The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-06-29
pAars. % January, 1910.
Mr. DEAR rRIENr

ID,
MY answer to Your letter,
printed the 13b Of September last, has been re
tarded, because il did not come 10 hand till with.
IN these few days The difficulty of commtinica
tion and the distance between your continent and
ours. have interposed barriers not easy to sur.
mount.
will not discuss the theological part of your
letter; here is no occasiou for a controversy A.
buses are parasite plants that att 8ch themselves
to things the most sacred I; but abuses are not
things l. would be unjust to judge of religion
from It's heterogeneous aajuncts, because on that
principle we must prescribe bread and wine, iron
and the printing press, since abuses have deerio-
rated their use If ignorant people have over
done and mIsapplied the use of images and sta.
tues in catholic churches, ii is not the less true
that these statues and pictures serve vehicle
to piety by recalling the remembrance of the he
roes ct christianity The portrait of Warren, one
OF the foundess of American liberty, will always
awaken rccolections dear to your countrymen.-
In Ike manner. the poor, the orphan in every
country, Will be moved at the view of those PIC
lures which represent Saint Vincent dc Paule, o.
penIng asyiums to indigcace, wretchedness and
age The protestants of Europe, TO ner,y so de-
cieed against tie admission OF paintings in their
churches, are now so far recovered from that
prejudice, that they decorate their temples with
Them as you may have seen, as well as l, at Bath,
Bristol and other places.
The same reason that attaches the respect of
the Catholics "a religious emblems, must wound
their hearts and grievousy aiflict TIA en- where ir-
reverence tor these emblems outraCsis their piety
Snch YEAS not your motive, my dear friend, in
suffering IT. be inserted in your magnfc ent poem
the engraving. which regret, and which you
now regret 90 see in that work ] am well per-
s,laded that 1T will never enter into yoac views to
give the least pain to your Catholic brethren
see, with great pleasure, that YOU render homage
to revelation in this you differ from very great
nuMeer OF European professionals, especially in
Germany. where many OF their doctors seem 90
nave conspred against christianity. Under an
apparent respect, they conceal their project of
Gemohsl'ing 1t nv the sysfe1fs (nouvelle exc
gese--er kln'Rag the translator rs not acQuaint.
cd WIN TINS nezo declaration Of the German 6oe-
tors IL IS the inevitable result of fundamental
principle of their sect and of yours, which au,ho
rizes every individual 10 Interpret the bible in
his own way he consequently finds in ii yyhate
yer he wishes. To the simple unity of truth he
associates all the alterations of delirum Bos-
suet had predicted that the protestsnts would
arrive at THIS point. Bossuet was right have
amply developed the proofs of il in my " History
OF the religious sects that have been born modi-
led and e4tinguished, from the beginning of the
IS;h century, to this day" This is a work in 9
volumes Its publication has met with some diff
hcuitles IT they ever removed i will send
you the work.
You likewise recognize the immense benefits
OF the gospel; this naturally leads one to saw,
that III the order of things whatever is essential
9o2d at AL times and in all Places is essentially
7rae tor ~ the las; analysis these two epithets
must both apply to the same object
Never bu, once did you appear at the bar ofthe
National Convention, and that was to present an
address from the Constitutional Society of Lsn.
Con say that YOU came there to profs SIS a.
the ism, the abnegstion of rehgo us principles is
an infamous caiumny likewise remember that
you often grieved with me at the sacril,re and
the crueilies that dshonored certain epochs of the
French revolution, aud dcsolsted the hearts of all
good men History will shew that the secret
promoters, the real ar;zans of these horrors
Were men the most enraged against liberty
winch they wished 10 render odious They mad
previously predicted oar calamities, and they
took measures that their predictions should not
be talsified by the event
Since you anG youc worthy Spouse have secu.
red the esteem and strction of all those who
had the pleasure of knowing you in Eurone
where yon had so many sincere friends, / see
with grief that IN America, you have enemies
not personal but political enemies, who IN Ike a
forced and abusive use OF my letter, entitled
Observations on the Coiuntsiad' TO decry YOU, To
avert TIE public odum from themselves, and es.
PecIsiiy 10 exclude you from empoyrnents to
which you are called by your talents your expe
riencc and your probity / Their perversity is an
indirect bom9Ge to,the qualities which do YOU ho.
nor but if their Efforts are succt ssfi, i, will be
loss 10 die public A man endowed with emf
Ten4 virtues belongs more than another to his
country and, in this view, Barlow is TO the
STATES national property.
persist IN ell that my former letter contains
on tbe article oil religion, but give the lie in
Soruai manner 10 all the nductons that perversi
ty you'd draw from 4 ssaInst your personal cha
racter
he business Of Journalist is that Of an indie.
pendent magistrate, and y hen conducted by Jus.
tic and d.scernment, it is very useful He is The
legislator OF opinion, he directs me public mind
To al ttat IS pore and generous and great and
tins praise Is due To many who follow THIS occi,.
V9ttDu uay Cft a,,,,,
seem deyOUred by tie lust Gf fatyed, secretaries
OF crime and ca'ufnny, spothecares Of poison
their p yes are open only 20 t4lschood ard detrac
tion, asa ihey never admit word Of defence
from tie man they are assu4sjnaung
IN Europe hkeWi5e we nave periodical and vi
ruient libeis But though men III general are SUI
hcienty provided win wicksdness and crcduli.
ty, these h6cls are 50 far dccried, that If they
Confirms 20 .tnuss The wlrksd, they have ceased
u Impose upon the credu3us
y ny dear BariUw, persecuted by infdels
an i-natic9. Moreover, the phenomenon TX.
tf< TnFIy rare, OF man protesting the same prin
ciy'ts IN 1910, which he proiesscd in 1889, has
reused against me the PfOteus gang, who have
worn every livery and followed ever, banner 49,
These men are compared improperly TO Janus
7Or he had 0ut 30 faces, they have thirty
To BE- csIumniated is said 10 be tax that the
good msu pays to the vi, ked. We may both
CON 'lsin Of beiDg oyertaAed but, my friend, VIC
cannot hope to seuce the voice Of impOsture,
%suICh repeats but ueYer prOFes. Between yir
tue and vcc there can be neither peace nor truce
1.-The var is inteFfninable But there ere tygo
Sore % yenqeaut 10 he ld ON orr enefn,o4 . mn.