Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-03-06
BIB. BA1Rp,s LECTURE on ITALY.

Dr.. BAIRD gave the fifth Of his Historical Lee
lures on Europe last night at the Cumberland Pres
bytsrisn Church. The subject was Italy. The au-
dience was large and highly respectable
As in the former lectures, DR.. BAIRD sketched the
history Of civilization in Italy, from the earliest
times down to days. and gave the Characteristic
features Of Roman civilization, in distinction from
that which msy be called the Greek. The Romans
we're rude and brave people, before The conquest
Of the Greek Colonies and Cities in Southern Italy
and Sicily; but after that event, and especially af
ter the conquest Of Greece itself, Macedonia, snd
other countries in the East, which enjoyed Greek
civilization, they advanced more rapidly. The RO-
man or Latin language, too, felt the influence Of
the Greek culture, and became in the course Of
few centuries noble language. But that language
after few hundred years, lost its purity, and the
consequence IS that what might be called the clss-
steal literature of the Latin language, in comPar-
sOn with that of the Greek, is supposed to bear the
proportion Of one to forty. In other words, the
olsssisl Greek is forty times great as the elass-
cal Latin. Such was the opinion Of the late 10
penOr Dslzell, Of Edinburg. The Greek was toler-
ably pure, and always a noble language, from the
days Of Homer till the capture of COnstantinope by
the Turks, say for a psriOd Of twenty-five centu-
ries. Even now the modern Greek, which does not
differ as much from the ancient as the English Of
our times differs from that of The days Of Spencer,
is spoken by i've millions Of people, if not more.
DR.. 3. gave general notice of the chief cities,
which have grown up in Italy, snd the present state
Of that country and showed to what extent the Fine
Arts still flourish there. he spoke more favOrabiy
of the Italian character than we have been accus-
toned to hear it described, and seems TO think that
hundred years Of good government, and pure
christianity, would do wonders with people whom
the double despoism Of the Prince and the Priest
has trodden in the dust for many centuries
Dr.. BAIRD next gave sketch Of the history Of
Italy, from the earliest times, treating of the plant
ing of the Greek cities on its southern coasts the
Trojan colony, the founding Of Rome, Regal Rome,
Republican Rome, Imperial Rome, and Papal Rome,
and dividing the history Of that country into two
periods, pagan and Christian. Rome under the
POpes has played almost as important part in the
world as Rome under the Republic and the Empire.
Even at this day that Old Man at Rome that never
dies" Ctbe POpe.) and that "sWOrd whose handle is
of the Jesuits) exert vast and most disturbing In
auence upon the affairs of the nations. But We can
not follow Dr. B. in his sketch Of the Republics Of
the Middle Ages, the rise of the present govern
ments Of Italy, Bonapartss campaigns Of 1867,
andIsOO, the state Of Italy during BOnapsrte reign,
the character and unhappy end of Mura, the restO-
ration Of the old rulers at Bonspartes downfall, the
struggles Of 1880, and 1885, Az 49, and '49. This
portion Of the lecture was deeply interesting. He
gave g very graphic account Of the Roman Republic
in ls4SI49, and the capture Of Rome by the French,
and spoke in the highest terms Of the King and gov
eminent of Sardinia, which he represented to be the
hope Of Italy.
In speaking Of the republic Of Venice, which,
together with that part Of Genoa overthrow by
the French in 1898, DR.. B. described the mode in
which the election of the DOge or President (fOr
life was effected, which was as follows: When q
Doge died the mobiles who had right to vote for a
successor, assembled before the DOge's Palace, in
the Piazza of St. Mark, and as many balls as there
were voters were put in an urn. Among these balls
there were thirty that were called the golden balls"
Every nobleman then went up to the urn and took
out a ball. OF course, thirty Of them received the
thirty golden balls, Then these thirty reduced
by lot TO nine, and these nine choose forty; these
forty we're reduced by lot to twelve, and these twelve
chose twenty FIVE; then these twenty-five were re-
duced again to nine and these nine chose As; then
these fOry-fve we're reduced to eleven, and these
eleven chose forty-One and they elected the DOge.
For this purpose they we're shut up in the Palace
and made stay there till they succeeded in making
choice in doing which twenty five votes out Of the
fOrty-One we're necessary.
At the close of the lecture DR.. BAIRD announced
that the sixth lecture would be given in the same
place. on Monday night, March 81 and that it
would be on the Scandiaariaa countries, Denmark
Sweden, and Norway and Spain and Portugal This
lecture can hardly fail to be interesting one
The last lecture of the SERIES Dr. B. stated, will be
next Wednesday night and viii be on Great Britain |
md IrslaEd