True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-05-06
STEUBENVILLE, OHIO, WEDNESDAY. MAY 6, 1851,


rusalem was Inundated with strangers
from the mountains Of Nazareth, The
towns,o Of Galilee, and The plains of Es-
drelolh. All Judea appeared to be pour
ing into that devoted city. ".-.iA
4 had taken to wife, a girl from among
the Gauls, who pretended to see into the
iGcture, weeping and throwing herself at
nv feet, ,"BeTare," said she to me, "be-
ware, and touch not ;;hat man for he is
holy. Last night, | saw him in a vision
He was walking on the walerLiEe was
flying on the wings Of the wind. He
spoke to the tempeS!s, TO the palm trees,
10 the fishes Of the lake, all were obedi-
ent 10 him. Behold the torrent of Mt.
'Cedron flows with blood, the statutes Of
Caesar are sold with the filth. Of the
gemonie tile columns Of the Pretorium
have given way, and the sun is yelled in
in mourning like d vestal in the tomb
o, PLATE evil awaits thee. If thou
wilt not listen to the words Of thy wife,
dread the curse Of a Roman Senate dread
the frowns of C9sar., '.....l ''.
=, By this time my marble stairs groaGed
under the weight Of the multitude. Tie
Nazarine was brought back to me. |
proceeded to the Hall of Justice, follow
ed by my guards, and asked the people
in severe tone what they demanded! I!
"The death of the, Nazarine," was their
reply. For what crime =? "He has
blasphemel (, he has prophesied the ruin
of the Temple; he calls himself the son
of God, the Messiah, the King Of the
Jews" Roman justice said |, punisheth
moi such offences with death. " Cruel
fy him., cruelty him, shouted forth the
relentless rabble. ..I..., ...r
The vociferations of the infuriate null
titudc shook the palace 10 the foundation
One man alone appeared calm i'll tie
midst of the tumult. He was like unto
the Statute of Innocence placed in the
Temple of Euminides. 1t was the Naz.
arine. .r. ..-.a. ..e ...r.. .t..U
After many fruilIess attempts to pro-
tcct him from the fury of his prosecutors,
| had the baseness 10 adopt a measure
which at the moment appeared to me the
only one that could save his life. / or.
dered him to be seourged, then, calling
for ever, washed my hands in pres
ence of the multitude, thereby sighifying
10 them my disapprobalion of the deed.
but in vain. 1t was his life these
wretches thirsted after. Often in our
evil commOtions have l witnessed the
furious animosily of the multitude, but
nothing could ever be compared 10 what
| saw in the present instance. 1t might
have been truly said that, on this occasion
all The phantoms Of the internal regions
had assembled together at Jerusalem.
The crowd appeared not 10 walk; they
were borne off, and whirled as vortex,
rolling along like living waves, from the
portal of the pretorium even unto Mt.
Zion, with howlings, shreks, screams
and vocilerations, such as were never
heard either in the seditions of Panonia,
or in the lumults of the forum. '
By degrees the day darkened like a
winter twilight, such as had been seen at
the death Of the great Julius Caesar. II
was toward the Ides of March. |, the con.
temned Governor of rebelious prov.
ince, was leaning against a column of
my basalick, contemplating athwar the
dreary gloom, this Theory of Tartarus
dragging 10 the execution the innocent
NazareHe. all around me was a desert.
Jerusalem had vomited forth her in.
dwellers through the funeral gates that
lead to the Germonie. An air OF desc.
lation and sadness enveloped me. Ny
guard had joined the cavalry, and the
Centurian 10 display shadow Of pow
er, was endeavoring to maintain order.
| was left alone, and my breaking heart
admonished me, that what was passing
at that moment, perlained rather 10 the
history Of the Gods than to that of man.
Loud clamors were heard proceeding from
Golgotha, which borne on the winds ap-
peared to announce an agony such as
never had been heard by mortal ear
Dark clouds lowered over the pinnacle of
the Temple, and their large iuplures
settled over the city and covered it as
with veil. So dreadful were the signs
which were manifested, both in the heav-
ans and on the earth, that Dionysius, the
Areopagite, is reported to have exclaimed
I" Either the author Of Nature is suffering,
or the Universe is falling apart" Z -
Toward the first hour Of the night, |
threw my mantle around me, and went
down into the city, towards the gate of
GOlgotha. The sacrifice had been con-
sumated. The crowd were returning
home still agilated, i. is true,:but gloo-
my, sad, taciturn and desperate. What
they had witnessed had struck them
with terror and renorse. also saw nv
little cohort pass by mournfuIB, the
standard bearer having veiled his eagle
in token Of grief, and I overheard some
of the soldiers murmuring strange words
which did not comprehend. Others
were recounting prodigies almost similar
to those which had SO often smote the
Romans with dismay by the will of
the Gods Sometimes groups of men
and women halted /: then look back to-
wards Mt. Calvary, and remain motion