Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-05-01
Il cOssEDsRacY ARD THE PRESIDENT.

THURSDAY MORNING, APRIE 30, 1859.
he cOgfKDERACY ARD THE PREsIDBNr.
History never literally repeats itself, yet
,se,e is enough Of analogy between our
PRESENT struggle and the great Peloponnesian
"a, that rsgod oyer Greece and tho Medit-
sranesn two and twenty centuries ago, to
Justify sort of comparison. The States Of
Greece had not indeed been united by a
strictly Federal Constitution, but there was
5srerthsless bond Of union, both religious
.pd poli;i al, in the Amphictyonic Council,
;a Ehich the various tribes were represented
IT footing Of equality. Ib main objects
,te iatimsted in the oath CT the Amphio-
:ySus ty which tho members OF tho Lesrue
vc7s 'onnd to refrain from destroying utterly
.oy c,!y Of the States tb evein represented
10 'sjIaia from h,.tting. CT the supply G,
VAS from any such city, even in time OF
Wa; also ta defend ff"n ssoIilege the temple
o ias pelphixn God. II was rude sort oil
isss'aso.'; and did for nany an age maintain
sy:c;ss Of public Law between the Statos.-
Blt a"sr thu repulse of the Persian in
r.sians, when Greece became potent by sea
I'D and, rich in dsets and colonies, constitu-
l.'as snj ostfs wore found no lcnger
- hmI. me party which thought it.
ss!r be stronger. This Poloponnesian war
EaS one OF lhe greatest lbut not in the Yam
se, senssj that evsc ragged on earth. All
Iitses ass but half the siz, of South Caro-.
l.Ds; yet 1t was = great race-i,tle as the
Yankees would think it-great in action md
ysssi, n, in genius and effort and achievement.
The noble historian, who has made their war
iGr.a":ts', tells US it's origin:
For sll these things fell upon them st
eace 81 rg with this war, which the Athe-
-!.:s ard Pelcponnesians began by breaking
10 .hIrty years truce, after the tsking of
Eu',:aa. IS for the reason why they broke
}, / bare ti;sl. narrated their grounds OF
; Drlsint and fneir differences, that no one
;hsatrvs have to enquire from what origin
So g7est var broke out amongst the Greeks.
The lruest reason, though least brought for
w4ld III Words consider to have been, thst
iae AiasI,ishs, by becoming great, and caus-
!ny alaru. TO the LIced sem onians, compelled
;hsn to proceed TO hostIlitiss."
Thuc?cide., i'ceed, WAS an Athenian aud
:of,"fota, ~e are TO i4ake allowances for his
At':c p,ejudices aud unconscious biAs.-
Los: however, at those points Of analogy
srh III! present struggle, which are plainly
~tcarersble, and not open TO dispute, First
ibu Peloponaesian States were tbs most
S'uths'p patt of Greece, while those which
adhered TO Attica were mainly in the North.
Second, Lcodssnon, the leading Stats Of the
scu!tern League, WAS Of Dov:c Iace-Athens,
CT Ionic; ard while Athcns was very demo
cratic The original cradle of the densaqoanes
-L.cedamon was sris:ocratic and monarch
ica. The chief wealth of tie Athenians WAS
II trade rrd clipping .thsis ports -ware
choSed With the merchsndizs Of tho world,
and thsy supplied all the coasts of the sea
=l'h th=Ir manufactures. But the wealth Of
tie Psloponne STARS YVES in focks, and herds,
'n1 agriculture. The Athenians were e1oi-
'shl: and unsteady, always telling or hear
ing saa,o new thing" Their public asem-
',-s ware As t1multuous as Tammsny Hall
saa m'hy foaming stump speech wss pour
ID fSrih rom their Bsma upon ths "asroc
dtU;C;.cJ" by PsfioDes and Alcibiades. But
'hs l'.ceoam onishs were reserved and sstur-
aiHs loved 10 msss meetings and held the
den'sosue in contempt.
Not to compare Peyicles with Seward.
'Shcb would be great injustice to botb,)
S'yet ind in the speech Of the tormer,
a's'ag Athens to = vigorous prosecution of
tie war. some passages which the latter
might With advantage have plsgisrized:
'lasI wo shall not be the weaker side, be
ccnTreed by hearing the PARTICULARS The
'si"po"heslsns are men who cultivate thoir
''isd themselves; and they have no money
''ler III private or public funds Then
'ao! are inexperienced in long and trsus-
iiiih- wsIs And men of this description
''n '-i,her man fleets, nor often send out
ana slmamenss; being at the same time ab-
sea' lion their private business. and spond-
Hg irom their own resources and moreover
''aE shut out from the Sea- &c. I.
lh' poIopc1assu5, indeed, was quite sur
f'Sn"td hy the sea, save at orc nrrow 18TH
HHS' and bal grekt haibors but the same
rG'sNt Pe;.ciss says:
twill not be possible f,r them to pre-
~ Orr sailing to their country, and raising
'"2 and retaliAtiDg with our ships, in
'Sch we arc 80 strong. To become skillful
.''sa viii not easily be acquired by them
"' not even have you, though practising
''lih time Of the Median wars, brought It
"Pe'iecsion As yet how then shall me1 who
's.s'iculturists and not mariners, and more
,'ef T'ii not even be permitted to practice
n''n bel g always blocksded by US with
l'Hf ship. ~ -. go
lie orator on the stump proceeds to point
W. me advantages the Athepisna possessed
"a 'as'r large numbers of resident alisns''
''a which to man their feets-(for the Aths-
-A'' We're great enoouragers Of immigration,
:" a''ed all mankind the advantages of the
- government the world ever saw); in
s-'1 bs proved to them that tneY could soon
'7ound their enemies with an ~snaoonds"
''~''''To them out, kDd the crowded agora
,s''a with applause that shook tho Ac-opo-
c AM Numbered over Greece.
" 1's! not be omitted to mentiou another
I'segy About tl.e tune of Psrioles, Athens
-, 'os''tns Inc most splendid and luxurious
-. ~ 70 'as world; but corruption and base
public and In private life, had grown
.. proportion to her wealth and power.
''"or,ai buildings which are still tho
III envy of nations, only sprang up
fsn the heart of Athens wss
Al the core. Bribery WAS ram
-, SAa 1t Was ths ora. Of freo..oye
s,, I'ydAy Of the AspasiAs, when & fair,
aIyDe, ACcr aa5 hsfora tka :J ri