in the amount of tunnage they bear, the floating
interests they represent, and the intercourse which
they sustain. But who knows the name of De Witt
Clinton in France We do not believe three French
men besides Cheyalier, De Tocquevile aud De Beau
mont ever heard 1t mentioned and we will undertake
TO say that the whole three have forgotten it. But
what work of Napoleon equals this Erie Canal The
Code Ndpoif0nl No. That code whose foundation as
regards the most sacred intimate and radical social
ations of man and woman, the basis of society, is
fraud for under it woman has no civil right beyond
the caprice OF man no rlght OF cyOrce Dy any posi-
bliiy or in any circumstances The French workman,
too, is, as regards his born SraldOm, but few re-
moves above the relations which the negro slave holds
bis master The position of the citizen to the State
is such that bis slavery is only exceeded by that
plantation liable to be murdered at any moment as
conscript if he have lot $500 in his pocket to buy
rmyGctmcnt-a substitute or as now, not even allowed
that privilege, he is rudey seized, we learn by
the latest news and thrust into the feet though be
were dumb beast only fitted for the shambles.
so look at our public schools We are told that
Napoleon enregimensd those OF France OF course the
tap Of the drum gave the keynote for school humani
ties and sycoptancy lauds il But who the au-
thor Of our schools in New York Tell US his name,
literary Jezebels in breeches Is there nothing in
that system which yields ten twenty times much
salary TO the teachers as that Of France We speak
BY the card TO salaries after thirty years peace
under Guizots administration, the schOolmaster Of
France gOt'less than $50 year and what must il
have been in the time of the great Napoleon, wher
nearly all the money went for cannon Probably so
Believe Us, this historical farrogO on what "grea
men DO is the foulest fslsehOod that soils literature
All things require growth. The trees that grow mos
rapidly upon the banks Of the Ohio wear out in fv,
years when turned into steamboat timber and this ex
tCurorization ola system under the hand. Of hero
simply Idle gable VIII eL should Le expurged from OF
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