Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-06-23

those splendid structures which once adorne |
the shores of 1Egcan, the Euxinc, and the
Esditcrrancan Athens, the eve of Greece
the school Of the world-has her dismal
fate impressed no lesson on the thoughts of
mankind Fifteen hundred years before
the birth of our Saviour, the light of civil
| order and civil freedom arose in the Island
OF Crete, and sent its rays through the vale
OF Tempe, the rich plains of Thcssaly, over
the fruit fields of Attica, and Bmotia, and
lowered with an everlasting and imperisha
bile radiance around the heads of Olympus,
llelicon, and Parnassus 1t is true that
kings governed in those early days but abso-
lutte power in one man was unknown. Laws
made by the people chaned the lcentious
hand OF oppression. The proudcst mon
archs of those warlike ages governed in
obedience to the will of the legislative de-
partmcnts. They enacted no laws; they
executed them as they found them A
house OF peers and an assembly of the pco
pie shared the supreme authority and en-
sured safety and liberty to the citizen. -
| UlysSus speaks Of one chief "to whom ,Ju-
piter hath intrusted the sceptrc aud the laws
that by them he may govern But he
recognizes that these instruments of COY
crnmcnt are bestowed by the popular favor.
for, when shipwrccked upon strange coast
and addressing himself as a supplicant to
its queen, he says May the Gods grant
you and your gests to live happily; and may
you all transmit to your children your pos
sessions in your houses and whatsoever hon
ors the people hath given you" But even
this limited and constitutional system of
monarchy was not long borne by that proud
race which drank in the lovco liberty from
the free air of the mountains over their
l., al, 4 Il. Al. Al
stormy ocean at their feet. 'Ihose vigor-
Gus principles Of Democracy which had al
ways existed in the Grccian governments
began to terment; and, in the course of a
few ages monarchy was everywhere abolish
ed; the very name king was very general
~ prescribed; commonwealth was thought
the only government to which it became
men to submit; and the term tyrant was in
troduccd to denote those who, in opposition
to these new political principles, acquired
monarchal sway. Then sprang into cx-
istence that wonderful cluster Of republics
whose memory yet fills the earth with its
fragrance of noble deeds and exalted
genius, Liberty hoyered over that classic
| peninsula Of Southern Europe like the an
gel OF creation lowering over night and cha
os, and from the fostering warmth of her
imbracc came forth an immortal world OF
letters Of art Of science, and of law The
! Macedonian, the Spartan, the Athonan, and
! all lifted their heads among the stars, and
barely condesccndcd to pity and despisc
ncighboring nations who were less free than
themselves. They pointed to Marathon
and Salamis. Thcrmopyle, and Platca, as
| the American points, to Saratoga, and Bun.
ker Hill. Yorktown and New Orleans They
| kept their festive days OF national deliver
ance and JOY as the fourth day Of July auC
the eighth day of January have been com
mcmorated and hallowcd by us. They
sounded all the dcbths and shoals of honor
drank deep draughts from the very fountain
of freedom; achieved Immortality in every
department Of human thought and uction
And yet, with their cup full Of glory io
more than Il thousand years, sparkling to tht
brim with rights and privileges more swcc
to their taste than the honey of iIymcttus
they dashed it to the earth, and its shatter
ed fragments remainas they fell. The lust
Of power ON the part Of public rulers. and
the luxury, sloth, and indifference Of the
people. nulsed so long in the lap ofprospcr,
ity tFat they allowed the usurper to march
1 on his lawlcss career unchallcngcd and nm
questioned, worked the overthrow oithc Re
publics Of Greece. And what traveller
standing upon those blighted and withereo
plains, has behed a sign Of resurrection tol
more than two thousand years? Now ant
then. it is true, a murmur or Il groan has
disturbed the deadly sleep in which thai
land is embraced, but it only shows that she
dreams of the past, not that she will awake
to the future Her birthrght was aban
doncd by her own sordid hand, and it can
not be reclaimed. A petty power Of North
ern Europe now gives king to the country
men Of Homer, Themistocles, and Soon.
But, sir, another name more prominen
than all others presents itself to the studcn
of antiquity in this connection. Roman
history stands out upon the canvas OF tim,
as plainly marked as the events Of moderr
ages. We see Tarquin, the Proud, cNpel
led from his throne, and the foundation
of the commonwealth laid five hundred
years before the Christian era For tho
next five centuries we behold race OF mcr
who would have brooked the eternal devil
to keep his state in Rome, as easily as 4
king"
low fondly the dovotcc of liberty dwell,
upon that period! With what grandeur tho
names of the mighty dead, and the sublime
creations Of their genius, arise to our view
In what does the boasted civilization o
i the present surpass the achievements of {
race and an age to whom the revelations Of
God were unknown? Who has spoken Il.
Cicero spoke? What historian has guided
a pen 50 full Of majesty and beauty as that
which inscribed the annals Of Tacitus?-
Whose muse has winged loilier flight o.
sung nobler strain than Nirgils? Ii
arms, too, what warriors have improved
upon the skill and magniliconcc Of Scipi'
and Caesar? But it is still more in the dig
nifty and freedom Of her private citizen
that Rome was great, than in the renowl
of her most illustrious leaders, statesmen
and orators. Kings Of powerful nation
bowed their uncovered heads before thu
F. Roman people. The magistrates, consuls
and military commanders paid homage anC
obedience directly to the public will: Thu
sovereignty Of the people was absolute. -
The principles of self-goyernment wer
never in the history of nations, more full.
or clearly displayed. Jurisprudence became
,, an enlightened science, from whose pages
!, light extends to the present hour, and un
der whose guardian protection the humbles
citizen of Rome was secure in every righ
declared unalienable by the Declaration G
, American independence. But why linge
{ upon the well known story Of Roman lib
erty and Roman greatness. L use 1t but t.
: illustrate, The melancholy conclusion came
, AS the son of the morning fell from Heay
! en-, so fell Rome from the luminous spher
OF liberty never to hope again. The worl
grew dark as her light faded away, and te
centuries OF gloom succeed her downfall
: And why perished this mistress of tn
earth? Not because the vandal ravaged he
borders: not because the Gaul burned (