The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-01-19
at'hesliu9 gr9lster.
arr nosGANTOwN LETTER.
r-seuator willey's Lecture - The
Crowning effort.

L-G
CrowninS Effort.
Correspondence OF the Register.
MoRGAETowN, January 10.
Last evening the fourth lecture OF the
course was delivered at the University
he our fellow townsman ex-senator
Tinev, than whom West Virginia has
M nobler man, finer genius or devoted
-srresepta,iye and citizen. That the
talents and eloquence OF our political ana
laosl veteran are not under-esliInateo
even At home was evinced by large
s,+andsnce Of our most intelligent ciL!-
zens. s.. L..
icsl, perspicuous, yet eiAoora'eiy ornate
n-o5nc,ion wss The Relations o; Law to
fSvi, Liberty" As Introductory the lee.
go said mat it would be perceived at
announcement OF the subject that !.
md no. permit of much literary EN-.
Enlistment, but that the audiences might
consider it "a compliment to
their culture and intelligence
that he appeared before them
with something homely and practical,
after the foe rhetorical and literary
treats with which they had been served
nv former lecturers
In the early history of Rome, before
corruption and RIGHTEOUSNESS took p's
session Of the people, 1t was customary
for the supreme power 70 be yes!et In
dictator, bu: such was The Jealousy Of the
nonulsce that these dictsLors were glad
TO reInqui.h their authority. The onlv
executions to this rule were Sylls and
Cpzsr, and even Cezsr was asssssinased
because be WAS suspected OF using his
mower to erect q throne for himself. But
these outbreaks were the result OF law
lessness, and, ''salus popul, suprens
lex" | prefer to believe that the safety
OF the people con lets in the supremacy
ofthe law This supremacy OF law is
necessary, not only in human affairs, but
| think without irreverence 1t may be
said that the sovereign Creator oil
all things is the subject OF law
Otherwise Old Chaos would
resume his SWAY, and no more could we
SAY, with the ps4lmist, The heavens de-
clare the glory OF God" &c.
Just in proporl on as human laws are
wise and pure will be the prosperity and
happiness OF its subjects. In the organ
izstion of the State 1t wss intended that
nothing be lett TO individual caprice.
The three departments Of rovernment-
the legislative, Judicial and executive
were made distinct and separate IN order
that the ENDS of pubic justice be most
thoroughly subserved.
Our fathers were thoroughly versed IN
the civil history Of man, and sought to
org ,nIzo an entirely impeTsonsi govern
ment No liceOso was given 10 individ-
ual caprice. They knew thst law with
out liberty is RIGHTEOUSNESS. II cannot
be- too much impressed upon the mind
that the cDrdinaL prtnciDLe OF a republican
government is its imperSOadtaty.
Law is reason wi hJu! passion, and Is
subject TO no such trailty ~ individuality
or personality. Bat law Is not q mere
negative principle; 1t Is u most positive
power, exercising Its control over every
citizen.
A time has come when law - two
much set ut defiance ia cur country. and
As our rlots, labor strikes, &c, snow, we
will have to suffer the same outbreaks
that other ra.ions have. Also ut en-
forcement ofthe law is tue crucial test OF
Ropublicanism. Liberty cannot DC pre-.
served If the law is not enforced. When
we refer 10 Athens, we find that with ali
its science, literature and art 1t mad no
true constitution, no system Of law so
complete as TO insure personal liberty or
Justice. It's principal judiciary WAS
mere rabble. Arstophsnes said OF 1t,
tina, so unjust and partial were It's judges
that Justice was almost unknown, and
that the town had become iul
OF chicsners and pettltoggers, and God
hel any people thus situated.
Even the Areopsgus the most august
tribunal OF Athens, Jailed 70 secure JUS
tice in consequence OF the prevalence OF
the judicial discretionary authority. Gib-
saws the discretionary power OF the Judge
is the foundation Oi despot'sm.
In Athens the three departments OF
government were not distinct. The State
fell by the very power which erected 1t
and aided its growth.
All OF her external spiendor, whether
in science literature ur art, ~a' but II
miserable equivalent for the individual
oppression Nd luiuS zee OF It's Internal
lite
From lO6s e. G. 10 the time OF Philip
of Maceduu, ti.re WAS little - be All.
mired in the Greek msnners, reilSlcn
or law. In the starving OF
weak and puny infants, while
the strong were preserved; IN the
public baths where all congregated pro-
miscously; IN the -. | must reief
you to the descriptions of rites he most
revolving, in their festivals tor II l were
TO mention them here | would offend the
ears OF the refined. the pries,csses were
but hariCts, and at one time the Virgins
OF Venus numbered over 600. All these
and many more rs disgusting were not
only permitted but sanctioned by writers
of inst day. Even the almost divine Plato
said that man might lie II he but knew
how to do il well. It's also instructed the
best known courtessn OF Athens how Ia
preserve her beauty. But the great lack
OF the ancient Greek state was that OF
domestic purity. Fidelity and purity IN
domestic relations is the foundation OF
national prosperity.
Neither morsls,uOr manners, nor relig-
ion, nor government, nor literature, nor
art, nor science can survive the over
throw of domestic fidelity.
The genius OF the Greeks was a;thet.
ic. A prominent American writer
SAYS that, smong the sncient Greeks kb-
ertv WAS rank and nobility, and It seemed
never to have occurred TO them that 1t
wss due to sll ranks and conditions OF
men rs well.
ROMAN LAW.
Next, we turn 10 Roman law for vim
dications of our theme. The old Roman
discipline is provcrbisi. Glb6on says
that soldier had 20 dread his superior
officer as despot, and that there WAS no
difference Tin Roman camp IN peace
and war, except that in the former case
there was no bloodshed. W lille Rome wss
free she did not make sscsrecrow of her
laws to irighten the birds Of prey
l.