The Sun.
London, England, 1823-07-26 00:00:00

31. DE LA MENNAIS ON TOLERATION.

The new Atibt of Clairvaux, the Torquemada, the hope of
the nineteenth century, Al. de la Illennais, has published a
more absurd article, if that be possible, than all that he has
ever writ:en.

It was said that the g2rm of liberal Ideas was in the Gospel,
and this heresy was supported by M. de. Chateaubriand 111m-
self. M. de la Mennais„ in whose eyes the author of Martyrs
and of Atala must doubtless be orthodox,.is astonished at this
assertion. " Europe;" he says,." will never comprehend that
" revolution is the developement of a germ which is to be found
" in the Scriptures; it will never comprehend bow the laws of
" the Convention, the "Directory, the. Empire and the Cortes
" can be nothing but a commentary upon the Gospel."
Neither will nations ever comprehend how the code of the
Inquisition, which makes alaw, calling upon a son to denounce
his father, can be a commentary upon the Gospel. When M.
de 'la Mennais shall have explained this latter contradiction, it
will give him the solutiOn of the'former, as it will shew to him
how the union of knaves and fools produces the most atrocious
crimes in the name and for. the triumph of the purest doc-
trines. •It would shew to him how a Robespierre, a Saint Just,
a .llrirat, with a word in.their mouths, that of virtue, imagined
it to be very salutary to destroy all who were not virtuous.
arat, tsle2cially, with a high temperament, a vivid imagina-
tion, and who hollered himself sensible, thought that virtue
ought to be intolerant towards vice; he could not comprehend
why it should not be permitted to take off LOO heads to secure
the repose of the .world, and he even thought it very economical
to regenerate the human Species at that price. A man less
foolish, but more wicked, with a mind narrow, envious, mis-.
trustful, an eternal accuser, Robespierre employed the folly
of Marat against those whom he hated ,• whilst the one de-
nounced masses, the other denounced individuals ; and both
devoted to death whatever was most respectable upon earth.
See bow the laws of the Convention have resulted from the
Gospel.
M. de la Mennais does not, he.says, call for the re-establish-
ment of thee-Inquisition in Spain; because he does not know
whether it would be useful ; that is to say, that in certain cases
it maybe useful, es it has been heretofore; and in case of a
recognised utility, its re-establishment should be called for.
It may be imagined, perhaps, that we misrepresent the idea
or AL de la Mennais ; but to leave no doubt upon the point,
this I,linister of the Gospel himself adds, "and we venture to
"say,. it was a great happiness- for Westplalia that the Inqteisi-
"lion existed at the period when the Anabaptists interpreted
" the Scriptures " -
The Inquisition is known—it is the sacrifice of some hundred
thousand victims to an opinion.; every opinion which believes
itself to be true may therefore secure tranquillity by means of
victims, and the establishertiof the dreadfUl revolutionary tri-
bunal might believe' that in establishing it, they secured the
happiness of France. The consequence is inevitable, and all
the succeeding declamations of M. de la Mennais cannot de-
stroy it. It agrees well with what he has said. The Inquisition
was a benefit to Westphalia.
M. de la Iklennaia then goes on Without restraint. " The
" religion of Jesus Christ, be says, is intolerant. This is to
" be found in • twenty place's in the Gospel. When it is thus
" written, the • Liberaux raise shouts of indignation, as if
". new or extravagant proposition were advanced, or sonic blew-
" phemy put forth. Is not Religion a Law, and is not all
" Law essentially Intolerant? Is it to be conceived that it
" would tolerate the violation of its prohibitions or of its cons-
" meads?"

The Memorial Bonk:al:I contains the following intelligence
from Spain . .

A Jrciurnal of yesterday contained the following Article :-
1 "Our' Correspondent at Augshurg writes us that the Baron
de Lebeeltern, the Austrian Ambassador at Petersburgh., has
informed his Government that the Russian Cabinet has ;re
ceived from London a dispatch of so much importance, that It
has given rise to several long conferences between the Count
de Nesselrode and Sir Charles Begot, the British Ambassador.
It is reported in some circles at I'etersburgh, that this dispatch
relates to the affairs of Spain."
(Front the Courier Francais.)
Pants, JULY 23.—The Quotidianne does not draw back, we
must render it this justice. Itessierea, attacking the relations of
some Re,volutionists, appears to that Journal to act perfectly ac.
cording to its principles of justice. " He will perhaps only reach
(it says) some miserable wretchessullied with all sorts of crimes."
Thus when a person is related to a Revolutionist, he is news.
ssarily a miserable wretch, and may be punished without any
trial. Titus individuals are no longer responsible for their own ,
crimes, but whole families are made to answer for them.—
According to the Quolidienne, because , a brother or an uncle is
a Revolutionist at Cadiz, a, brother or nephew may be mas.
sacred on account of an event which he is ignorant—which
be could not prevent, and which he may even condemn. This is
the justice of the Quotidienne ; this is what it approves openly,
without disguise, and expresses without circumlocution. It e
congratulate ourselves on !laving brought it to this frank con.
fession. It will be in vain hereafter to deny it. It has declared
that it approved the proscription of innocent people when
they were the relations of the guilty, that is to say, that on
this point it lias surpassed in ferocity and injustice every thing
of this kind which is most odious in history.
The Memorial Bordidais gives the following details on the
position of the different corps d'arintie in Spain :—Lieutenant-
General Antichamp is still at Madrid. His division anti the
corps of Marshal Oudinot, who is also there, consist only of
the brigade of St. klilaite. The first brigade is with General
VaUin at Cadiz, and die third is,now operating with General
Bourck in Galicia.

General Berthier is in pursuit of Campillo. Colonel Baron
Clonet, -Commandant of the 19th Light Infantry, commands
the blockade of St. Sebastian, in the place of Brigadier-General
Baron Scheirer, who is gone to Santona, and till the arrival of
Brigadier-General Count Mellet. The blockade of St. Sebes_
tian is formed by in 25th and 41st of the line, and-of the 19th
Light Infantry;the whole about 3,009 troops.
The Memorial Bearnais contains some details of an Wair
which has not been officially mentioned. A corps of Constitu-
tionalists ban marched on Valencia, with the intention of mak-
ing themselves masters of that place; hut the French garrison,
united with the Spanish Royalists, marched out to meet them,
and completely defeated them. Those who escaped were to-
tally dispersed; and the tranquillity of Valencia, momenta-
rily disturbed, was perfectly re-established. It seems to us this
affair is of too much importance to be wholly overlooked.
A Journal of some weeks standing under the title of
Or/Au/me, has already demanded, five-or six times, that every
liberal journal should be suppressed. The Orifivanze lain the
right, and it must be confessed, if' it. has not a great deal of
genius in its articles, it has in its calculations; nobody reads
the at:amine, and the reason is they rend other Journals. If
they therefore were suppressed, the public, to have news, would
read that paper. The Editors feel they can only live by the death
of others, and may hope to be noticed when they have no com-
petitors. Having no chance of success with the public, it ap-
peals weekly to the severity of the Attorney-General. If this
plan succeeds it will only cost some few calumnies and false
accusations ; a means of success much more within the reach
of the Editors of this Journal than those which are employed
by other authors, such as patriotism, talents, respect for truth,
and for the laws of politeness.
GEN'Eva, Jura 13.—The publication of an incendiary
writing, drawn nll by a Curt" of the Canton, against the Go.
vernment and the Reformed Religionists of Geneve, was lately
prevented. Every day the enemies of political and Teligl°"
liberty venture-to make fresh attacks on the Magistrates, who,
pretend habitually to be ignorant of them, or to resent them
with an indifference which has the appearance of weakness.
Our military contigent will soon set out for the camp of the
Place des Oates. Military exercises continue uninterruptedly
in all the Cantons of Switzerland.