The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-03-13

did the King of Kings tread such a
mansion as is here painted. Below the
court is thronged. You can glimpse
the rabble through the carved railing
of the portico. The morning sun shines
full upon the mad throng down there.
1t illumines the faces of those of Pr
late's household, who lean down from
the parape, Of the roof on the west
ern wing Of the palace.
PLATE has been disturbed a second
time 1t must have been before Z on
that spring morning when the priests
first brought Jesus here: and since
then the travesty of thattrial before
Herod had occurred Now they have
come back with their prisoner; and
Pontius PLATE is perpleXed. The Ro-
man governor realizes that he must
yield something to their fanaticism
He is inclined to save this innocent
man. But it would take a cause closer
to his heart than the life of a Gahlean
carpenter to induce him to withstand
the frantic rawlings of the populace
So he had Jesus given over to he
sCourged; and just a minute ago the
soldiers returned with their prisoner.
Again the King of Heaven stands be-
fore the Roman ruler. plate is star
tied He did not remark the mockery
of the faded scarlet robe. He forgot
those poor bound hands ana the drops
of blood as they trickled down from
the green crown Of torture. It was
something in the glance of those sleep
less eyes! 1t was the hour of Christs
humiliation; and yet the grandeur of
his holy calm was all that PLATE per-
ceived It so thrilled him that he
thought such sight must impress the
multitude-that one glance from those
eyes must hush their ugly snarling.
So he beckoned and, followed by the
soldiers with the Christ, PLATE appears
on the balcony. Numbers of his init
mate household watch their master as
he steps to the edge of the pOrtiCO
out into the burning sunlight Of an
eastern spring. He looks down upon
the people. He points to the Savior,
and utters the homage Of that invOl-
untary exclamation, Behold the Mani"
1t is this instant that Cisere has
glorified; and in this picture, which
Is a remarkable example of light ana
shade and of those burning contrasts
that the east intensifies, the figure of
our Lord is drawn entirely in shadow.
All the light of the figure rests upon
Pontius PLATE. His body fairly quiv-
ers with the strength Of his conviction,
Has ne not just looked upon the face
of God and felt how awful Goodness
is?" If he, a Roman, is so impressed
that his logic crumbles into dust, then
one look from those all forgiving eyes
must change these crazy people, and
must turn their hideous screams into
Hosannas. "Ecco Homo" But he did
not count on the mad spirit of the mob
which had been melted to frenzy byI
the plots of the high priest. So the
answer 70 Pilates gallery play was.
Cruelty Him" And, to his unspeak-
able shame, PLATE obeyed.
Right there, all the might and ma
jesty of western civilization. epito-
mized in the Roman government, bentI
and broke before the priest-rtddeD
madness of an Oriental mob! It isl
ever so; for when the greed and IA
naticism of the mad east meets the
cold ambition of the west, between
thorn-today, as they did yesterday
they are pretty apt to cruelty the
Spirit of God.