The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-06-02

lips OF such q sage, deep drauSnts lrotli
tho Pierian spring? Remember, more
over, that the Greeks had no vulgar, no
common language, distinct from the Ian
cuare of the learned; but all were equal,
and each boasted of aiding to perfect his
native tongue. How different from the
Latin Here the literary language was
the language of the few, the language ol
the Varros, the Caesars, and the Clceros
while the common people spoke truly
,plebeian corruption. The Greek Language
can express, also, by it's various uses and
omissions of certain particles and parts OF
speech, and by the various positions o1
its words, such vast differences of mean
ing and can draw such powerful antith-
eses that the Latin language has sighed in
desperation and contented itself with per-
iphases Of verbosity. Is not the Latin
origin of the Twelve Tables, also, in dis
pute? Is it not maintained by some,
from their striking similarity to the laws
of Draco, that they are deduced from that
source? IT this be true, would it not be
very natural and proper to maintain that
the Code, the Pandeets, and the Institutes
of Justinlan were sprung from Grecian
origin? For were they not a systemat-
lied form of the DEGREES of empercrs, as
granted by these tables, their grants, their
edicts, and their pragmatic sanctions2 II,
however, their origin be not Grecian, the
very names them selves are saturated
with Geek, and their polish, their artis-
tic order, sprung from a Grcci.h thiha.
Whv did Justinian not emnloy the mind
of Roman, to compile and to systematize
this work? Why did he send far away
to Pamphylia to ask the assistance OF
Tribonian? Because he recognized the
inadequacy of the Roman mind for such
task and the unique fitness of the Gre
clan. Although the Romans can boast OF
the first cathedral that was eyer crowned
with an aerial cupola, the cathedral OF st.
Sophia, whence came the architect that
formed such O wonderful design and com
pleted such skilful execution Was 1t
not Anthemius Of Tralles, Greek OF
Asia Minor, that has handed down, to
even modern times, this ornament of our
dwellinss-an ornament, as has peen
said, that rears itself aloft and points, in
these times of modern skeptiCisIn, to the
home OF a true God? Nor is the iniu-
ence of the Greek upon the Latin more
marked than its influence upon other Ian
guages. They were people, Of whom 1t
can be said, land their works do follow
them" Nay, whithersoever this people
spread, they shed abroad the eameliorating
influence of their language and arts.
Why, moreover, was the supervision OF
almost every literary work entrusted to
them? What Influenced the Ptolemles
in their choice Of Aristophanies Of Byzan-
tium as the librarian of the finest library
that has ever been? Because they appre-
ciated the Grecian superiority of reduction
to order and of artistic arrangement.
Not only in the department of literature,
but IN that of conquest, the influence of
the Grecian training has been felt. Who
that conquered the world7 No foe dared
face him. Twas his, but ITO do and to
dare" No Waterloo has cclipsed the
splendor Of his glory; but he stands
alone, in the annals of war, the man that
never failed. What an impression is
made upon us, when we recall the battles
fought, the battles won, by this small ma
ton? Whence came this proWess? To
what must we attribute it? Is it not be-
cause each man considered himself the
peculiar defender of his country's rights,
his country's liberty? This, then, is the
keynote of this success. They went
forth, to conquer or to die. No Marathon
illumines the pages of modern history.
1t is true that Hastings changed the des-
TIMES Of a nation, but this battle saved
the nations very life. So forcibly i'm
pressed were the people with the result
of this conflict, so thickly was the battle
field strewn with "the dead and dying"
that, to this day, the peasant, in his hum
BILE hut, hears the signing winds as they
sweep over this plain and thinks them
the plaintive sighs of these dying heroes.
When we turn to the department of logic,
of psychology, and Of ethics, what a field
presents itself What has been the influ-
ence, upon the thinking world, of such
truths and subtleties as sprung from the
minds of the Aristotles and the Platos
Can we not trace to them that train OF
reasoning that has developed into the
dogmas of Kant and the metaphysics OF
Hamilton? What, also, has stamped Ba-
con as one of the greatest of modern
thinkers? Was it not, because he found
ed that form of uncertain logic by which
we reason from effect to cause? What,
then, must be the position, assigned by
the ancient and modern world, to Aris-
totle to him, who has so clearly analysed
the nature of the mind, and has reduced
to reasoning the very laws of thought
When we consider how exactly and dis
tinctly he has defined the various forms
of the syllogism and the means Of deter
mining the accuracy of our reasoning,
what reverence we must cherish for this
Father of Logicl By what laws do we
undermine all sophistical reasoning? BY
what laws do we express our arguments
most clearly? By those laws of thought
that proceeded from the mind of this ven-
erable sage of Stagira. When we begin
to enumerate the concise enunciations OF
his Organon Of Logic; the depth of his
Metaphysics, the compleXity Of his Mat
ural Philosophy, we stand in silent awe,
then ask, whence came this man? He il
was that opened up to mankind the rich
est veins that ever were imbedded i'll
darkness. How different from the mines
of earthly significance, where are hopes
are, at first, bouyed up by the dazzling
glitter Of vast nuggets; but ere we have
descended far below tho surface, we find
that all has been 'vanity and vexation oi
spirit" In the province of the mind
however, the deepest researches unveil
and thus it was with this Grecian philos-
opher of antiquity. What, in the depart
ment of logic, has been the result Of sub.
sequent Investigation? Modern times
may boast of Mill, a Mansel, Balm, a
Hamilton; but can we boast of all Aris-
totle2 In fact, has any man proven false
in the slightest degree, the logic of Aris-
totle, or has modern research added one
jot or title to this department Of the
mind? He it was that turned the course
of human thought in this direction and
pointed ont the course they must pursue
Can any man, then, dare to deny the i'm
perial, tho universal, superiority and in
fluence of the Greek nation upon the sub
seuuent destinies OF man? I have quoted
but few examples to prove their prowess
because but few were needed. l coulG
quote hundreds, yea thousands, Of III
stances of this peoples inventive genius
and deep perception. Whence sprani
the Drama, the Tragedy and Comedy, bu
from the minds of these people? Wha
a stirring scene must have presented it.