The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-06-19

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of independence. Their condition in
this period may be expressed in Isai-
abs word: "This is people robbed
and plundered; they are all of them
shared in holes and they are hid in
prison houses; they are for a prey,
and none delivereth; for spoil, and
none saith, restore" Certainly they
were almost submerged by the waves
of hate, racial and religious, that beat
upon the colony whose success would
deplete the fortunes Of some of those
who during the exile had profted by
their absence and opposed their re-
turn.
But reinforcements were beginning
to appear. Ezra was one of the priest
ly line who ran his ancestry back to
Aaron and was greatly interested in a
religious revival among the discour-
aged group in Judea. With the con-
sent of the king he organized an ex-
petition that gathered at Ahava and
planned the long caravan that should
dare the desert journey unguarded,
for his boasting about Jehovah's care
forbad his asking for soldiers to pro-
tect them. But he was not as foolish
as some modern emulators of his
faith, for he mixed shrewd, gray mat
ter with his planning and was as care
full of details as a modern engineer.
SO he marched under 'the good hand
of God" and the long lines of dusty
pilgrims climbed the steep heights to
Jerusalem with joy and gave full ac-
counting for their various commit
tails of responsibility given at their
start. Rigid and uncompromising
their leader was Mortified over the lax
ness that had grown with the close
contacts with other races and beliefs
so that intermarriage threatened the
very life of Jehovah's religion. These
alien wives must be divorced and the
children repudiated. One may readily
imagine the feeling engendered among
the home folk when "guod wife" came
back reporting that she was not fit
for the Jew who had married her.
Ezra was forced into obscurity and
Jerusalem was the center of swirling
currents Of fierce hatred.
Nehemiah is one of the finest fig
ures in the bible or in history outside
its page. Exile born, he had gained
high position in palace circles that
required ability, character and cOur-
tesy. With temper that might blow
the roof off, as at rare times and I'M
der exasperating conditions it did,
with patience that could bide its
fittest time, with genius for manag-
ing men from the king down, with a
mastery of detail that rivalled Napo-
Icons, with a courage that dared all
things and refused defeat, with gen.
crosby that crowded his house with
guests and caused him to rule Judea
without pay, with a sacrificial spirit
that shut the door of palace prefer
ment that he might serve a despised
colony, with love for men that in
Guided the least and lowest in its
reach, with a respect for law that
shamed those who evaded it for profit,
with religious passion that put God
first in every attitude and relation
ship Of his life and with terse style
that makes these pages torn from his
old diary wildly interesting, he did
work that can never be forgotten
by either Jew or Christian.
Coming to the preached walls of
Jerusalem, riding through thru the
burned gates with his governors reti-
nue., he found completely dispirited
city. Climbing over the debris in the
dark until he knew just what the task
called for, he stirred the defenseless
citizens to build again their ruined
walls. With marvellous ability he per-
fected an organization that appealed
to family pride, to love Of good work,
to patriotism and to religion and
rushed the task to completion in 50
days, during which he had not taken
off his clothes except for washing"
The stir of its struggle against every
sort of opposition and its victory over
! treachery within and tlickery with
out, is rare reading And it was the
real turning point in the fortunes of
/ the colonists.
The city was safe from attack, but
/ there was need Of a reinforced citi-
/ zenry Profteers, oppressors of the
poor, disIeEArders Of the law made !
Che situation within the sew walls
serious indeed. Bat Nehemiah was