The New York herald., 1867-02-19


life and will appropriately crown the edifice
Of humbug which he has been for so many
years engaged in building up.
Forward or Downward-The Law Of Revo-
Iutions.
In revolutionary times the watchword is
forward or downward. Moderate men and
measures are overwhelmed by the rush of
events. "He that wavereth is like wave of
the sea driven with the wind and tossed" The
trimmer tacks this way and that in almost ludi-
crous distress, is finally foundered and sinks.
Only the strong grasp of some representative
of one extreme party or Of the other can seize
and hold the helm Popular reforms-that is
to say, reforms abridging the privileges of an
oligarchy and extending the liberties of the
people-have often been suggested or planned
and sometimes initiated by members Of the
very class which would suffer loss by them The
higher the rank of such persons the less illibe-
raj they are apt to be in their theories. But if
they overcome the restraint of their habits and
lingering prejudices SO far as to attempt q
practical application of their theories, these
same persons are alarmed at the violent explo-
sion which follows. They soon find, however,
that they haye coajarsd up spirit which win
not down at their bidding, and which either
ippsls chem hagpnA THAR original intentiens
ar- Aashes then eslde ler new leaders and
accents q public opinion. Oaee Get in motion
the sIiheel viii, turn, and those who will NOT
revolye with it must let 60 or be crushed.
One OF the earliest "appeals to the people"
was made by Lucius Junius Brutus, when he
exhibited to the Romans the bleeding corpse
Of Lucretia. Notwithstanding the affected in
sanity under which he masked his patriotic
sentiments he held an important msgistracy,
and although the expulsion Of the Tarquins
and the abolition Of royalty, which was the
consequence Of his appeal, was . purely patri-
clan revolution yielding no immediate advan-
tage 10 the great body OF the people, yet 1t
taught the people of later days how to drive
out tyrants and upset thrones. Thus "the
liberty of Rome, at its starting point" says
thoughtful historian, "was in the leash Of the
patricians" Valerius, the successor of Col
latinus as the colleague of Brutus, won the
surname of Publioola, the friend of the peo-
ple," and fairly inaugurated the long conflict
between the patricians and the plebeians by
proposing the laws which bore his name
restraining the consular power-the executive
Of that tme-and securing to the plebeians
right Of trial by their peers simi-
lar to that enjoyed by the patricians.
His brother, Marcus Vslerius, strenuously
supported the reasonable demand of the people
for redress of their grievances when they
were treated like slaves by their patrician
creditors. These illustrious brothers and many
who shared the liberal feelings of their own
class could trace their descent from the earliest
members of their order, while the naughty
and selfish old fogy who was their principal
opponent was Sabine and had changed his
name from Artus Clausus to Appius Clandius,
when he migrated TO Rome. His opposition
was unsuccessful, and after the passage Of
law to which the people asssnted, providing
tor Q single supreme magistrate, the Senate
ruled with some show Of Justice oubse-
quently, indeed, patricisn cruelty to plebeian
debtors was revived , but it provoked seces-
sion Of the plebeiau armies in the midst Of war;
No less than twenty thousand plebeian soldiers
marched out OF camp to hill on tie, river
Anio. where they were joined by vast multi
tudes Of their discontented brethren The
Senate discovered that the popular demands
must be complied with before they had time to
be increased. II was, therefore, compelled to
conclude with the seceders treaty which was
the Magma Charta Of the plebeians, and the hill
itself became, under the title of Mons Sacer, .
sacred landmark In the history of Roman
liberty. The valerian laws were restored to
their former efficacy, and Eve annual msgis-
trates, whose persons were declared to be
inyiolsble. were chosen to watch over the
rights Of the people.
After having gained what Is called personal
liberty, through the protection Of their tri-
bunes, the plebeians maintained with varying
fortunes long conflict with the patricians, in
order to win at first social and afterwards
political liberty. Coriolanus, still stronger
type than Appius Claudius Of the old fcgy patri-
clan. made the cruel proposal to the Senate
that the corn generously sent by . Sicilian
prince to Rome during famine should not be
distributed to the starving until the plebeans
had relinquished all the privileges which they
had acquired by their recent secession On
coming oat from the Senate after making
his detestable speech Coriolanus would have
been lynched by the mob, which was infuriated
bv the want Of food as well as thirst for liberty.
IL the tribunes had not interposed their autho-
rity. The latter cited him TO trial before the
tribunes. He retorted that they, had no right
| to sit In judgment on such as he; but
| the tribunes were resolute, and even the
Senate warned him that he must yield. He
was impeached, tried, convicted and con-
dewned 70 exile. spurlus Cassius, who pro,