The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-04-10
PALM SUNDAY.


Lent, the day representing that on which,
Jesus went over from Bethany to Jerusalem
which then on the Passover occasion con-
tanned nearly 100000 people, and with
inhnite compassion in his heart, and teardrops
believing his face, he uttered his Lamentations
over the coming fate Of the rebelous city;
the day before no overturned the tables of
the b okers and bankers and cleared the
temple. The day is so designated by
christians, from the custom Of bless
ing branches of the palm tree and
Of carrying these in procession in commem
GRAFTON of the triumphsl entry of Jesus
Christ into the City of the Great King. ln
those countries where the palm does not
grow, branches of other trees, such as the
yew, the willow, the box, etc, are sutstitu-
ted. The date of the origin of the custom
Is not known, though as early as tho 7th
century it was certainly in vogue In Rome,
tho Pope was carried in this procession, and
1t was, altogether, one Of the most pictur.
esque cerimonials of the entire Passion
Week, extending to the following Sunday.
In soma OF the Catholic countries, as in
Spain, for long while, the procession was
headed by priest mounted on an ASSN imi-
tation Of the Savior. By communicates and
devout members, this palm, being blessed, il
carried homo and preserved during the
year by the recipients. His followers on the
occasion Of the entry, deemed that tho time
had come to proclaim. His TEMPORAL royal.
ity, and SO tearing down and waring the
palm branches before him. they rent the air
with shouts of "Hosannah'! HO-
sannsh Hossnnah Blessed is
He that cometh in the name Of
the Lord" The town people asking the
meaning of all this were replied to, "This Is
Jesus, the Prophet of Nazareth of Gslileo."
These arc the leading events and ceremonisls
Of the day, He being then about 81 years Of
age, and but lew days prior to that on
which He rendered up the ghost, aud thereby
fired IN tho Augustan era the world with the
doctrine of Christianity.
1t may not be inappropriate just here to
sllude to that event and the doctrine as 10
some of their main features. The latter Is
based an the combined human
personality and divinity of Jesus
Christ, Christians claiming the duality
and those opposed to them, denyingit. The
Gnostics and the Docetes rejected the bodily
reality and urged the visionary appearance"
doctrine The Socinians and tho Ebontes
regarded Him rs mere man; while the
Arians looked upon Him as the highest Of
oil created beings, in his pre-eristence. Be
all this as it may, there WAS and there is but
one universal opinion rs to his teaching as a
moral teacher, viz: That it represents the
noblest and purest system Of morality ever
known. In the then Greek, Roman aud
Hebrew life, when in accordance with the
prophecy the world was all at peace and young
Octsvius Caesar reigned supreme over CO.
extensive empire, Christianity stepped forth
to unity and to integrate to regeuerate and
to exalt, to refine aud to perfect the scattered
and inchoate elements of tho intellectual,
physical and moral merits then existing, but Of
themselves insufficient to evolve any general
permanent good. For at that period, al
though there were developments by the
Romans, the Greeks AMI tho Hebrews, of the
principles of the beautiful in art, the valuable
In science and the useful in law aud
political administration, they were but ad-
umbralions Of coming, harmonizing truth
that waste be asa basis of complete
reconciliation of heterogeneous aggregate
For at that period, too, imperial Rome, as
the victorious mistress Of tho universe, with
disdainful liberation permitted poly,hesian
as broad rs it was silly and cared but little
for tho multiplicity of imported religions,
gods and ,ddesssi by the conquered races
q, long as she could mako Syria and the rest
pay one-.hird of their annual produce for
taxes into her ample Golfers. For at that
period, too, the seven-hilled city in the cul-
minat,on Of her social and religious
aspect had attained the height
OF immortality; had become so
thoroughly epicuroap, that in accordance
with her maxim that "iiIe should DO made
feast and virtue BIO OILY tho seasoning of
pleasure" her dining halls gli,tsred with
gold and encrus'cd gems. while slaves in
superb apparel waited on them along with
the lascivious fsscinstions of obsolete female
society, magnificent baths, and iessts where
Lucullus like, they drank of wine in which
were dissolved pearls, precious stones worth
thousands Of dollars, social splendor that
was but phosphorescent corruption.
In this condition Of things al tho
worlds centre, the world was ripe for A
change, political, religious aud social, and
II 10 no wonder that crushed spirits
and broken hosr,s leap. In hsppi.
ness at sight Of the Star Of Bethlehem,
which through i.s rays converted the Jewish
peasants toar Of misery into smile Of 10y,
or rainbow Of hope, at the advent Of tho
promised redemption BY ono who as the Son
Of God should insist upon the Injunction
"Do unto others - you would they should
DO to you," thus intoxicating the precept Of
universal love OF mankind, substituting the
eroism Of the age by rythm Of sentiment