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TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

THE American People have passed the season of youth when withdrawn from the eye of the world their pleasures might blamelessly be their pursuits.

In the maturity of years and strength they are amenable to mankind for the conformity of their conduct to the higher motives of policy and duty.

They cannot if they would be silent and neutral in that great controversy of the age which they opened on the field of battle.

It concerns their safety that the part they play be adopted in full view of all the dangers that beset them.

It concerns their dignity that their part be worthy

of their origin and pursued with manly fortitude to the end.

I have endeavored to develope some of the considerations which throw light on the path of safety and of honor.

On this great theme I invoke the judgment of the American People.

HENRY WINTER DAVIS.

8 MARCH 1852.

Πρῶτον μέν, ὦ ἄνδδες Αθηναῖοι, τοῦτο παρ' ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς βεβαίως γνῶναι, ὅτι τῇ πόλει Φίλιππος πολεμεῖ καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην λέλυκε—και παύσασθε περὶ τούτου κατηγοροῦντες ἀλλήλων—καὶ κακόνους μέν ἐστι καὶ ἐχθρὸς ὅλῃ τῇ πόλει καὶ τῷ τῆς πόλεως ἐδάφει, προσθήσω δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, καὶ τοῖς μάλιστ ̓ οἰομένοις αὐτῷ χαρίζεσθαι (εἰ δὲ μή, σκεψάσθωσαν Εὐθυκράτη και Λασθένη τοὺς Ολυνθίους, οἳ δοκοῦντες οἰκειότατ' αὐτῷ διακεῖσθαι, ἐπειδὴ τὴν πόλιν προΰδοσαν, πάντων κάκιστ' ἀπολώλασιν), οὐδενὶ μέντοι μᾶλλον ἢ τῇ πολιτεία πολεμεῖ οὐδ ̓ ἐπιβουλεύει, καὶ σκοπεῖ μᾶλλον οὐδὲ ἓν τῶν πάντων ἤ ὅπως ταύτην καταλύσει. καὶ τοῦτ ̓ εἰκότως τρόπον τινὰ πράττει· οἶδε γὰρ ἀκριβῶς ὅτι οὐδ ̓ ἂν πάντων τῶν ἄλλων γένηται κύριος, οὐδὲν ἔστο αὐτῷ βεβαίως ἔχειν, ἕως ἂν ὑμεῖς δημοκρατῆσθε, ἀλλ' ἐάν ποτε συμβῇ τι πταῖσμα, ἅ πολλὰ γένοιτ' ἄν ἀνθρώπῳ ἥξει πάντα τὰ νῦν συμβεβιασμένα καὶ καταφεύξεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς. ἔστε γὰρ ὑμεῖς οὐκ αὐτοὶ πλεονεκτῆσαι καὶ κατασχεῖν ἀρχὴν εὖ πεφυκότες, ἀλλ ̓ ἕτερον λαβεῖν κωλῦσαι καὶ ἔχοντε ἀφελέσθαι δεινοί, καὶ ὅλως ἐνοχλῆσαι τοῖς ἄρχειν βουλομένοις καὶ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς ἐλευθερίαν ἐξαφελέσθαι ἕτοιμοι. οὔκουν βούλεται τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ καιροῖς τὴν παρ' ὑμῶν ἐλευθερίαν ἐφεδρεύειν, οὐδὲ πολλοῦ δεῖ, οὐ κακῶς οὐδ ̓ ἀργῶς ταῦτα λογιζόμενος.

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