Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-03-31
ALrxANprR THE I'LL.

nav be advsuisgeorsly repaired.
ALExASDrR THE eREAI.
At this time an unforeseen event, which changed
The desiinies Of the world, occurred 10 show The
difference witch exists between the rapid crea
ton OF MAS OF geli0s and the patient word OF
al Enlightened aristocracy. Alexander the
Great. after having astonishsd the world and
brought The mos. powerful empires Of Asia, into
subsection 70 Macedonia, died 10 Babylon. His
sirong AID fertile influence, which carried the
Hellenic civilization into toe east, lasted beyond
his lie; but the empire which he fOCaded fell IN
70 fragments only few years after his death.
Bu; The Roman sFistocsacy, renewing itset from
generation 70 generation. pgFsued with les haste
bat With less interruption. system which bound
the populations 70 a common centre, and hile
by llile assured them the dominion, hrst over
Itsly and shen over the world
Tx WAR AGAINST rTEsHUs
On the asws Of his arrival al the head Of 2j.-
600 men ard twenty elephants. the Romans
rolled every citizen capable Of bearing arms
even the prole,srisns. bu, admirable example Of
msnbood) ihey rejected the assistance Of the
CsrthaginIan feet with this proud declaration
THE republic undertakes no wars but such as
she can conduct With her own forces"
The war against the king OF Epirus produced
two remarkable results, improved the Roman
tactics and introduced between the eOmbaIants
those principles OF civilized nations which teach
men TO honor their adyersaFies to spare the van
pushed, and 20 put away the passions OF var
when the war Is AZ END.
THE REPUBLIC AZ IFS HIGHEST sPLESDoR.
At this epoch the republic was at its highest
splendor. The institutions made remarkable
men; the snnu&i elections raised 10 poser those
who were the most worthy. aud recalled them TO
Office after short interval. The sphere OF the
military commanders never extended beyond the
natural frontiers OF the peninsula, and their am
bition, restrained by public opinion, did not eI-
coed It's legitimate Object-the union OF all Italy
under q single power. The members Of the arts
tocrscy seemed to inherit the enterprise AS well
as the virtue OF their ancestors. and neither pow
erty nor obscusity Of birth prevented merit from
rising 20 the highest rank The ambition Of
Rome appeared bOundless; yet all her wars had
for reason or pre;ext the defence Of the weak
and the protection Of he- allies The senate put
in practice the principles which found empires,
and the virtues to which war gives birth; that is
to say, in the emPerors own .Ords-equalty of
rights to every citizen; equality of duties in
times Of public peril; aud even the suspension of
liberty To the most worthy, honor and com
mand but no magisterial charge to him who has
not served in the army; the triumph for victories
which enlarged the public territory, but not for
those which only recover lost ground, nor for
successes 10 civil vars. when success, be il what
j, may, IS always q subject for mourning. To
sacrifice everything to their country was held bs
all classes the first duty OF 2 Roman. Such, the
emperor couceives we're the principles which led
Rome 70 the mastery OF mankind
rHE BASIN OF THE MEpITERRASEAx.
We are now approaching the Punic wars.
Rome required two hundred and forty four years
TO constitute herself under the kings, one hun
dred and sixty-tTo years 10 consolidate the con
splaT republic. seventy two years 10 make con
qucst Of Italy, and now it was about 70 cost her
nearly century and half TO obtain the dOmit-
ion OF the world; that is 10 say of northern Airi
ca, Spain, the south OF Gaul Ilyria. Epirus.
Greece. hscedona, Asia Minor Syria aud
Egypt. But, before undertaking the recital OF
these cOnquests, the imperial author halls to con-
slider the prosperous state of the basin Of the
Mediterranean at tie period Immediately preced
log the Punic war
This concise description OF the countries
bordering on the Mediterranean two or three
hundred years before our era proves sufficiently
the state Of prosperity of the different populations
on lie shores The enumeration Of such pros
perity inspires the very natural wish that hence
forth the jealousy Of he great powers msy no
longer prevent the east from shaking off the
dust of twenty centuries and from being born
again 70 lite and civilization.
CARTHAGE.
Rich in the spoils of twenty differenI nations,
CaTths &c was the splendid capital of a great en-
pire. Her ports. created by the hand of man,
could receive vsst number Of ships, both for
trade and war. Byrsa, her citadel. was two
miles in circumference. On the landUsrd side
the city was defended By triple wall, - stadia
nd cttht finb- ctr oil he
of four stories: and having accom- mOdaion for
4 600 horses, 300 elephants end 20 900 infantry.
She contained so immense population; for even in
her latter days. after the waste of century she
had still 700 600 inhabitants. Her monuments
were worthy OF her grandeur; among others
there was the pie Of Aschmoun. correspond
ing TO the Greek Esculpaius; that Of the sun,
adorned with plates OF gold. computed at 900
talents: and the mantle (peplum) wrought for
the statue of their great goddess. which had
cest 100 talents. The empire of Carthage ex-
tended from the frontiers of Cyrene pays de
BaTca, region de Tripolil TO those OF Spain. She
was the capital OF Northern Africa, aud in Libya
alone she possessed 800 towns. Nearly all the
Islands Of the Midland sea to the west and south
OF Italy had received her magazines of com
merce She had imposed her system upon all the
old PhGnician settlements il those parts, and lev
led upon them an annual tribute Of men and mon
ey
In the interior OF Africa she sent out caravans
OF merchants 20 buy elephants, ivory, gold. and
negro slaves, which she exported to all the com
mercial ports of the Mediterranean In Sicily
she collected oil and vine; in Elbs, she sought
for iron: in Malta. she found priceless tissues; in
Corsica she procured wax and honey: in Sardin
ia she bought corn, metals. and slaves: in the
Balearic islands, she obtsined mules and fruits:
in Spain. gold. silver. iand lead; in Mauritania,
hides aud skins She sent her ships TO the ex-
tremites OF Britain in search Of tin. Within
her own walls industry fourished. snd her work
men produced the most celebrated fabrics No
market in the ancient world could be compared
with that OF Carthage. 70 which men OF all ma
tons came in crowds. Greeks, Gauls, Ligur
isus, SpanisIdS. Lihyans, served under her ban
ners The Nunidisns fIrmed rsdoubtable cav
airy. The feet was powerful, amounting at this
time % i've hundred vessels She possessed a
considerable arsenal. the importance of which
one can understand from the fact that Carthage
surrendered 70 the victorious Scipio two hundred
thousand stand OF and three thousand war
like machines Even after the battle OF lama.
Polybius could still describe Carthage as tie
richest city N the world