New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-11

battle as a common soldier who without family with
out patronage, without the fashionable culture or
| the fashionable vices Of his day, while stemmng
the scOrn and deIsion Of the MOBILES, by the force
| Of bic genius q general and statesman, and,
by the integrity Of a character massive and col
umBar IN all its proportions" and by his STURDY DE-
feDte OF pebean interests against pRroian insoenee
had raised hmsef TO the first dignity Of the state
Cool, blunt, rigid, sefcentered, yet capable OF pro
hglOus displays Of energy, he had shown himself as
remarkable for the with which he fortified camps
and managed campaigns for fearless prowess on the
field Of battle The nation, therefore, putting aside
it's constitutional forms, that be might be made consul
second time, Immediately, and in his absence, hailed
him az it probable savior.
JULIUS CESAR.
The great Roman Captain who conquered Gaul is
thus introduced 10
Now IL Glanced in the complexities Of Roman poll
tics that the governor Of the Tansapne was no less
a person than CAIUs julius CESAR. That extraord-
nary man, TO whom the world has Furnished, perhaps
no parallel was then in the vigor OF his powers, out
only on the threshold Of his deeds His early life aud
the consular administration had she Hn the wonderful
civic capacities with which he was endowed-his In
sight, bis resource and bis decision combined with
his sleepless activity The scandal Of the day. indeed
imputed bis wan thin face and wasted Inquire 70 unnat-
ural debancheries, but a more sagacoHs Judgment
10 the prodigious and wearing energies Of the huge
brain which surmounted his too delicate organization
We NAV well believe the story which Is told OF him,
although not authentic, that Sulla saw in him as
youth many a Marius for the bravery with which he
had resisted that dictator at the top Of his power the
swift Justice which he dealt upon the killklan pirates
who seized him his way to school, his daring resto-
ration of the statues of Maus in the face Of an nto
Grant aTisoeraoy; his easy superiority IN all tue SCI
and literature of his day. when every well-bon
man was scholar, and Cicero himself but PT,mHs ~
pares his rapid TO the successive dgnites
of quesOr ede, pretor, and consul, such places
were his by native right-all this more than just-
fed the alleged prediction of Sulla. large, open
were strangely blended, the most comprehensive pur
poses were backed by an iron eDacity Of will and an
exquisite refinement and grace Of manners was coupled
with almost reckless dsdan OF conservative super
stiioDs and safeguards, pointed him ont IA master
spirit in those times of dissolution bearing the republic
stormily on to its end.
THE SIEGE OF ALEsIA.
After conflict of ten years the Gauls succumbed,
and their last struggle in the stronghold Of Aesia is
thus described:
This siege Of Aesa impresses the reader not only as
the most spirited but the most fearSuly picturesque
Of all the enterprises Of this ten years war; rocky
peak rising in the midst Of glorious mountain ranges
is defer ded by eighty thousand Of the flower Of Gallo
cbvaTy and beseged at the foot by ten victorious le
giOns the skilled and veteran forces Of the first COM
mander Of his age. Far around stretch the enormous
crcumyallatons Of the Romans furnished with every
means Of defense and destruction which Roman nge-
nuy In the exercise Of centuries, had been able 10
invent. From time 70 time the eager occupants OF
the hill rusb down 10 disodge the beesguerers whose
stony CITADEL but often they driven back 10 their
holds with fearful carnage. single company Of horse
men alone il able 20 issue forth and spread itself
among the neighboring tribes, 70 summon every tight
ing man Of the country 10 the assistance Of IL brave
aud Last delendere Yet the work Of assault without
Of famine within, steadily proceeds. Already the
Gauls are reduced 10 the extremity Of debating whether
they shall eat their old and disabled men, or cast them
beyond the walls horrible alternative OF econo-
MIXING supplies. The last opinion prevails, and the
old men, the women the children, the diseased, are
thrust FORTH in large numbers, 10 die Creeping toward
the Roman Duete, they beg for snocor peg Or cOrn
beg 10 be carried into slavery beg fer any tate rather
than to be abandoned TO the miseres Of starvaon But
the Romans steel themselves 70 their appeals, as their
country men had steeed themselves BEFORE and they
are lef to perish wretehedly in the sight Of either
camp A shout Of Joy, however, reaches their dying
eare, il rings from the nights OF Alenia and re-
echoes among The mountains, for the besleged nave
cauph the ffrt glimpses Of the mulitudnous hosts Of
Ganl advancing 20 their Two hundred aud
fifty thousand warriors, led BY the abest chiefs OF All
the clans pour along the plains and dash against the
Roman walls. Gaul and Rome are met for their last
deadly encounter. For three days and nights, with
the beiest intervals ofrepose, the tide Of battle sways
from one ride 10 the other, with alternate shouts OF
exutation and despair The great commander OF th
Romans flies in biz purple robe from line 10 line, eN
horting his men, aud proclaiming that for him an
them that day everything is 10 be gained or every
| thing lost. Patriotism, yaor, despair, dnye "a
Gsuls 70 superhuman efforts. More than once INC
penetrate the very pretorium OF the Roman camp
and more than they rafe the shout OF victory
but alas victory is not for themi sudden movement
Of CHsars eutenAnts and tremendous charge OF the
German cavalry puts them 10 rout, and IN their night
they are unspaiingy cut 70 pieces that in little
while" Gays Plutarch, that immense army is vanish
| ed like a dream"
sorrowfuly the remnant Of the brave defenders Of
the town withdraWs within its walls, aud Ia about 70
appoint envoys 10 20 10 CRsar 20 negotiate the terms
OF teace Tie VercingetoriSh, whose hopes are now
withered magnanmousy ofersto surrender himself as
the ransom Of his people Caesar, lees magnanimous,
demands the surrender Of all. Appareng himself then
in all the gay aTmor Of his rank, and mounting MS
spendidly -eaparifoned steed, the Gallo ceftan gal
ops 20 where Caesar is sitting his tribunal IN the
midst OF his camp; he dsmounts and casts his sword
and hS easque at the feet of the cOnqueror without ut
teripg word In that act we behold the final subnhs-
sion Of Gau TO the proud mistress OF the nations on
wears later the VercngetOngh will be drawn from me
dungeons of Rome 10 grace tie multiple triumph OF
| the great dictator master Of Rome, and "ioromos1
man Of all the world"
THE EXTINCTION OF TIE GAULS
Describing the gradual decay ofthe Gauls under Ro-
man influences, their religion Of Druidism being the
| last thing 10 expire, Mr.. Goodwin says;
general assembly Of the States, conyoked at Lug.
dunun by Drusus dedicated altar and priesthood
10 the alteration of Augustus and of Romei magnlb-
cent temple reared at the confluence OF the streams
10 contain IL names Of the sixty principal states were
engrayen uDon the front; sixty statues represented
| them around the ball; and the whole was crowned
with colossal image Of the long-halred Province;
Other cities emuated the zeal Of the Capitals on all
sides in public places and in private larara, the M
cense smoked and the blood Of the victims lowed 70
the name of the imperial master who had suppressed
their ancient liberties by his Devices and debased their
consciences by the seductions Of profitable piey.
| II Druidism was not, however, by these means
wholly vanquished If the MACS OF the people sun eany
10 H. in the silence Of their cabins amid the sohtudes
of the hills; If for centuries yet shall hear It's reeed-