The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-28

southwark to the Orinoco, are embraced within
the folds Of the two American republics. But the
first broaoside of federal coercion will close the
door Of peace, and hurry US downward into all
the horrors of Mexican anarchy. The Union is
broken; to restore it our first necessity Is peace;
ana If we cannot restore it, still our only course
Of wisdom and safety - peace.
------
Nattcaal Suicides In Ancient aaa Modern
Ttmxs.
The diligent explorer Of the befogged chro-
nicles of past ages, finds it impossible to deny
the truth of the comparison between the life Of
man and that of nations; yet q no generation
Is inferior in natural energy and vital power to
that which preceded it, it would appear that
young Assyria, young Egypt, young Baby
Ion, or young Greece might have psrpetuated
the spring time or maturity Of those people, If
they hsd possessed the wisdom to do so. Where
one empire that has monopolized power in the
history of the world, has died natural death,
or persisted by unavoidable casualty, ten have
dropped down from apoplexy produced by the
imprudences of too great prosperity, or have
deliberately destroyed themselves at the very
period of their existence when mankind has
believed that they must be immortal From
the day when Adam and Eve ate themselves out
of Paradise, down to Napoleon l. or Francis
IL, it has beek the fate of uninterrupted great
ness never "to let we'll enough alone;" but, in
fuenced by such bad advisers "a the cold ser
pent," or Troya and Bianohiai, to experiment
with vegetables and constitutions, in q manner
which has invariably proved destructive to
themselves The people of the United States
ought to take warning from the teachings of the
past, and pause in their suicidal warfare with
things as they are before it is too late. Change
should not involve hostilites, aud if two con-
federacies must be formed out of the Union, it
ought to be accomplished in . sensible manner.
Troy persisted, with apparently no better
purpose than to give Homer the chance to write
q poem. The history Of Athens and Sparta,
contains moral that humanity ought never to
forget Endowed with heroism, wisdom and
almost inspired lawgivers, the giants of Their
mopyl@ defed the millions of invading Persia,
conquered every enemy, and raised their re-
spective republics to pinnacles of greatness,
which lasted as long as they were true to them
selves, and the theory upon which their nation
atty was founded. Their statesmen and ora
tors are still models for the world; their con-
situations TEEN with sagacity; and poetry and
the arts founded home temples among people
who offered them q willing and graceful wor-
ship Yet, at the very moment when the glo-
rious conclusion Of their Persian wars had made
them the wonder and admiration of mankind,
the demon Of jealousy and discord melted
them to deeds of violence which re-
suited in the decay and fall of all Greece.
Athens would make no compromise which
should lessen its supremacy, nor modify its
tyrannic exercise of rights which the majority
of the day had succeeded in fastening upon
other States with which she was confederated.
Wise Minerva proved foolish goddess, or else
she had lost the destinations Of her pristine
beauty as she was growing old. Tho tribes
were divided geographically. The Dorian had
ascendancy in the Peloponnesus, the Ionian in
Attica, Eubea, and many Of the islands. Their
dialects were different, and their manners more
80. So they began to snarl and then to fight
The Dorian cities helped the SyracusaRs, and
the Ionians the Leontini. Then ensued hatred
originally causeless, but infamed by local am
bition and the demagogues of the day. At
last came the Peloponnesian war-a civil strife
with such parallels in history as the thirty
years war in Germany, and the Reformation
struggles, in the seventeenth century, in Eng
land and France. Morals deoayed, soft sun
set preceded, it is true, final dissolution; but
deserted by itself and therefore by destiny,
poor Greece sold its own corpse to the Romans
who had so long coveted possession of her,
dead or alive.
Still more pregnant with instruction is the
curious history of the "chosen people Of Cod"
the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
from whom so many old clothesmen of the
Minores, the Ghettor and Chatham street, are
regally descended They were supernaturally
protected. by series of miracles which
lasted for ages. Their constitution and
laws were delivered to them under circum-
stances of the utmost sublimity. Yet they have
taught the fearful lesson to mankind, that the
Almighty himself cannot 80 far swerve from
his laws as to save those who are bent on self
destruction. He delivered them from the hard
yoke Of the Pharaohs, where they made bricks.
and opened the Red Sea for them to pass un-
molested into the most fertile garden in the
East. They almost instantly began to grumble,
because they had to fight with the Anak tribe
OF Indians, whom our Pilgrim Fathers would
have devoured in mouthful. Then Korah re-
belled against the President, Moses, and had to
be destroyed. Afterwards they quarrelled
with their food, and put back their own history
nearly half century. At last they got into
the promised land; but one of their first steps
was to establish pro-slavery in geographi-
cally unsuitable section, and to yoke under
the Gibeonites. This led to innumerable dis
asters Finally, after they had destroyed their
enemies, with thunder storms for artillery, and
the sun in the armament as one of their field