The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1863-06-26

| The soldiers took a boy, named Cor
dian, ID years of age, and loosely made
him their emperor. They carried him to
their camp, and, with great military pomp
and bacchanalian revelry, saluted him Au-
gustus and Emperor But there was at
that time general in the army, who was
an Arab by birth, and who had been a
highway robber. He, despising the pow
lerless boy, secured his death, either by
poison or the dagger, and persuaded the
soldiers to declare him emperor. There
was, however, a proud army of Romans
on the Danube. They were not disposed
to assent to this arrangement, and chose
one Of their own generals, Decius, to wear
the imperial purple. It is thus that God
chastens guilty nations, by leaving them
to destroy themselves. Crime is its own
punishment. Those persons in our own
country now, who are trying to palsy the
arm OF the government, and to overthrow
our constitution, founded on the corner
stone that all men are free and equal,
that they may rear upon its ruins another
constitution, based upon the cornerstone
of slavery, are doing everything in their
power to introduce the anarchy, barbarism
and bloodshed of the ancient Roman en-
pire into the government Of the United
States Though they may not mean this,
if there be any truth taught 10 history,
this is the inevitable tendency of their ef-
forts. Unless this infamous rebellion is
quelled, and our national integrity and
our free constitution are maintained, we
shall inevitably follow in the anarchial
footsteps of Rome. .. .'l ID.
The empire was now fast crumbling to
ruin. Every distinguished general in the
Roman armies was ambitious of the impe-
rial sceptre, and was eager to grasp it
through the energies Of mutiny and re,
volt. Philip succeeded in maintaining
the throne for two stormy years. But at
length Decius, under the compulsion of
his troops, marched his army from the
Danube to the confines of Italy He led
an army of veterans, having longc been
engaged in deadly struggles against the
Goths, Philip, with an army superior in
numbers but unequal in discipline, met
his formidable rival near Verona. The
fierce battle which ensued resulted in the
defeat of Philip. His troops, as usual,
wished to, join the winning side. They
therefore turned their own arms upon
their vanquished emperor and slew him.
1t is said that they cut off his head and
sent the bloody trophy to the conquering
Declus, in attestation Of their willing sub:
lection. The victor, with the two armies
united, was with acclaim acknowledged
emperor by the senate and populace at
Rome. There were no arguments so DO
tent then as the glittering swords of the
soldiery. a." '.t.'5o. !'1l nc "r1
Rome, weakened by these divisions,
was but poorly prepared to resist any for
egn foe. The wolfsh bands, the savage
hordes, from the forests of the north,
came pouring across the Danube, plunder-
| ing, devouring and massacreing without
mercy. Decius had probably received
light from the,teachings Of Christianity.
Though paganis,n was still the predomi-
nant religion, Christianity had made nu-
merous converts, and was preached in all
parts Of the empire. The emperor made
great efforts to restore public virtue, and
to revive respect for the majesty Of the
laws. But the corruption had become
incurable. Saddened and Responding, he
placed himself in person at the head of
his army, to drive back the Goths De-
cius was accompanied by his son The
two armies, in great strength, met near
the Danube With hyena yell sthe
Cloths sprang upon the Romans. In the
first flight of arrows shaft pierced the
son of Decius, and he fell dead at his |
fathers side The battle was terrible.
Tacitus, in describing the, closing scene,
says: go ? aif l3777'.b fr2a6 a"Ga3 Iqi|
"Here the fortune of the day turned,
and all things became adverse to the Ro-
mans; the place deep with ooze, sinking
under those who stood, slippery to such
as advanced; their armor heavy, the wa
tiers deep; nor could they WELD, 10 that
uneasy situation, their .weighty javelins.
The barbarians,. on the contrary, were en-
ured to encounters in the boys, their per-
sons tall, theirsspears long,such as could
wound at q distance" at Esd soiat53 j
The Roman army persisted in this mo-
|rassl 1T is said that one hundred thou
sand of them were 9putto theasword, aud
the breath less, exhausted remnant were
scattered far and wide. The army was
annihilated. Decius was slain, aud, bis
body, trampled in the mire, could never
lbe found. Afsw bleeding fugitivcsireachol