Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-07-16

equauy call IOr recognltiOn OF the DIVINE HAND.
If the former call for thanksgiving the latter call
for prayer to Him who alone can bind up the
broken hearts throughout our land, and the Chris
tian people of the United States, in approving the
inspiration of the Presidents appeal, will, we are
sure, cordially join in the nvocatons to which he
points their supplcations at the Throne of Grace.
CLASSICAL AND HISTORICAL DIVERSIONS
1t will be remembered by our readers that two
or three weeks ago we recited the circumstances
under which Cicero first gave expression to the say
ing, silent hges inter arma. Those circumstances,
as we then recounted, were as follows:
I'm the year 700 from the founding of Rome, when par
ties high in that city, Titus Annius Milo was cand
date for the Office of Consul and Pubus Clodius repre-
senng another faction candidate for the post of Pr9tor
Personal animosities combined with political rvaries to
set these two at variance and it so happened that
day they accidentally met the Appan way, not far
from the city, each attended with escort and renue OF
servants) they became embroed in personal conflict
which, beginning with their attendants did not close until
Milo had killed his antagonist
"A special commission was thereupon appointed by
Pompey (who then charged by the Senate with the
chief control of aars) to inquire into the circumstances
political friend of Milo appeared his advocate before
the judges selected to try him. and the great orator deter
mined to rest his on the theory that his client had
killed Clodius in sefdefence under circumstances which
rendered the killing of the latter ustable excusable
homicide.
Having in the exordium of his argument briefly un
folded this view of the case and excluded the idea that all
acts Of homicide necessarily criminal he proceeded
to say There is, them judges law of this knd-nOt
written bat inborn-whch we have apprehended drunk
in, and extracted from Nature herself; conformity to
which have not been taught but made, in which we
have not been educated but ingrGined-and this law
that If our life fall under peril from any ambush violence
weapon whether Of robbers or personal enemies re-
should be had to every honorable of safety
For the tGps silent in the midst Of arms Silent enim
kges inter Nor do they bid that should wait
for them when he who may be willing to wait would BY
doing, suffer unjust damage before his just rights
could be indicated "
We observe that writer, under the signature
of Publius," in the Cincinnati Gazette of the
9th instant, undertakes to parry the force and
blunt the point of our historical "reminiscences,
not by controverting the accuracy of citations
but by attempting to array the conduct of Cicero
in great civil emergency against his precepts as
an advocate in the case of Clodius. The CORE
spondent says:
1--WE submit to our ancient friends of the National
Integencer that they have been somewhat unfortunate
selecting incident in Roman history through which to
maxim when applied to national affairs Gentlemen
well read in the events of the life and times of Cicero
without any scrutiny of the particular circumstances
der which tne MAXIM was uttered mgh. nave aSun S
through which to expound the ngraned doctrines of the
law Of nature rather of necessity applicable to the
national safety in times of civil war.
when Catiline fed from Rome for the purpose Of
raising the standard of civil OF the first acts OF
the Consul (Ccero to arrest Cehegus and number
Of other Roman citizens believed to be concerned with
Catine in his conspiracy and he did not stop with merely
arresng them but he ordered them to be Immediately
ecuted without informal trial by drumhead court
martial These arrests made in Rome and there was
actual outbreak In the CITY, The act was precautionary
1t the purpose of Cicero TO crush ncpent treason in
the Capitol by blow sudden it was terrible. His
success was complete.
to be in sympathy with Catilnea charge which poste
rty eaced-made charges against Cicero for this
conduct and had him tried Some judges them as there
would be judges who could get deeper than
the letter of the law for his condemnation but
the Roman people acquitted him and at greeted him
Pater ParG-a title which all subsequent history has
conferred except upon one man-our own Wanh-
ngton.
1.-THE Judgment Of the Roman people in this instance
has been approved by all the subsequent ages. 1t has
stood the test of time and all the mutations Of human opin
on and meets with the sanction of Burlamaqu in his
great work on Natural and Political Law"
We do not claim to be any more well read in
the events of the life and times Of Cicero" than
ordinary people, who, in undertaking to write about
them, are supposed to have some knowledge of the
original or derivative sources of information this
interesting period in Roman history; but we are
free to confess that if our critics reading of this
history be the correct one he has had access to
writings which are sealed books to us. We know
nothing more of this period than what is conveyed
to by the integri ontes open to all students Of
the classic ages. The writer for the Cincinnati Ga
sette has evidently found some heretofore lost
works." unknown to our modern Niebuhrs, Ar
nolds, and Mommsens.
Sydney Smith complained of the new face put
on the early annals Of Rome by the transforming
hand Of the iconoclastic Niebuhr What with
new renderings and critical appreciations Of the
cient records, the reverend wit expressed some ap
prehension lest, after all the moral uses to which
the names Of Tarquin and Lucretia had been i'm
memorially consecrated, it might turn out at last
that the former was ga fine family man" and the
49, foxoolo of rotbor dorh%crl -.~ua.x:-- ~