ero confined himself to the discussion
of the law, avoiding all abuse of the consuls, broke out into
accusations against Appius and his family, as having ever been most
overbearing and cruel toward the Roman commons, contending that he had
been elected by the senators, not as consul, but as executioner, to
harass and torture the people: his tongue, unskilled in speech, as was
natural in a soldier, was unable to give adequate expression to the
freedom of his sentiments. When, therefore, language failed him, he
said: "Romans, since I do not speak with as much readiness as I make
good what I have spoken, attend here to-morrow. I will either die
before your eyes, or will carry the law." On the following day the
tribunes took possession of the platform: the consuls and the nobles
took their places together in the assembly to obstruct the law.
Laetorius ordered all persons to be removed, except those going to
vote. The young nobles kept their places, paying no regard to the
officer; then Laetorius ordered some of them to be seized. The consul
Appius insisted that the tribune had no jurisdiction over any one
except a plebeian; for that he was not a magistrate of the people in
general, but only of the commons; and that even he himself could not,
according to the usage of their ancestors, by virtue of his authority
remove any person, because the words were as follows: "If ye think
proper, depart, Quirites." He was easily able to disconcert Laetorius
by discussing his right thus contemptuously. The tribune, therefore,
burning with rage, sent his officer to the consul; the consul sent his
lictor to the tribune, exclaiming that he was a private individual,
without military office and without civil authority: and the tribune
would have been roughly handled, had not both the entire assembly
risen up with great warmth in behalf of the tribune against the
consul, and a crowd of people belonging to the excited multitude,
rushed from all parts of the city into the forum. Appius, however,
withstood this great storm with obstinacy, and the contest would have
ended in a battle, not without bloodshed, had not Quinctius, the other
consul, having intrusted the men of consular rank with the task of
removing his colleague from the forum by force, if they could not
do so in any other way, himself now assuaged the raging people by
entreaties, now implored the tribunes to dismiss the assembly. Let
them, said he, give their passion time to cool: dela