New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-12-20

the capacity OF the muIntncei questioning lae
past, he knew not how TO reform it; doubling
philosophy and religion, he appears the colossal
genius of skepticism
How truly the mind of Europe had embraced
freedom Of inquiry may be seen from the fact, that
Russia recognized the principle of intellectual
freedom. a new ligh, had pierced the Russian
nation and the Empress blended favor for the new
philosophy with the magnfcence of Asiatic despot-
ism. Tha, this period marks the moment when
free inquiry began to be acknowledged appears from
the fact that, in 1854, Germany, the creature of
the middle age elected az successor to TO the i'm
perial crown one who strove to bring the pride Of
prelates down to the simplicity of plebeian apos-
tles-to raise serfs to equality with mobiles be-
fore the law, and to give to the outcast Jew the
privileges Of Humanity. This again became ap
parent in Spain, which had at her head the feeble
though honest-hearted Charles Ill, into whose
Cabinet, superstitious as be was, the new ideas
found entrance, who restrained the ferocity Of tue
Inouisition and extipguished its fires. and exiled
from the land of Loyola the Society of Jesuits he
had founded, and con6scated their estates. To
battle the Protestants the Society Of Jesus was
tabished; and now from one Catholic kingdom
after another the !esuts were expelled, till atlast,
for Internal reasons, the Roman See itself capitu-
lated to the spirit of the age The Society of Je-
su. was abolished, and the fugitves sought shelter
from Catholic persecution.
But nowhere was the triumph Of Skepticism so
manifest as in France. 1t there was infused into
every department of Literature and Science and,
though not vet commenced, the Revolution, hushed
in grim repose, awaited its evening prey. Au-
thsrity had grown so weak as only to provoke
licentiossness of opinion. Descartes had intro
duced, and Leibnitz and Maebranche had exer
Protestants plead the Bible as authority, Descar
ties, at one bound, reached the principle Of the
freedom of the individual Once advanced it was
the past Free thought became the mistress of
the world, and every body in the salons Of Paris
pretended to be philosopher. All were against
the Church, and many attacked Christianity itself.
Some even opposed all religion, and prepared for
the ruin of all social order by denying the validity
of existing institutions, and the reality of those
great principles of morality on which all society
must be based.
On the one side was Voltaire, the Prince of
Scoffers in an age of Skepticism His power per-
vaded all Europe He excelled in seizng the ex-
preston of Society. He was the spoiled child Of
Society-tbe glass ia which the brilliant but
icentous aristocracy of the day reflected Itself
He summed himself in the light of Society and daz-
zled it by concentrating its rays. He was its idol,
and he loved its idolatry. Far from liking the ex-
listing authority, he willing to forget the
and remain content if the Government would only
favor men Of letters. He scofad at the Church
but courted her priests. He had high notions Of
The power of letters but saw not the essential
power of truth. With all his professions he aerved
neither the Sorbonne nor the People. A5horring
the cruelty Superstition he never saw the footsteps
of Providence along the line of the Centuries In Po-
itcs he sought to be the counsellor of the Estab
lished form. In Morals he raised profound ego
tsm to the dignity of theory and made the gu.
preme love of self the foundation of all morality.
Montesquieu, on the other hand, discovered
the title-deeds of Humanity lying buried among
the rubbish of Privileges and Charters. His was
a generous nature, discarding alike Epicurism
and Skepticism. He demanded freedom for all
opinions, and tolerant toward and quick te
fa hom principles of civil and political liberty
He saw, with exulting hope, great nation of
Anslo.Saxens springing up in the forests OF Amer
lea and such was the life of his thought, OBJ
servant was he of all the laws on which society
reposes, that all Europe rose up to welcome the
great work which swaycd the mind alike upon the
ewing land coast and the banks of the Potomac,
for it was the favorite study of James Otis and OF
Washington.
Jean jacques Rousseau soon made his voice
heard from the Republic of Geneva. He found
that he could no longer Aatter the great for re-
turn of fayors. Shallow and iRconsiderate, he
set possessed an Infinite feeling of humanity !;
tossed from faith to faith, by the light that Cal
vim had kindled he read the death signal TO the
past establishment and in tones of sadness but
aot despair, cngng to faith in mans nature and
holding an innite trust in God, he breathed out the
spirit of revolution in words of fame and ava
kened all Europe, by his voice. Voltaire led the
cry against him, that he was setting the poor
against the rich; but without learning and with
no profound philosophy, he spoke out the secret
that the ancient institutions ofEurope were struck
with the hand of death, and that if there was life
in the world, it was the masses alone that lived.
In France the monarchy and hierarchy stood
like isolated columns from (which the building
has crumbled away. The pubiis mind had en-
Iargcd the sphere OF action and the Court had be-
come narrow and contracted The treasury of
France was exhausted and yet her extravaganza
was or the increase. The Monarch was buried
in volupmousness and his ministers were weak,
ephemerel creatures, who brought into the cabinet
their petty quarrels and sel6shness. While the
Church, BY the mouth of Massillon, declared that
the King should be elected by the people, Louis
at the same time assumed power mere despotc
than before. His mistress, Pompadour, WAS ca
ressed in public and courted by the great, and at
her death he chose her successor from house OF
public infamy, gave her a noble for husband and
introduced her into the highest circles of his court
Insulting all that was sacred and decent in So
cie,y and religion. Thus did RIGHTEOUSNESS pre-
pare the grave for monarchy; and France stood
ready attend its funeral-she dead to bury their
dead.
Rousseau published to the world that the RICH,
of sovereignty belongs to the peop!e-a truth
which, once pronounced, never could be hushed.
But Rousseau lost sight of the great principle OF
the age, the right to personal freedom of the indi.