Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-05-07
THE LAND OF HISTORIC ASSO-
CATIONS.

CATIONS.
II Thermopyle were what it used TO be
the civilized world would still treasure hope
for Greece. The positions of the contending
armies have most interesting historic asso.
Citations. The Greeks, compelled by the su-
perior numbers of the Turks to evacuate
Larissa, fell back south twenty-five miles TO
Pharsalia, and encamped on the ground the
armies Of Cesar and Pompey fought over
hundreds OF years ago. Forty miles further
south is Thermopyle, and one hundred
miles 10 the southeast OF that famous pass is
the classic city Of Athens, which will be the
final object of Turkish attack II the war
should be long continued When the three
hundred Spartans resisted the mighty hosts
of Xerxes at Thermopyle, the pass at It's
narrowest point was only wide enough for
a wagon. 1t lies between mountain and
a vast inaccessible morass. In the years
that have passed that norass has been filled
In with the deposits from rivers and is now a
solid plain over which the awful Turkish
army could march without trouble.
Fighting is now going on over grounds
that were wet with blood centuries ago,
where civilizations have gone to ruin and
new ones sprung up. The romance Of the
old wars has passed away completely
From the dawn of Greek history Eastern
despots taxed their powers to subdue Greece.
With one notable exception every Grecian
war has been waged against some Eastern
race. Greece was, 80 10 speak, the watch
dog Of Europe and held in check those vast
incursions OF Asiatic hordes that would
have crushed European civilization in its
infancy.
The distinguishing characteristic OF the
Greek thousands of years ago, as it is TO-
day, was his love of country. 1t marked
him wherever he went The gods dwet on
his mountains. His fancy peopled river
and fountain with forms divine, the sea
nymph rose ON the tumbling pillows to sun
her streaming locks. The grove had its ga
cred mysteries, the craggy hillside rolled
forth its sacred oracles. Even the stealing,
whispering zephyr had name. The stars
were called from heroes whose deeds were
thus forever glorifed.
Indeed no land ever glowed in such halo
of love and tenderness. The greater the
scholar the humber he still bends to learn
the wisdom from her schools. The poet
comes TO her for all his fairest myths, his
noblest mysteries, bis greatest masters. The
sculptor looks at the broken fragments of
her statues, and throws aside bis calliope In
despair before those matchless necks. From
her soldiers learn how to die, and nations
how to conquer and TO keep their liberties
No deed Of heroism is done but to crown it
it is named parallel to hers They write Of
love, and who forgets the Lesbian. They
dream of freedom, and to reach 1t they re-
member Salamis. They talk Of progress,
aud while they talk they sigh for all that
they have lost in Academus. They seek
truth, and while they seek, YEARLY long, as
little children, to hear the golden speech OF
Socrates, that slave, and fisherman, and
sailor, and stonemason, and date seller, were
all once free 10 learn in her Agora. She
reigns In every poem written, in every art
pursued, in every beauty treasured, in every
liberty won and in every godlike life and
godlike death.
The works OF the Roman historian bring
tears to eyes as we think Of the Greeks
"By the splendor God" what country and
what people. Tue most ancient temples
Of the arts, the nursery of poetry and phi
losophy, and the earliest home of freedom,
1t Is associated with every sentiment that
can charm the eye, animate the heart or en-
gage the understanding. We can recall the
tabled statue of Pygmalion. as it stood before
his own rapt eyes, swelling with the first
gentle tide Of life and motion; we can see
the cold marble take form and expression
from the Promethian chisel of Phidas we
can imagine, though not realize, the exqus-
lie grace aud matchless symmetry of the
Delphian Apollo. We bleed with Leonidas
at the pass Of Thermopyle, and read with
throbbing heart the glorious story OF Mar,
athon.
With all these hallowed memories-in
this age-just as the curtain Of the nine
tenth century is falling nearly down
whilst religion, literature, science and art
are throwing their pillows mountain high
this land Of story and song, this people OF
valor-has our sympathy. AS strong
writer has emarked-"Sympathy is cheap"
1T did not fight the battle of Marathon
1t did not crush Persia-it will not drive
out the Turks.