, 1861-08-06
HISTORICAL PARALLE1S

We have never much hncied t1,e afF,cta.
lion that has recently sprung up of com,
paf1ng the American with the old Roman
Republic. The similarity between them.
u any exists, Is all On the outside while
taa differences are radical. This outside
semolance has been made use of by too
many orators who seek only dramatic Of.
.ect' Not only on the stump, but in the
oena1e house' we are constantly hearing
fehea1sed the expressions canonized in
Latin history. ut is crime to desnair of
the Republic" we are told. We hear of
our advancing legions," Of "Victory
pe1chng On their eagles" and such other
grand1oquent expressions, which We re-
gard as N radically bad taste, and as bom-
nasuc as they are unmeaning,
lie truth Of It is, the Republic of an
Gent Rome never was q Republic as we un-
de1stand the word It was strictly mill
ta!y power, resembling France much mo;ra
than The United States.-Indeed the histo-
n OF modern France presents more than
one striking parallel with that of ancient
iSeme' and IN the first and third Napoleons
ne seem to see revived the first and second
OF The Roman Caesars.
The United States are not mere militia.
" power: They are not what Rome waa
an olgarchy. They have not Whist
ttome had-adVancing and conouerino To-
gions which are tile terror of neighborino
NATIONS. They are not made I'D as Rome
"as-of central State surrounded nv
conquered accretions. They do not exist
~ suhjugation. They are not as Rome
"as-noth1ng when they cease to be az
g1essiye, and therefore dependent for their
security upon their military power,
on the other hand these United States
c'a1m to be en1inently o Christian and n
Democratic nation. Their power is found
ca not On their legions, but in the willina |
consenf ei their people. Their conouests
have been mainly the legitimate ones IF q |
prosperous commerce and Of unr;va11ea
industry: If The domination or cononcst
q Other people has ever formed a part Of |
lie National programme, it has been while
restless slaveho1ding Southern minority
heio the rcins Of power. The country bas
never more than reluctantly aequiesced in /
H. anu the temper Of the great majority of
'he people has always been against auv
war 'or the subjugation of other peon7ea
and the enlargement of the national bonnd-
aries.
we ins,sf, therefore, that the parallel of
1he present war is not to be found in RI
man history, nor in any other history nr;or
70 the Introduction Of Christianity and of
CHRISTIAN Civilization. Since that time par-
aile's are indeed to be found. In fact the
war IN which this country is now engaged
Is the historical progression Of Christianity
ltselI 1t is in the grand old contests Of the
putch Republic and Of the Thirty Years
" ar that this struggle finds its parallel
not IN the aggressive WAITS Of pagan Rome
Ne pFotest, therefore, against the use Of
phraseology which seems to Us in yery bad
TASTE and So likely to convey 7ery erno-
neous Impressions. At the same t;me
siessatfons are sometimes similar where ali
else Is different The ready memory If ftha
scholar sometimes uses such sim;1ar;tv
with great effect, and we desire to comn1;
ment Senator Baker on The exceedingly
apt Illustration drawn from Roman h;sse
~ with which he electrified the senata
the other Gay, IN his reply to 1lr. Beeckin.
ridge. We quote from the debate of An.
gust list:
Hat now, When an advancing Army of t.aito,s ia |
s1,nes4 twenfy niles Of the Capital and We can
onehs to sen3 gets get up and Contends that Va
fo pe.ee sd I 5astiesa a'f ff,t9f gf t1aee and sae
are bic eloquent wordsf Are ter ae1'on not maas
70 gre "a s3d comfort to Tie encnVs AZ taeo
Il he very c.pit.p aaa po:asa 81 tss iEsaso9
Hh9t, sir, would hare been thonebft bftosn1edelaGys e.
1pns.; aa ana u more martial age senator ss
Kentucky had risen IN bis place, eprroHsder II ron
ne S illustrations Of Roman glory and declared tbat
Ss Sst tsSEs3sng Hannibal wa. Just aud Hight, and
FSSaess !S What would have been thopeht Il af,er 81
oisce snd * OF Canna. Senator had Risen in H.
e7e1y expeadfn1s q every fresh levy Of troops
foS q 1sconeeions of tie Old opv esefs
III: a Raaaa8 aaslea {ss the TsEpelas Roct "'a
teo tasn myself with ancienf !ae' e' oetter ac4usn-
nd hat nnisa f.on the Ta1ptian RosR
eur American tnstatuons ar ne ,S Indulgence Of
hear here. 'e tae speeches we
The situations of the military o,;pa ,on.
Of Rome after the battle of Cann%
q q these United States after their Tecan,
'eVstsc' were not unlike, Indeed, the siu-
'Aa1''y extends 10 the. causes md the cir: !
- o. tue defeat Vafro, who r,
- The Romans On that .fata1:d.v j
d oaapa' Vas butcher who had got 1!:n