People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-27


They told him what had occurred.
Cesar already knew that even pre-
vious to this outrage, the Consuls at
Rome had gone to Pompey, told him
to raise an army against Cesar and
to commence the War.
This being the case, Cesar decided
to act: He called out his troops,
explained how his enemies had de-
clared war upon him and asked them
whether they would defend him.
Their reply was pledge Of devo
ton and a demand to be led forward.
Cesar waited not a moment, but set
his feet toward Rome.
On the night of December Is, fifty
years before Christ was born, the
Thirteenth Legion crossed the Rub
con with Cesar at its head, and the
Civil War was begun.
Pompey, after all his buster, did
not seem to be ready. His troops
were not concentrated and he seemed
to have no plan Of defence. Cesar's
dash appeared to unnerye him He
gave up Rome almost at the very
start and began to retreat towards
the Sea.
On the other hand, the great Pop
ulist Leader came on like storm.
He took one town after another. He
treated his captive with the most
winning kindness, and thus made
friends as he marched. He seemed
to take no sleep and no rest. He
cut off Pompey's recruits; won them
over to join his own army; check
mated every move of Pompey's gen
erals; kept his own soldiers in the
best of spirits, published abroad his
intention to treat those who submit
ted to him with compassion, and
even sent messengers to Pompey
asking for settlement of the whole
trouble.
Pompey would not agree to this,
and so the war went on.
Cesar pushed his lines nearer and
nearer to Rome, and finally entered
it. He found there the Public Treas
ures which Pompey had left in the
hurry of his flight. The officer who
had them in charge locked the doors
and refused to surrender the money.
The Law did not allow him to give
them up in that way. Cesar re-
marked that laws did not amount to
much in such squally times as these,
and ordered his men to break the
door down. The Treasurer offered
resistance. Cesar drew his sword
and threatened to kill him, saying
"Young man, I would rather do it
than to say it"
Such language as this was extreme
ly discouraging and the Treasurer
went away from there.
You must not suppose that Cesar
took this money for his own use.
AS matter of fact, he spent all of it
in paying the soldiers.
Pompey left Italy, He took his
troops across the Sea to Greece and
there prepared to withstand Cesar's
attack.
After attending to the affairs of
Rome, and after putting down Pom
pery's friends in Spain, Cesar fol-
lowed Pompey.
The two armies confronted one
another a long time. Pompey's was
much the larger and they had every
comfort they could wish because
their ships commanded the sea and
could bring supplies.
Cesar's troops, on the other hand,
suffered greatly for food. They had
to live partly on roots which they
dug from the ground.
In the opening fights Pompey got
the best of it. Cesar's army was
nearly ruined. He himself said that
if Pompey had known how to follow
up his advantages he would have
carried the day.
Cesar had to leave his camp and
retreat further back into the country.
POmpey followed, certain of vic
tory. At last the two armies drew
up, fancying each other at Pharsalus.
For several days each seemed to
wait for the other to begin. But the
aristocrats who were with Pompey
were so sure of crushing Cesar that
they had big disputes as to how they
should divide the offices at Rome
and the property of Cesar's gen.