166 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



hand of a wonder-working' Providence, interposed in honor of human 

 nature, to show to what perfection the species uiig-ht ascend. But 

 there was nothing- of miracle in it; the means were adequate to the end. 

 It is no wonder at all that such schools gave to Athens her Thuc3'dides 

 in history, her Plato in ethics, her Sophocles to her drama, and her 

 Demosthenes to her forum and her popular assemblies; and gave to 

 her besides that host of rivals to these, and almost their equals. It 

 was the natural and necessary effect of such a system of education; 

 and especially with a people who held, as the Athenians did, all other 

 human considerations as cheap in comparison with the glory of letters 

 and the arts. 



' ' It is true this their high and brilliant career of literar}^ glory was 

 but of short duration; for soon as it had attained its meridian Ijlaze it 

 was suddenly arrested; for the tyrant came and laid the proud freedom 

 of Athens in the dust, and the Athenians were a people with whom the 

 love of glory could not survive the loss of freedom. For freedom was 

 the breast at which that love was fed; freedom was the element in 

 which it lived and had its being; freedom gave to it the fields where 

 its most splendid triumphs were achieved. The genius of Athens now 

 drooped; fell from its lofty flights down to tame mediocrity, to 

 ephemeral works born but to languish and to die; and so remained 

 during the long rule of that ruthless despotism, the Macedonian, and 

 until the Roman came to put it down, and to merge Greece in the 

 Roman empire. Athens now was partially restored again to freedom. 

 Her schools, which had been closed, or which had existed only in form, 

 revived with something of their former effect. They again gave forth 

 some works worthy of their former fame, though of less transcendent 

 merit; and the}^ now gave to Rome the Roman eloquence and literature. 



< jnecia capta serum Victoreni cei)it, et artes 

 Intulit agresti satio: 



and, if we are wise to profit by their example, ma}^ yet give to us an 

 equal eloquence and literature. 



"I mention these things to show what encouragement we have to 

 this enterprise — what well-grounded hope of success. We have only 

 to tread the path that led the Athenian to his glory, and to open that 

 path to the youth of our country. All the animating influences of 

 freedom exist here in still greater force than they existed there; for 

 while it is not less absolute here, it is better regulated — better com- 

 bined with order and security. Neither is the gift of genius wanting 

 here; the gleams of this precious ore are seen to break out here and 

 there all over the surface of our society ; the anhmis acer et sublimis is 

 daily displayed by our countrj-men in all the forms of daring and 

 enterprise; the eagle, their emblem, is not more daring in his flights. 

 And if the love of fame, which was the ruling passion of the Greek, is 



