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About The banner of the South. (Augusta, Ga.) 1868-1870 | View Entire Issue (May 15, 1869)
VOL. 11. For the Banner of the South. Her Monument. mve they raised a shaft o'er the lowly place 'lhere we looked our last on her loving face? Have they built a shrine o’er the honored head •n at resteth so still in its grassy bed ? rr ye they reared a sane with letters of gold, £ rec ord the worth which our hearts enfold ? is it of marble-serene and grand, I ike her own true soul in this desert land ? jj t white—without blemish or stain, I ike her blameless life we now mourn in vain ? u it enduring—rooted deep in the sod, Ae ghejn the faith and the service of God? liesifc it raise the sad heart to the throne and the crown, \ B she lifted souls whom affliction cast down ? Poes it whisper ol Heaven, of hope, and of woTih, Os everything noble, devoted, on Earth ? Ismicli the bright tablet—with reverence deep, liaised o’er the spot where we laid her to sleep ? Is it a wreathed Brn, sculptured with art, True type of her beautiful, generous heart, Holding God’s sunbeams bright as they fall; As she held His love for Earth’s weary ones all ? Du the flowers of Spring bloom in radienee there, Ami the wild birds make vocal the peace-laden air? puts the Cross— blessed symbol of love and of faith— Keep guard o’er the spot where she slumbers beneath? Im re meet that its shadow should fall o’er her breast Who, led by its shining, passed out to her rest Serenely she passed, like a child to its sleeping, Smiling farewell to the hearts that were weeping ; Loosening her hands from love's clinging tics, To lift them, unshackled, unstained, to the skies. Ip it Tablet of marble, or flower-wreathed Urn That marks the dear spot where our grieving hearts turn? No flower wreathed Urn adorneth the spot; gheft of marble—pale sentinel—guardeth it not; 'Jhc birds of the forest sing requiems there, And the flowers bloom blight in the peace-laden air. True, the guardian Cross spreads its arms o’er the place, But no symbol of pride can the searching eye trace; No costly adornments —no letters of gold— Her woith and our loss not by these may be told ! Farbetter and prouder hek monument stands, Bearing the impress of her. noble hands; Recording her name in letters of light 'Jhat Time only deepens—brings clearer to sight. l ilting our thoughts to that happier sphere, vi. •: •• !■:. ■■!' v HI; I(>yp 01: the briiVt u hearts heri-'' j'ii claiming, in i.cti'on more potent than speech, Those virtues that envy nor malice could reach— It speaks of devotion, of honor, of truth, Os a soul that ne’er lest the bright robe of its youth, Os a heart that could cherish no feeling of ill, That affliction, misfortune, might open at will, Os a faith that grew stronger ibrough sorrow and pain, of deeds all untarnished by Earth’s sordid stain, of a hie dear to God—for with Martha’s fond care, has combined all of Mary s devotion and prayer— brighter than marble, more'enduring than stone, Her Mouununt spiaks to the true heart alone ; Si , hd with the Cross in whose pathway she trod, It kupeth her name still unspotted for God ! "he head of the Mother lies low upon Earth ; Her tons are her Monument telling her worth ! S. B. Elder. A'«<? Orleans, May 1, 1869. For the Banner of the South. TIE LAST DAVS OF CARIHAGEi OE A SISTER OF FABIOLA. AFTER THE MANNER OF THE FRENCH. [continued] CHAPTER XIV. CHRISTIANS TO THE LIONS. -Is Eng as the Emy eror Severus had ( ' inpetitors to contend against him for ,lic possession of the Empire, his policy ! °Avards the Christians was mild and i nc iliatory. He knew their fidelity and iC accordingly looked upon them as I^worfnl auxiliaries in maintaining 1 a '‘C- Ilis army contained a large pro* lotion of Christian soldiers, nor had he ai >y reason to regret the decision by such a brave and valiant element l"'allied to the national force. But ‘•y death ot Niger and Albinos removed rivals and this together victories which his legions gain 1r the rebellious colonies, enabled , ‘ 4 yt" grasp the crown with a steadier - ail( l lu ‘ e ovcr his people with more Sv" reign now became less , V r [ 1 . MC *° the Christians. Was it that .' I;,l vcd in the calumnies invented • y pagans against them? Was he ■ '; t-y attached to the worship of lS ; f :- tj dreaded the progress of ri( ,, ['d-ci •' or was he anxious to add . ; [[stige to liis name, by crushing , 1 lc hg!on which had hitherto braved . . ,b of Kcme and withstood the ‘ •■yA’ >i four great persecutions ? In ' :‘y ! year of his reign, he issued an date against the Christians. ' signal for the fifth persecu ep , v, ’ as a severe trial for the C [ . h ’ : , ■‘'’attained by the invisible t , ' 1 ° ! it was equal to the pressure, something like those huge pyramids which yet stand firmly upon the soil of Egypt though floods have passed over them in numberless succession. Alexandria was the centre of pagan superstition and the orders of the Em peror were rigorously obeyed. This great city saw many of its devoted sons tall victims to the popular fury. Here the father of Orizen together with Pota miena, of whom mention has been made before, openly confessed the faith and re ceived the palm of martyrdom. At Carthage there were many, who though they condemned the Christian faith, were nevertheless opposed to per secute those who professed it, and w r ere it not for the ceaseless efforts of Olympian and Jubal, the edict of Severns might have been consigned to the archives un heeded. They neglected no occasion to excite the minds of the people by call ing on the Senate to obey the commands of the august Emperor, and by exposing what they considered to be the secrets of those night assemblies which they held for the purposes of worship. They were represented as being guilty of all the crimes that were looked upon as such by the people of that age. They pretended to have a horror of shedding blood, it was said, still they gorged the flesh of infants at their midnight orgies; and though the blood of these innocent victims was still warm, they also ap proached to drink it whilst they eat their palpitating members.* The lions of the forest were less cruel for they were guided only by instinct, while they were endowed with reason. If such an evil was allowed to exist or increase in the land, it would be worse than that in habited by the savage Numidians. Be sides the Gods saw all this and who could say that they would not punish those who were remiss in suppressing the religion of one who had declared him self their rival ? The cry therefore of ‘Christians to ihe lions,’ should find a re-echo in the breast of every man that is true to the gods and to his country. They should therefore rise in arms to make war upon superstition and impiety and dethrone that pretended God whom they call their Saviour. ’’ Such was the language of Jubal in the different houses of pleasure which he frequented. Corresponding sentiments were expressed by thousands through the city over whom Olympian wielded influence and many a sacreligious im precation rent the air, and many a toast was drunk swearing eternal hatred to Christ. The shepherd of the Mountains re joiced that the hour was near when his vengeance would be quenched in the blood of Yivia. He lost no time among the slaves in his endeavors to bring on that general persecution to which the ob ject of his hatred should fall a victim. He even insinuated the prospect of a universal emancipation, as the result of their magnanimous endeavors to sup press an evil which corroded the vitals of the nation and checked its prosperity. Firmiliau was Governor of the Pro vince of Carthage. lie was a man of peaceable disposition and averse to any thing like popular excitement, persuaded that nothing good could come of it even though the ends proposed were just and laudable. He refused to publish this edict in a formal manner and it was in vain that the High Priest recalled to his mind the duty of obedience. In the principal square of the City of Carthage, arose the magnificent monu ment of Juno, the Queen of the Gods. The entire Province was placed under her protection. A crown of precious diamonds reposed upon her head and by their natural reflection, formed around calumny which arose from a mis n] prehension of the Sacrament of the Eucharist- which these early Christians received as the veritable flesh and blood, soul and divinity of the glorified Saviour. AUGUSTA, GA., MAY 15, 1869. her brow an aureola of light. She held in her right hand a golden sceptre, the symbol of divinity, in her left a vessel in minature, beautifully sculptured from bright colored marble and bearing the inscription “Carthage, the Queen of the seas.” The statue was of ancient date. The Romans found it when they came to take possession of the country, nor did they desecrate it lest they might rouse the anger of that proud and unforgiving godess. It was held iD great veneration by the people of the town. At night a sentinel marched to and fro in front of the sacred monument. During the present period of excite ment the soldier was found one morning stretched lifeless upon the ground and weltering in a pool of blood. The alarm was given and soon the square was tilled with crowds declaring vengeance against those who had insulted the godess of the City. It was declared that no other but the Christians could have perpetrated such a sacreligious act. The fury of the people was beyond description, and the cries of “death to the Christians,” echoed through the streets and public places of the town. Who were the culprits? It mattered not; the whole sect should perish. Bands of furious desperadoes marched through the city displaying their poignard and crying out for the blood of the enemies of Juno. Others again, after the manner of popular agi tators, harangued the crowds that .father ed round them, and them in glowing language, the horrors of the “impious sect,” and caked upon the peo ple to execute the mandate of the Em peror against all who refused to sacrifice in their temples. The Governor was called a coward, and a base traitor to the country, and threats and insults were launched against him as he appeared in front of his house to quell the tumult. Just at this time flames of fire were seen to rise from a certain quarter of the city, and clouds of smoke ascended spi rally easting a blood red reflection tor miles around. It was the temple. Its rich porticoes, which were regarded as the master-pieces of art, were caught in its fearful embrace, and its thick and lofty columns of white marble, trembled under the irresistible pressure of the flames and fell, one after another, with a crash that resembled the noise and vio lence of an earthquake. The frescoes that adorned the walls of the interior had crumbled to dust, and the delicate sculptury that filled the surrounding niches, presented nothing but a hideous mass of charred and blackened ruins. But when the vast and gorgeous dome caught the fearful element, the scene was as sublime as it was terrific to wit ness. Fiery tongues of flame shot up wards casting sparks like the eruptions of some volcano, and throwing' a lurid glare, far upon the waters of the Medi teranean. From time to time the deaf ening crash of falling beams and debris of masonry resounded through the as tounded city, and carried terror and consteration to the hearts of all who reverenced the sacred edifice as the dwelling place of the immortal gods. The lire now began to slaken its pace for it had no more e inbustible material upon which to spend its rage. A few hours after and that once gorgeous tem ple to which the inhabitants of Carthage looked up as the pride of their city, was no more than a shapeless heap of broken statues and pillars, lying here and there through vast and splendid ruins. This incendiary took place just twen tv-four hours after the sacrelege commit ted on the statue of Juno and could not but cause the people to suspect that both had been the result of a conspira cy. Chance could not have produced such a wonderful coincidence. But who could have been guilty of such a crime? The public voice responded, “no other but the Christians.’’ The minds of the people were accord ingly still more embittered against them anti they were now forced to hide them selves in the secret chambers of their houses or in the dark recesses of the earth. But where was Yivia and Ter tullian ? The former was praying un disturbed for the repose of her husband's soul. The latter was quietly writing his famous treatise “contra Gentiles.” chapter xv. IIILARION AND ANGELA. Firmiliau had fallen into disrepute from the want of energy which he had betrayed throughout his whole tenure-of office, and especially since the late edict had been given out by the Emperor ! against the Christians. lie was not thought a fit person to represent, in the metropolis of Africa, the dignity of the Roman court. Accordingly a colleague was appointed to act in concert with him, and aid him in the administration of af fairs. Hilarion possessed firmness of j character, but ambition seemed to be his | great fault. No sacrifice was deemed j too great, no display of servility too dis-1 honorable vdien there was a question of, some important place to be occupied, or | some dignity to be conferred. These were the kind of men that the Emperor wanted. Treason and assassination had been the means of raising them to the’ throne and they accordingly required partisans without principle and without independance, to retaJ» elevated position. Hilarion though still young, had seen life in the camp. His manners were rough and uncultivated and his language and disposition was framed according to the irreligious spirit of the warriors of his time. Some time previous to the events re lated above, it happened that as Angela accompanied by her parents, was going to assist at the celebration of the Holy My* teries in the assembly of the Christ ians, she met Hilarian who was consider ably struck with the beauty of her per son. “Who was she?” he thought, “was she free or a slave?” The simple attire in which she appeared, led him to sup pose that she belonged to the plebeian class, He was far from suspecting that she was of one of the most opulent fami lies of Carthage. His astonishment was great when he heard that they had con trolled the commerce of the city—that their vessels had floated over the seas that wash the coasts of Greece, Gaul and Italy. He learnt too that she was a Christian, and that, therefore, her virtue was proof against seduction. lie did not participate in the popular prejudices against the Christians, nor did he be lieve that under the guise of a mortified exterior they concealed the most pro found corruption. He was determined to have her in marriage. Difficulties, however, were in the way. He was to succeed to Finnilian, as Governor of the Province, and it would be a violation of public sentiment as well as of the writ ten law, to unite himself to a Christian. But then could she not return to the an cient faith? “Scarcely possible,” he thought. Not even the prospect of sharing with him the highest position in Carthage could induce her to renounce o the worship of Christ. When they suf fer the tortues of death rather than yield to the exactions of the Emperor on this point, it is folly to expect that I could persuade her to abandon her faith by the promise of an elevated rank among the citizens of Carthage. But something must be done, for I have formed the project and will see it carried into exe cution, no matter what means I am forced to employ. If mild, peaceable words will not do, perhaps I may succeed bet ter with threats and violence though I must say it is doubtful " Thus he re flected. lie did not even yet know the Christians. On the day that the sacreiige was com mitted several soldiers presented them selves at the house of Angela and sum- j moned her to appear before llilarion. They found the young virgin praying. She had heard of the terr ible provocation which had been given to the pagans and knowing that the Christians were sure to be accused, she endeavored to prepare herself for the ordeal through which she and her brethern were destined to pass. She had meditated upon the pas sion of the Redeemer almost all the night long, and from time to time she felt herself transported into his presence in ecstaeies of love. The scenes of martyrdom with all its horrible details, the scoffs of the multitude and the tor tures of the arena were clearly pictured to her mind, but instead of experiencing a sentiment of fear she sighed after such an honor, ardently desiring that her blood might be mingled with the great sacrifice of the cross. She was absorbed in deep reflection upon this great mys j tery when she was interrupted by the sudden entrance of her mother, j “Angela, the Governor of the Pro- I vince desires you to appear before his | tribunal,” she said in a voice trembling with emotion. “0 Eternal love ! when shall I come before thy face ? Rejoice darling mother, rejoice with me for my hour is come.” Her father now entered the room and assured her that no harm should be done ! her, for that he would accompany her i and protect her against any injustice. TUoy ooou urvi r Vvd tvb iliL huuoo of Hi jlarion. He was clothed in all the in signaofhis office and surrounded with soldiers and lictors. “Angela,” he said in a mild tone, as soon as she had approached in front of i where he set, “do not be afraid, I speak 'to you, not as a judge so much as an in | dulgent friend.” “My Lord, I fear nothing,” replied the young virgin, unhesitatingly, and raisiug her eyes so as to look at him full in the face. “He that is with me is all powerful and will not abandon her in the hour of trial.” “Whom do you mean ?” inquired Hi larion, looking around. “You do not allude to this old man who, I suppose, is your father ? Who is your all pow erful protector?” “He that is locking down upon me now, and who is refreshing my soul with the smile of his approval,” and a bright effulgence seemed to surround the figure of the faithful servant of Christ. She joined her hands in the attitude of prayer, and murmured sweet words which her persecutors could not under stand. “Angela, we must not lose our time in vain discussions. Show that you cau appreciate the interest I take in your youth and answer my questions without disguise or equivocation. Are you a Christian ?” “Yes, I serve Christ and will serve him to my latest breath,” replied the young virgin confessor, with a degree of emotion and courage which could onlv have been inspired from on high. “You have abandoned then the an cient worship of your fathers ?” “No, my Lord, the religion I profess is as old as the world. It ascends hack through a chain of prophets and palri : archs, to the beginning when Cod created i man. But your impious doctrines is the work of the demon and your Gods are no gods at all.” “Foolish girl ! you blaspheme and you know not that 1 can punish you, but you are young’. Listen. Angela,” he continued, in a more subdued tone, “you are carried away by a blind passion for an imaginary idea, and you follow a re ligion which prescribes every species of pleasure, dou degrade yourself by fre quenting those wicked night assemblies when yon ought to take your place in a society where you would receive the ho mage due to your rank and beauty.” “Pleasures,'' re-echoed the young girl, “what pleasure is more delicious No. 9.
