Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-18
GFor the Chronicle.
HISTORICAL READINGS, NO. O.

ticle, to bring the Ancients into comparison
with ourselves, to specify and estimate the
several aspects Of that superiority which we
claim, and also the causes to whose silent
but powerful working this superiority must
be ascribed. To do this at ALL in the space
we have allowed ourselves-and the urgency
of many and pressing engagements make
that space limited--will require us to be
more brief, and therefore more general, than
we would otherwise have wished. You, our
Intelligent readers, will, from your own
knowledge, be able to test the correctness of
our general observations, and when necessa-
ry to supply the details.
But, before we proceed farther, allow us
to make an observation more episodical than
You must have seen, that
we have spoken of Greece in terms i'm
plying a very high sense of our obliga.
ton to her. Az, probably, we shall not
have occasion to. mention Ter again-except
y-we take this opportunity to
say what we could not say better anywhere
else; and ii is this that while we have
better means of knowing Greece than any
other ancient nation-saye the children of
Israel--we have, in reality, less correct
knowledge Of her than Of many other ma
tions, the means of knowing which are far
inferior. How few have any deep acquain-
tance with her literature! Save speech or
SO of Demosthenes, and one or two Of the
productions of her tragic poets, who knows
anything of her orators and her grand
drama. How few know anything of her
social and political life, besides what they
have learned from some Of the wretched
used in our schools They
know she was great, because the learned
world has agreed in saying so, and this,
probably, is their only reason for. believing
it.
There are two causes for this ignorance.
In the first place, we have had no good his
tory of Greece until lately, Grote's-when
comple,ed-will probably supply this derect,
and send Thurwalls heavy volumes to the
upper shelf, and Mitiords to Vulcan. In
the second place, an acquaintance with Gre
clan literature, is absolutely essential to a
correct knowledge Of her superiority and
power, and this acquaintance few have had.
To make it, requires not only the study of
years, but a combination of powers which
are rare. Good Latinsts we have had
also good mathematcians and scientific
scholars, but how few have been the good
Greciansl How many of our distinguished
students have seen the beauty and felt the
force of Grecian literature? And why is
this so We have our opinion about this,
and so has the English Opium eater, but as
our readers might not agree with us, and We
are not disposed to differ now, after so long
and amicable an acquaintance, we will pro-
ceed to perform what We have promised.
Keeping in mind that progress in the USE
full and mechanic arts is not always the cri-
terion of civilization, we will be able to
make the comparison between the ancients
and ourselves with more fairness. The high
place which we assign to Greece is not fol
her science, her philosophy, nor anything
positive or tangible. Who can weigh OF
measure intellectual power2 Who would
bring scales or figures to the estimate of q
moral or social influence Power rathe,
than knowledge we have received from
Greece. In the ''positve philosophy" te
use modern phrase, none of the Ancient'
made much progress. Here they will scarce.
ly bear comparison with us, but if compared
with modern achievements, their science ap
pears fragmentary and imperfect. We mus
remember that theirs were the difficulties O
early cultivators, and we will wonder that
laboring under these difficulties, they obtain
ed such important results.
We occupy a position the ancients onc'
did, now however, more advanced and Ger
tainly far more secure, and may we no
pro6tably inquire to what we owe this supe
riority? On what grounds we build our ex
pectations Of permaneucy2
The first and chief reason which woult
occur to an Intelligent mind, is the influence
Of purer and more humanizing religion
We owe much 10 Christianity as humani
zing power. 1t teaches the unity of tn
lace and the equality Of all men in the sigh
of Heaven. 1t teaches the Injustice of al
despotism, civil and religious. In its prac
tical workings as in its doctrines, it tends I
Justify the morals and institutions Of society
Its influence on the individual is equall
happy. lmparting such views of his loft
destiny--of his relation to Goa and his fel
low-men-as inspires his breast with eneI
getic hope and proper self-respeet.
1t is true that during part of It's histor,
Christianity was almost inactive. The hi
man mind during the middle ages, SCENE
+ rather TO have retrograded than advanced
Not only was there no great discovery mad
no offspring of creative genius to rank vii
the productions Of antiquity, bnt some in
portant ideas seem 10 have been lost sight {
Aristotle ruled in the schools. Empiricisr
Astrology, Alchemy, took the place of tru
science. The pursuit of faneiful analogi
and silly quibbling was instituted for cal
and paIient philosophical investigation
When, however, freed from restriction, d
= principles of true religion at the Reforma,i
were allowed to produce their beneficial