Life of Ahmad — Page 559
as DR. CLARK DRAGS HIM INTO COURT 559 judge the world has ever seen, and like a perfect gentleman, he had also the grace of congratulating Ahmad as in the court, to the great chagrin, I am sure, of the authors and promoters of a most wicked conspiracy that was set on foot to extinguish the light of Truth. The credit for frustrating this nefarious machination certainly goes to our distinguished guest of this evening. I would also like to take this opportunity of throwing light on a little incident which happened during this trial which furnishes a vivid contrast between Pontius Pilate and Colonel Douglas. The former knew Jesus as to be innocent but had not the courage to treat him with any outward token of respect through fear of the Pharisees, whom he treated with profound respect. But, unlike Pilate, Colonel Douglas treated Ahmad as with due honour and always offered him a chair in the court. His greater sense of justice is further illustrated by the fact that in strict accordance with judicial custom he refused to give a chair to a witness, little caring for the pressure brought upon him by the influential missionaries. This witness was Maulaw i Muhammad Husain of Batala, the Caiphas of the latter days, who, seeing Ahmad as seated in a chair, and being fired with a feeling of jealousy, asked for a similar honour for himself but it was refused him. And when he