The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-08-04

Gen. Morgan IN a recent speech at Colum
bus, Ohio, on The issues of the day said:

bus, OHIO, on The issues OF the day SAID
After q war CT thirty years between Sam
mum and Rome, we are. told by Livy, tia
the Roman Senate resolved to dombin botl
consular armies and put an eiit 10 the war
But by an ingenious stratagerl Of Pontius
the Samnite General, the Roman armie.
were induced to pass the Caudine Forks
aud become inextricably involved between
two defiles, while tie army of the enemy sur
rounded them. The Romans deGed the Sam,
mites to battle, but the latter knowing tina,
| their enemy must surrender or perish from
starvation, declined the combat. Poutus
called u council of war, which was unable
! to agree as to the true policy TO be pursued.
BY common consent the elder Pontius, father
| OF the commanding general, alike distin>
guisEed FOR wisdom for valor, was written
for his advice-he being thought too old to
visit the camp. The old statesman replied
! "Make the Romans your friends. This
can only be Done by a GENEROUS policy; for
| they are as braYe and naughty as ourselves
Then, instead of enemies, make them our
! friends, and Samuium will become doibly
| strong-tor we will then not only have our
own strength but also the strength of Rome
| u 1t the Sd antics were unequal to an act
of magnanimity-they must, at least. have
the pleasure of insulting the Romans Old
I
this time he was hauled to the Sannite
camp. When told that the council had
rejected his advice, he said
Since, then, YOU do not know how to be
generous, yCu must learn to be cruel. The
Romans II est either be made our friends or
die. Ii 1t IS tco difficult for you to be great,
by being generous, then be wise, by destroy>
ing the enemy whom 7ou refuse to make
your friends. and although ycu will render
the name of SaTnium inihnou,, ye, you will
secure peace for several generations, fer
Rome will be left without a soldier
But the Samnites, inr1Pabl. of n great
and generous action, and shrinking from the
inf:,u>y of q baI barous one, with the instinc.
of small natures, resorted to a middle, and
cOnsrnIently to an erroneous pulicv The
Roman army was not only deprived Gf It's
arms, bat. even to th. consuls, toe soldiers
were stripped Of all their clothing saws a
shirt, aud thu degraded were compelled to
pas under the conlueror's yoke With
shane upon their brows, but vengeance in
their hearts, the consular armies, naked and
disarmed, returned TO Home Wha. Wis Ire
result? All Rouc-the very women sud
the little caildr' u, yet Ia their mothers AIMS.
all cried aloud for death or 7engcance. Aud
Instead of Rome becoming tue friend of
SamnIun, as generous treatment would have
made her-instead Of Roman and SamuiIe
embracing with the embrace of brothets,
the war again burst forth with a more dire
fut fury, and only ceased after twenty five
years carnage, upon the total destruction of
every Samnte town and city, apd the total
exit, patton of the Samnite race.
will not, citizens, insult your patriotism,
or your intelligence. by making an applica>
ton II the moral Of this legend of history
BIT iet ne ask whether in tie e7ent OF our
becoming involved I'm war against France
aud England w..h tIeir sixteen hundred
vessels Of var-wasrher in sIcr n event.
we would be any s:-ot-.r b. harjIg eleven
OF our $ga,cs-0ur cJan'-yr. r.14--.ebD now
extend to q, the hand OF. rc;5r tiiia'ian-
arraved against IS - creGir5i Nh:r
would have Teen the result OF the war had
England and France been united wilh the
CcUfcUerates
is it not wise 70 be geaerous-are We so
mean ,ha. We a,G afraid 10 be Just?