Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-09-29

TIE CA-GOTHs IN FRANCE.

He CA-SOTHS IN FRANCE.
s French publication gives the follow
ing account Of an oppressed race Of men,
of whom some remains still exist in GER
tain Provinces of France
One could scarcely discover in The his
tory OF any conquered nation an oppres-
sion and insult 10 be compared with what
the descendants of the Fisigoths endured
for whole centuries in the provinces of
France, formerly subjected to their rule,
Our subject will naturally lead US to
draw up The mournful catalogue OF those
insults !; and yet never did men, per-
secuted IN their property, families, and
persons, do so much towards dsarming
public opinion and the laws. They may
now be said to have succeeded in it.
Nine OF ten centuries Of resignation and
patience have at length yielded them a
ret8!iation nearly complete. Scarcely
beyond the Basque country is the igno-
minious name OF Ca-Goths Goth Dogs
under which they have been so long
known, still bestowed on them.
In the village churches is still shown
the dark cerner whittier the Ca.Goths
were banished, the narrow door whereby
they entered the church, and the hol y wa
ter-sase wherein they were suffered to
dip their fingers.
how many people are there that know
that Visigoths still exist in our mountains,
and those Visigoths are subjected to the
prejudice that struck them Immediately
alter the victories of Charles MarteI !?
And yet nothing is more certain. There
IS not people in Europe whose origin is
more, authentic and better asceftained
than that OF the Ca-Goths. Driven from
society, banlshed to villages, which still
bear The name Of Cagolarias, they could
not exercise any other craft than that Of
carpenters or woodcutters. They were
prohibited the use Of any sort of arms a
badge of intamy fastened to their gar
ments, pointed them out to the contempt
Of The people, who carefully avoided any
contact with them scarcely we're thew
permitted to kneel in the churches; they
could obtain access to them only by a
narrow door allotted to their use, and
concealed, towards the cemetery, and IN
The darkest nook. The people took
great care not to pass through that door !;
It Is not yet hundred wears since BIZ
shop ei berpignan was obliged to cross
the Threshold OF that door with all his
clergy, III order :o~overcome that iamen-
table prejudice. The prescription even
extended to their dead bodies. The wri
ter Us this article recoIIects having seen.
m the mountain parishes, the narrow en-
closure allotted to their corpses, which
was separated from the common tombs
by a wall OF ditch.
The Ca-Goths have experienced all the
caiamtles which political prosecutions
entail. Ii is worth while reading. in the
customs OF Bearn and Rousi!lon. The
measures adopted towards them. In
1860 the States assembled at Pau de-
inanded Of Prince Gastra that they be
prohibited from walking barefooted, lest
they might communicate leprosy and.
in case they should infringe that reeuIa-
ton, that their feet be pierced with a red
hot iron. In 1896, towards the end
nj Henry the fourth's reign. the ParIia-
ment Of Bordeaux ordered the Ca. Gotbs
10 bear on their breasts red sign in the
shape Of q ducks foot. and prohibited
their touching provisions sold in the mar
kets on pain Of the whip. In 1904, it
renewed this decree. and applied it par
sculaslv TO the Ca-Goths of the environs
of Bayonne. In 1906, it prohibited them
on pain of corporeai punishment from
participating il: public dances. 1t was
only in 1725 that the States Of Bearn.
Gaieune, Navarro. and Languedoc reyok-
cd these oppressive DEGREES, and restor-