Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-09-09
Character and Death of PLATE.

$500 S~ 4
The following is from a work entitled. Y
Gethsemane and Calvary, recently published {
by the Massachusetts Sabbath School So
ciety.
1t is difficult to d~elineate the character of
PLATE. His conduct, throughout the whole
trial, is strange and inconsistent. Convinced /,
from the beginning, of the innocency of the
Redeemer, knowing that he only has the pow :
er to rescue him from outrageous violence,
yet instead of exercising his official power
and Diminishing the accusers from his trihu- 4
nal, he parleys with them, and endeavors to 4
induce them to withdraw their prosecution. /,
In this, he plainly shows himself to be gov ,
erned by excessive love Of popularity. And
yet, other acts in his procuratorship prove .
him to have been sometimes entirely reckless
of the favor of his subjects. In the present
case, however, the rank and number of the
plaintiffs at his bar are not connteracted by
any diverse interest of his own. On the con-
trary, it is for his present apparent interest
to stiae the convictions Of his own Judgment,
and even the evidence of his senses. rather
than incur the resentment of the influential
priests, who can easily make his Office un-
safe for his life. But in yielding so coward
ly to the unjust demands of a dangerous fac
ton, he violates one of the finest laws of his
COuhtEY. II luIC UNI VI buG VDuldC
is not to be regarded, when they call for a
guilty man to be acquitted, or an innocent
one to be condemned" He must have for
gotten one of the maxims of Horace, whose
poems he had doubtless often read in his
boyhood:
The man in conscious virtue bold,
Who does his secret purpose hold,
Unshaken hears the crowds tumultuous cries,
And the impetuoas tyrant's angry brow
defes."
Bythis one act Of timid compliance to sell
fish interest, he has secured a name which
will forever cleave to him. Wherever the
sacred narrative of the sufferings and death
Of Jesus is known, in.earth or heaven, will
it also be known, that he was condemned to
the cross by Pontius PLATE.
Yet WI are in danger of measuring the
Roman officers guilt, by the light which we
ourselves enjoy. We must remember the ex-
tenuation the Holy Ghost has recorded -
Whom the princes of this world knew not,
for had they known, they would not have
crucified the Lord Of glory" Plate, as well
as Herod, might have known the exalted
character of the person ignomininusly drag.
ged before him, and by him so ~unjustly cru,
cited and this renders his ignorance mex
cusable. The TACT that he did no. know thu
dignity of Christ palliates the awful guilt o
"crucifying the Lord Of Glory" Had hC
been convinced that Jesus Christ was " the
4 true God and eternal life," to have thus con
demned him, had been sacrilege to an incOn
ceivable degree. As it is, he trample(
r upon conscience and right, in an alarming
, manner. In fine, his constant efforts to di
/ vert the malicious accusations of the Jew;
show in him a strong sense of justice, and
conscience not blunted by hardened guilt
His tampering with the prosecutors show
willingness to keep on the popular side eve
5 at the cost of justice. His final deeisio
shows the selfshness of his heart, and hi
q ruling ambition,
The historical accounts OF him, agree wit
the above features. Philo, the Jew. reprt
sents him as a man who set justice to sail
plundered the people, and executed the il
a nocent )" though some deduction from h
statements, for national prejudices, may
required. According to Josephus, " he VIZ
- not naturally disposed to unnecessary bloc
4 shed, but, whenever the peace of the pTovin
" appeared in danger, stern, decided, reckle
& of human life, on all other occasions, by
means regardless Of ingratiating himself
N the popular favor"
4 What were the subsequent feelings of ]
in late, in view Of his part in the death Of Chri
no we are left to conjecture. That be ever
e. lieved in him who died that believers mig
re, be saved, is more than. doubtful. His car
ps pfocurator had made himself unpopular,
To-. previous expressions upon the Jews. /
az compliance at this time with their deman
nj. did not secure him from the evil which
he anticipated. He was deposed, four or 1
no years afterwards, for an assault upon
Samaritans, sum moned to Rome to def
he himself, and was banished by the Emper
nd Caius Caligula, to Vienne, in Gaul, where