Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-20

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would receive him, but all detestint
him as the most despicable Of wretch
es, he retired to Rhengium where
after having led for some time mis-
.erable life. he was killed by Septinui
and Polyperchon, and 1t was sait
with the same dagger which Dior
had been assassinated.-Plut. Dion.
JUSTICE
Sentiments.
Justice, in the general acceptatior
of words, is that virtue by which we
render to God, our neighbor and our
selves that which is their due. II
comprehends all our duties, and to be
just, and to be virtuous, Is the same
thing. But we shall here consider
Justice only as a principle Of equity
which causes a rectitude Of conduct
and excites US to render our species
what in particular Is due to it from
every individual.
Examples.
Among the several virtues OF
Aristides, that for which he was most
renowned was justice, because this
virtue is Of most general use, its bene-
fits extending to greater number OF
persons, as 1t is the foundation, and In
a manner, the soul Of every public
office and employment. Hence 1t was
that Aristides. though in low circum-
stances, and of mean extraction, OBJ
tanned the glorious surname Of Just,
a title, says Plutarch, truly royal, or
rather truly divine; but Of which
princes are seldom ambitious, because
generally ignorant Of its beauty and
excellency. They choose rather to be
called the conqueror Of cities, and the
Of war;, preferring the
vain honor Of pompous titles which
convey no other idea than violence
and slaughter, to the solid glory OF
those expressive Of goodness and
virtue. How much Aristides deserv-
ed the title given him will appear In
the following instance, though II
ought to be observed that he acquired
1t not by one or two particular actions
but by the whole tenor Of his con-
duct.
Themistocles having conceived the
design Of supplanting the Lacedae-
monians, and of taking the govern
ment of Greece out of their hands IN
order to put 1t into those Of the Ath-
enians, kept his eye and his thoughts
continually fixed upon the great
project; and as he was not very nice
or scrupulous In the choice Of his
whatever tended towards
the accomplishing Of the end he had
In view, he looked upon 1t as just and
lawful.
On a certain day he declared In
a full assembly Of the people that he
had a very important design to pro-
pose, but that he could not communi-
cate 1t to the people because its sue
cess required 1t should be carried on
with the greatest secrecy; he there
fore desired they would appoint a
person to whom he might explain
himself upon the matter In question.
Aristides was unanimously fixed up
on by the whole assembly, who re-
ferred themselves entirely to his
opinion of the affair; so great a con-
fidence had they both In his probity
and prudence. Themistocles. there
fore, having taken him aside told him
that the design he had conceived was
to burn the feet belonging to the
rest Of the Greecian states, which
then lay in the neighboring port;
and by this means Athens would GER
tainly become mistress Of all Greece.
Aristides hereupon returned to the
and only declared to them
that indeed nothing could be more
to the commonwealth
than Themistocles's project; but that
at the same time, nothing in the
world could be more unjust. All the
people unanimously ordained that
should entirely desist
from his project.
I do not know whether all history
can afford US a fact more worthy OF
than this. 1t Is not COM
pany Of philosophers, to whom II
costs nothing to establish line maxims
and sublime notions Of morality In
the schools, who determine on this
occasion that the consideration OF
profit and advantage ought never to
prevail in preference to what Is hon
est and just; but the whole people
who are highly interested in the pro-
posal made to them that are con-
vinced it Is Of the greatest Importance
to the welfare Of the state, and who,
however, reject 1t with unanimous
consent, and without moments
and for this only reason,
that it is contrary to justice. How
black and. perfidous, on the other
hand, was the design which Them
istocles proposed to them Of burning
the fleet of their Grecian confederates
at the time of entire peace, solely to
the power Of the Athen-
ians. Had he a hundred times the
merit ascribed to him, the single ac-
ton would be sufficient to sully all his
glory; for it Is the heart, that Is to
say, integrity and probity, that con-
stitutes and distinguishes true merit.
in Themist.-In Artist.
After the famous battle Of Mara
thon, Aristides was the only general
who stayed to take care of the spoil
and the prisoners. Gold and silver
were scattered about in abundance in
the enemy's (the Persian) camp. All
the tents, as we'll as galleys, that
were taken, were full Of rich clothes
and costly furniture and the treasures
of all kinds, to an immense value.
Here Aristides had the finest opportu-
nifty in the world to have enriched
himself, with almost an impossibility
of being discovered. But he not only
was not tempted to touch any Of it