Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-03-19


cant conversation, he asked me what was my
opinion concerning the Nazarene
| I replied, that Jesus appeared 10 me TO be one
! of those grave philosophers that great nations
sometimes produce: that his doctrines We're by no
Imeans dangerous and that the intention of Rome
| was. to leave him that freedom of speech which
was justified by his actions. Herod smiled mali
cousy, and sauting me with roncal respect, ne
departed.
The great feast of the Jews was approaching,
and their intention was to avail themselves of the
popular exaltation, which always manifests itself
at the solemnities of the passover. The city was
overfowing with tunultuous populaee, cIamor-
! ing for the death of the NaZarene. My emsarles
| informed me that the treasure of the temple had
! been employed in bribing the people. The dan
ger was pressing. A Roman centurion had been
| insulted.
wrote to the prefect of Syria, requesting
hundred foot soldiers, and the same number OF
cavalry. He declined / saw myself alone, with
a handful of veterans in the midst of rebellious
| city-too weak to suppress disorder, and having
no other choice left than to tolerate it.
They h"d seized upon Jesus; and the sedtious
J rabble Though they knew they had nothing to
fear from the prctorium, believing, on the faith OF
their leaders, that / winked at their sedition con-
tinued vociIerating, ''Cruoify him-crucify him!"
Three powerful parties at that time had COM
| bined together against Jesus. First, the Hero
! dams and Sadducees, whose seditious conduct APP
| peared to have proceeded from double motive
! they hated the Nazarene, and were impatient Of
! the Roman yoke. They could never forgive
for having entered their holy city with banners
] that bore the image Of the Roman emperor; and
| although, in this instance, had committed IA
! tai error yet the sacrilege did not appear less
! heinous in their eyes. Another grievance also
ranked in their bosons. l had proposed to en-
poy part of the treasure of the temple in erect
| ing ediiices of public utility. Ny proposal
scowled at. TIE Pharisees We're the avowed
enemy of Jesus. They cared not for the COVER
nor; but they bore with bitterness the severe rep
rimands which the Nazarene, had during three
years, been throwing out against them wherever
/ he went Too weak and too pusllanimous to act
by themselves, they had eagerly embraced the
quarrel of the Herodians and SaCiducees. Be-
sides these three parties, had TO contend against
the reckless and profigate populace, always ready
to join in a sedition and to profit by the disorder
and confusion that result therefrom.
Jesus was dragged before the council of the
priests and condemned to death. 1t then
that the high priest Caiaphas performed deri-
sorry act of submission. He sent his prisoner to
me, to pronounce his condemnation and secure
his execution. | answered him that, as Jesus
was Gadean, the affair came within Herod's
jurisdiction, and ordered Jesus to be sent thither.
! The willy tetrarch professed humility, and pro-
testing his Difference to the lieutenant of Caesar,
he committed the fate of the man to my hands.
Soon my palace assumed the aspect of beseig-
ed citadel every moment increased the number
of the seditous. Jerusalem was inundated with
crowds from the mountains of Nazareth, the
towns of Galee, and the plans of Esdrelon.
All Judea appeared to be pouring into that de
voted city.
/ had taken to wife a maiden from among the
Gauls, who pretended to see into flturity. Weep
ing, and throwing herself at my feet-'' Beware,
said she to me- beware, and touch not that
man, for he is holy. Last night, saw him in
vision. He walking on the waters-he was
flying on the wings of the wind. He spoke to
t1a 10 no 10 fcbac of
the lake-all were obedient to him. Behold the
torrent of Mount Cedron flows with blood-the
statues of Caesar soiled with the filth of the
gemonia-the columns of the pretorium have
given way. and the sun is yelled in mourning
like vestal in the tomb Q, Pilatei evil awaits
thee. If thou wilt not listen to the words of thy
wife, dread the curses of a Roman senate-dread
the frowns of C@sar'
By this time, my marble stairs groaned under
the weight of the multitude. The Nazarene was |
brought back to me. | proceeded to the hall of
justice, followed by my guards. and asked the
people, in a severe tono, what they demanded. |
s. The death of the Nazarene," was their reply. |
For what crime So He has blasphemed he has |
prophesied the 1uin of the temple; he calls him
self the Son of God-the Messiah-the King of
the jews Roman Justice, said J. punisheth not
such offences with death. '.Crucify him -cruci- !
fly him'' shouted forth the relentless rabble.
The vociferations of the infuriated multitude
shook the palace to its foundation. One man |
He was like unto the statue of Innocence placed |
in the temples of EumeneeS. 1t waa the Naza- |
rene.
After many fruitless attempts to protect him |
from the fury of his merciless Prosecutors | had |
the baseness to adopt. measure which, al that !
moment, appeared to me to be the only one that |
could save his life. [ ordered him to be scourged
them calling for a ever, | washed my hands in |
presence of the camorous multitude, thereby |
signifying to them my disapprobation of the
deed.
But in vain. 1t was his life that these wretch
es thirsted after. Often in civil connections, |
have l witnessed the furious animosity of the !
multitude; but nothing could be compared to |
what | beheld in the present instance. 1t might |
have been truly said that, on this occasioh all
the phantoms of the internal regions had assem- |
bled together at Jerusalem. The crowd appear
ed not to walk thev were born off and whrled |
as vortex, rolling along the living waves, from
the portal of the pretori'-m even unto Mount Zion
with howlings, screams, shreks and vociferatIons,
such never heard, either in the seditons |
of Pannona or in the tumults of the forum.
By degrees the day darkened like winter
twilight such as had been at the death of the |
great Juas Caesar. 1t was likewise towards the !
ides of March. /, the condemned governor of a |
rebellious province, was leaning against column
of my basilic, contemplating, athwart the dreary
gloom, this theory of Tartarus dragging to exc
cution the innocent Nazarene. All around me
was a desert. Jerusalem had yomied forth her
indweIers through the funeral gate that leads to
the 4gemonia. An air of desolation and sadness |
enveoped me. My guard had joined the cavalry
and the centurion, to display shadow of power, !
was endeavorng to maintain order. was let
alone, and my breaking heart admonishes me that
what was passing at that moment appertaining
rather to the history of the gods thafto that OF
0ud claJOnrS heard DroceaGipp from