The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-06-10

Human strength and human greatness
Spring not from life's sunny side.
Heroes must be more than drift wood;
Floating on > wayeless tide. rrr
LYcURGUS AND sOLON AS LAwGIv.
ERS-No. 4.
Translated from the German of Schiller
By means of ignorance as to the arts
and sciences, which ignorance darken-
ed all heads in Sparta in like manner
he secured it from the assaults an en-
lightened mind would have made up.
on it.; this ignorance also, combined
with that rude national pride, which
was peculiar to every Spartan, stood
increasingly in the way, SO as to pre-
vent their mingling with other Gre
clan nations. In the cradle, they were
already stamped as Spartans, and the
more they clashed with other races
SO much the more strongly must
they cleave to their central point
Their country was the first spectacle
that presented itself to the Spartan
boy, when he awoke to thinking. He
awoke ON the bosom of the State
all, that lay around him, was nation,
State and fatherland. 1t was the first
impression upon his brains, and his
whole life was never-ceasing renew
al of this impression. The Spartan
found nothing at home which could
charm him; for the lawgiver had
withdrawn all allarements from his
sight. Only, in the bosom of the
State, he found. employment delight,
honor, recompense all his motives
and passions were directed towards
this central point. the State, there
fore, possessed all the energies, the
whole power of all its individual citi-
zens, and, in the public spirit, which
enkindled the arder of all together,
must the national spirit of every sin
gle citizen be inflamed. There is, then,
no wonder that Spartan patriotism at
tanned a degree of strength, which
must appear incredible to us. Conse-
quently it resulted that no hesitation
could find place in the bosom of any
citizen of this Republic whenever it
became necessary to make choice be-
tween self-preservation and the saliva
tion of his fatherland.
From these causes it is comprehen-
sible how the Spartan king, Leonidas.
with his 800 heroes could merit the
epitaph, the most beautiful of its kind,
and the most sublime monument of
political virtue. "a traceler, achen
thou goest to Sparta, report that ace
haze fallen here IN obedience to her
ld.cs.
We must then affirm that nothing
can be more conformable to its pur-
pose, nothing more elaborately stud
led than this States constitution, that,
in its own manners, it represents a
complete work of art and, being
obeyed in its whole severity, must OF
necessity rest upon itself. But, if my
sketch were to end here, should rem
der myself guilty of very great ef-
ror. This admirable constitution is in
the highest degree Objectionable, and
nothing could be more sad, nothing
more lamentable could happen to Ru-
manity, than if all States should, be
established according to this model
1t will not be difficult for us to GEN.
vince ourselves of the truth of this
declaration.
Regarded according to their own
peculiar object, the Institutes of Ly-
curgus are masterpiece of states
manship and knowledge of mankind
He desired a powerful indestructlble
State, grounded upon itself; political
strength and durablcness were the
goal for which he strove, and he at.
tanned this goal so far as was possible
under his circumstances. But if we
contrast the object which Lycurgus
proposed to himself with the object
of humanity, then deep disapproba.
ton must arise in our minds in place
of the wonder excited in us by the
first fieeting glance. Every thing
must be yielded as an offering for the
best good of the State except that fol
which the State served only as a
means. The State itself is never an
object, it is important only as stipu-
lation under which the object of hu.
manity can be fulfilled; and this OBJ.
ject of humanity is none other than
the cultivation of all the powers Of
man and his progression. If the con.
stitution of State hinder the deyel.
opment of all the powers that exist in
in man Tor any Of them); if it hinder
the improvement of the mind, then il
is worthy of censure and is detrimen-
tai, though it be ever so elaborately
studied, and in its own manner COM
plete. Its durability, then, conduces
far more to lis reprobation than to its
fane-it is then only a prolonged
evil; the longer its durability, SC
much the more hurt it can inf1ict.
On the whole, we may, in Judging
relative to political institutions, estab.
lished this as general rule, that they
are good and worthy of praise only
SO far as they bring into culture all
the powers that lie in man, SO far .as
they promote the progress of civiliza-
ton ald enlightenment, or at least dc
not check the same. This holds good
of laws, pertaining to religion as well
as to civil polity. Both are blamable
when they fetter a single power Of
the human mind, if they impose on il