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Show THE NEWS AND VOX POPULI. To show the fallacy of the expression Vox Populi, the News cites the fact that the Savior was hounded to his death by that same cry. It is a most unfortunate reminder for the News to awaken. The Savior came preaching to the poor of the earth, healed their sick, cured them of their infirmities, "went about going good," living an absolutely blameless life until on every hand he was hailed as "the Messiah." At last His voice penetrated the " dull, cold ear of death," and' the passionless grave, at his command, gave up its victim. What then? The account says, "Many believed," be-lieved," but "Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees, a council and said:. 'What do we for this man doeth many miracles. '"If we let him thus alone, all men will believe be-lieve in him and the Romans shall" come and take away both our place and nation.' " And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them: "Ye know nothing at all. "Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not." And this, spake he, not of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death." I In the foregoing we have a very brief but graphic account of how the conspiracy to murder B the blameless one was formed. B Then the events of the mighty tragedy move I on, until the feast of the passover draws near, I and the Savior having crossed the brook Cedron, I "Judas knew the place, 'for. Jesus often resorted thither," and "Judas -then having received a band I of men and officers from the chief priests and B Pharisees cometh thither with lanterns and B torches and weapons." B The above is in part the account of the arrest, Then he was led before Annas first, for he was father-in-law to that same Caiaphas who ' was "high priest," and who in the original council, had declared that one man must die for the people. Then he was led before Caiaphas and then before Pilate in his hall of judgment. Then, in answer to Pilate's question of what accusation they brought against the prisoner, they charged that he was ''a' malefactor." And when Pilate, after questioning Jesus, went out to the rabble and told them that " I find no fault in him at all," and offered to release him, they cried: "Not this man, but Barabbas." "Now Barabbas was a robber." rob-ber." .Vhen finally the Master was led forth wearing the crown of thorns and "the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" We have reproduced the foregoing to make it clear that the whole conspiracy originated, with the chief, priests, and the rabble, which the News tries to charge the gloomy murder upon, in what they did were simply "obeying counsel." Is it not a plain case? They could neither read nor write. They had seen the miracles, the sick healed, the raging tempest laid at a word, the dead called back to life; even as they proceeded in a body to arrest the Savior, when He asked them, whom they sought, and they answered, "Jesus," and he answered: "I am he," so majestic was he, so all-compelling his presence and voice, that "they went backward awd fell to the ground." Still under the lashing of those same chief priests, they helped to swell the cry, "Crucify him."Had it been in the tabernacle every hand would have gone up, because when men become be-come bound to a superstition, then with them "judgment has fled to brutish beasts and men have lost their reason." But why at this time, does the News put out this insidious reasoning that the voice of the people is not sovereign? Why does it compare the steady, thoughtful judgment of the American people to the wild acts of an fgnorant and passion-tossed mob? It is to impress upon those who are under the spell of the fear on which the creed of the News rests, that they must not think, must not make up their own minds, but must take their opinions as did that rabble in front of Pilate's judgment , hall, from their "chief priests." It means that or is meaningless, and either way makes it clear ;, that the-Jews is an enemy, of the people it pr$-tends. pr$-tends. to befriend. |