Evening journal., 1896-07-28
coNTEMpoRARY opINIoN.
Naro and aIr TlddIe.

NnA' "hD NAH AAhNAos
From the Washington Post.
One OF the latest phases Of modern civ
ilization Is a generous effort to vlndicato
thu so-oalled monsters Of iniquity' Of
ancient times. More than one accom-
plishod lawyer has volunteered defence
Of Judas Iscarlot. They contend that he
was not hsnkerlng after the thirty pieces
Of silver, thet he had no treasonable In
tent toward the Master, bus Ia the most
loyal end loving spirit aimed 60 furnish
Him an opportunity to display His Divine
power OF confoundiDg His enemios. The
plea Ia ingenious and orsditRble TO the
legal scnmsn as we'll as to the humanity
Of It's authors; but 1t has not yst made
great progress towards setting aside a
convention that has had almost nineteen
centuries OF growth and solidinc1tlon.
We are Rpprehensive that the NOBLE Of
fort Of Lanclani, the distinguished an
tiqusriap authority on ancient Rome, to
whitewash Nero, will be even less sue
cessful than the attempts OF the legal
profession TO transform Judas from trai
tor to Hsint Lanciau, taking up the
charge that Nero burned Rome and hd
died while the flames OF the great conha
/ grafton we're raging, does not deny either
the burning or the dddling, but admits,
and essays to Justify both. IL was not
amusement that Nero sought-if this au
thority Is TO be creditsd-but the well
fare Of his poor subjects. The FIRE was
mainly confined TO the wretched quar-
ters where the Roman populace abode
In squaor. The ''aky scrRpers" of
New York and Chicago are less
tall than the long rows OF tenements
on narrow and crooked streets some Of
them only twelve feet wide, where Rome 8
poor abode. Lanclani shows that those
wretched tenements we're crammed from
cellar to attic with human beings, and
that the buildings would frequently top
pls over, inmates and ell Nero, wo are
assured. desired TO change ali this. He
/ planned end managed the burning With
Buch consumate skill that, In a col hagra
tion greater than Chioago'e, not a life
was lost. When the frs had done It's
work Nero laid down the eddie and the
bow long enough to order 1.-THE arohitssts
60 erect no haBty and irregular Buildings,
but TO open public squares In place OF
the filthy quarters, and 20 limit
the haighth TO double the width OF the
street" With every inclination to do
justice to the memory Of Nero, whose de
votion TO music we have RlWaya admired,
we are not yot quite ready TO believe In
It's entirety, this careful constructed plea
In his behalf Had the life Of the IA
nous fiddler been blameless In other re-
spects, had his record come down thrOug
the ages uusullled by other crimes, we
might aoquit him OF evil intent IN the
Ere episode. Bat the man who caused
boys to be poisoned, who had his mother
assassinated In order 10 please his mis-
tress. who caused his wife to bs put to
death. who f0riously prosecuted the
Christisps-such q monster WAS merely
filling ont his record in nature
way in burning the habitations Of th'
, populace. and iddilng while the hsmal
rolled on. The generous people OF thes'
progressive days will regret their ina
binty TO acquit Nero, bat bis Case Is to
bpd 70 admit OF any nope of reversal o
the old verdict