Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-08-21
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 81, 1861.

THE hEPUBLIC RECEIVES No DETRI-
'NENT'
The Roman Consuls had but little real
power in their hands, being compelled al
most constantly to refer their affairs to the
Senate, whose orders they were obliged to
execute. But in extraordinary cases pow
er was conferred by the Senate upon them
to do whatever was thought requisite, with,
out the advice Of the Senate, and this in
cluGed the raising of armies for public de-
fence
We have compiled the above from the
English authorities on the subject, and we
propose now, in as brief a manner as pos
slble, to give passages from Cicero's four
famous orations against Cataline, in the or
der in WHICH they occur-passages, as we
venture to think, applicable to the present
period in the history of our own Republic,
leaving our readers to run their own par
alleis OF draw their own inferepces from
what is presented. Cicero began:
How far, 0 Cataline will thou abuse our
patience? Art thou nothing dannted
by the nocturnal watch posted TO secure Pal
atium? nothing by the city guards? nothing
by the union of all the wise and worthy citi,
zens? nothing by the Senate assembling in
this place Of strength? nothing by the looks
and cOuntenanees Of all here present? seest
thou not that all thy designs are brought TO
light? that the Senators are thoroughly ap.
priced Of this conspiracy? Alas, for our de-
generacy Alas, for the depravity Of the
times! The Senate is apprzed of all this !;
the Consul beholds it; yet the traitor lives
Lives did say? lie even comes into the
Senate; he shares in the public deliberations.
Could that illustrious citizen Patlius
Sclplo, Sovereign POntiff, but invested with
no public magistracy. kill Tiberius Gracious
for raising some slight commOtionsin the Com
mOnwealth; and shall we Consuls sufferC Cataline
to live, who aims at laying waste the world with
fire and sword? l omit, as too remote, the ex-
ample of Q. Servilus Ahala, who with his own
hand slew Spurius Millius for plotting a revo-
luton in the State. Such, such was the virtue
OF this Republic in former times, that her braYe
sons punished more severely a factious citi.
zen than the most irveterate enemy. A de
cree once passed in the Senate eni0ning the
Consul l.. Optimus to take care that the Com
monwealth received no detriment The very
same day Caiqs Gracious was killed for some
slight suspicious Of treason, though descend
ed of father, grandfather, and ancestors all
eminent for their services TO the State.
A camn is formed in Italy, on the very
borders Cf Etrura, against the Common
wealth. The enemy increase daily in mum
bers. At the same time we behold their
General and leader within our walls: nav, in
the Senate House itself, plotting daily some
intestine mischief against the State I'm
mortal gods what country do we inhabitY
what city do we belong To? what Government
do we live under? Here, here conscrpt IA
theirs, within these walls and in this assem-
bly,, the most awFIl and venerable on earth.
there are men who mrdit&te ny ruin and
yours, the destruction Of this city, and cpnse
qucntly of the world itself
And now. c"nscript fathers that may ob
vlate and remove IL complaint which my
country might, with some appearance Of jus
tice, urge against me, attend diligently to
what am about to say, aud treasure it up in
your minds and hearts; for should my cuun
try, which is much dearer to me than life,
should all Italy, shoQld the whole State thus
accost me: What art thou about, Marcus
Tullius? VIII you suffer a man to escape
out of Rome whom you have discovered to be
public enemy? whom you see ready to en-
ter on war against the State? whose arrival
the conspirators wait With irlpatience that
they may put themselves under his conduct
the prime author of the treason? the contriver
and manager of the revolt? the man who en-
lists all the slaves and ruined citizens he can
find? will you suffer him to escape as one
rather sent against the city than driven from
itY Do the laws relating to the punish
ment of Roman citizens hold you in awe?
Certainly traitors against their country can
have no claim to the privilege of citizens.
Are You afraid of the reproaches of posteri
ty? When Italy shall be laid deSolate
with war, her cities plundered, her dwellings
on fire, can you then hope to escape the flames
of public indignation?' Now, / am per-
suaded that when he (Cataline) is once gone
into Manlius' camp, whittier he actually de-
signs to 60, meme can be so silly as not to see
that there is plot; none so wicked as not to
acknowledge it; but when he has thrown him
self into rebellion, and carried out his friends
along with him, and drawn together the
protigate and desperate from all parts of the
empire, not only this ripened plague of the
Republic, but the very root and seed of all
our evils will be extirpated with him at once.
In his second Grafton Cicero deals prin-
cipally with Cataline's associates in crime,
Lentulus, Cethegus and others, left be-
hind In the city to carry out the designs
of Cataline. Cicero continues:
At length, Romans have we driven, dis
carded and pursued, with the keenest ap.
proaches, to the very gates of Rome, L. Cat
alne, intoxicated with fury, breathing mis-
Chief impiously plotting the destruction of
his country and threatening to lay waste the
city with fire and sword In driy-
ing him from the city we have forced his most
advantageous post. We shall noY, without
opposition, carry ON just war against an
open enemy. We have effectually ruined the
man by driving him from his secret plots into
open rebellion. = / could wish he
had likewise carried with him those whom !
see futtering in the forum, sauntering about
the courts of justice, and even taking their
places in the Senate. To me the
absence of Cataline alone seems to have res.