Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1843-07-27
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n JOHN QUINCY ADAMS ON
HOlTAIkE.

W Yftm 1 Nrr Icrt DRffrrf- !
oN JOHN QUINCY ADAMS on
. YOLTAIRE.
E Hartford, ysly 10. ts4a
NJ Ei.isys-B Below ! scnd you 9 lcsier
q t,cn J a Adams, which ! trus you will
,,o.cI 10 make public. A word, by way Of
saalca.
.,1 tao wear. since, while I was travelling
,,rout The paror Of a small village pot into
h,os,s volume Of volaife's Philosophical
nary. purporing 10 have been TRANSLATED by
Clancy Adams, with n commentary preface
~, Sane IA InfdeI ueighbor Of Rev Mr.
ard had loaned II 10 him, boaaing that J a
-, "a, an In6icI ss well a. himself Rev.
"a ptocsrcd the Address Of Mr.. Adams de-
I'D :, New York, in which he strongly urges
sg5v orihe Bible After reading il, the Inf.
feplca. ~ a Adams blows bot and cold IN
way. will have no fuHhor confidence in
suspected nj the time that this was either
.r,sfy. or else the name Of another J q Ad
,e 1nos lag tina, i, had been attributed to
gt President, and therefore tina, his influence
!, ns5c 10 sane,icn Inhdelny, ! finally deiermin
. ascertain the facts in the case, and also his
ess IN regard 10 volmire's writings. These are
STAINED IN tho following letter. Yours, &c.
JosEPu EsERsoS.
Qaiscy, Jane IA, is43.
Rad Sir,-ln answcr TO tho inquiries in your
Ief Of the th ins,, | chcorfuIly s,a,e--is,
rs I never published or made a translation Of
Eaarc's Philosophical Dclionary-2d, That
acv,r read thai work, and nm therefore unable
D give soy opinion OF It's m~eris-3d, That I new.
ssw the book mentioned by you, as purporing
. be a translation Of voliaire's Philosophical Die
7nary, by John Quincy Adams-i,h, That |
ave heard Of a person, a stranger 10 me, bearing
IA, name, but know not how he came by IL, nor
what family he belongs.
have read extracts from Voltaite's Philosoph-
cal Dictionary, and others of his writings infected
Nah ~infdeli,y, but ] have also read and seen per-
Ermed on the stage his tragedies Of Zairc, Attire
bad Mahoma, and have read his epic poem Of tho
icnnadc. have read OF his writings, IN which
9 complains tina, he had been accused Of irrcli.
'ous propenshiss, and appeals 10 these tragedies
)nd this epic poem as proofs OF his orthodoxy
lie boasts tina, when his tragedy Of Zaire was first
cfformei, it was called the Christian tragedy
10 the tragedy Of Attire n Spanish Viceroy is
burdered by a Peruvian Indian, and when the as
BASIN is brought before him, as he is dying, he
DAYS:
Learn now the difference between thy god and
mine,
Thy gods command thee TO revenge and murder
And mine, when thou hast stabbed me TO the
heart,
Commands me TO pity and forgive thee :"
In his Henriade, he gloriGes Henry the Fourth
5r having been converted by a vision, in which
ii, ancestor, St, Louis, proves to him The truth Of
he doctrine OF ransubstahiiation and he dedicat.
I'd his tragedy Of Mnhomet TO pope Benedict the
XIVth, assuring him that in exposing the impos
her Of a false religion, there was no person to
whom The work could with so much propriety b.
dedicated as TO the head Of the true religion q
compliment for which the sovereign pontif re
warded him, ss a true and faithful son of the hol,
hurch, with bis p%a,crnal and apostolic benedic
Now If the In6del neighbor Of the Rev. Mr.
Hubbard declared that he would have no fuuheI
confidence in me, il | had been blowing hot an,
oold, by publishing a translation Of Vol,alre's Phi
l~Osophical Dictionary, and We, protesting for my
slf religious sentiments and opinions, how coul'
he have any confidence in Voltairc himself, sue
al adep, in the art of blowing hot and cold, that h
wrote with the same pen his Philosophical Die
,ionary and his Henriade, his Zairc, his Alzir
and his Mahon,e, how could the in6del jus,if
himself for recommending to his friend the worl
OF such weaihcrcock in religious opinions a
Volaire, and yet profess to withdraw all his con
hdeace in me for my supposed inconsistency il
Publishing the in6del trash Of Voltaire, and y.
av'wing religious sentiments for myself.
The truth is, tina, Voltaire was a lively, sarca.
teal, disingenuous, preiudiced, f%ana,ical disbelievc
in Christianity, ready to assume the mask Of rel
gion, or to caa !, away, Just as il suited his in,ere
or his humor; intent above all things upon NAL
ing himself a name, and fa,iering himself that hi
easies, way to do II was by dcmolishing the Chri
tian religion. never thought his PHILOSOPHERS
Dictionary worth reading, and | read his Bib
only to despise il.
l have read also his Maid Of Orleans, and d.
,pised him also for that. infamous for its perve
.lon OF all moral principle, and all deccncy. l
injustice to one Of the brightest characters in hi
man history is its most crying sin. A FIencl
man who can think or speak Of Joan Of Arc will
on, reverence, mus, have a heart colder than th
everlasting ice Of the poles.
Yon are at liberty, sir, TO make such use
,h, leaer as you think proper. am certainly n
ambitious Of the reputation Of spending my time
ianaaiing or in publishing Voliaire's Philosopl
zeal Dictionary.
There are very few from some of whose WI
ings | have recoilcd with more disgust and no
rOr Of his infdelity and dissoiu,e morals I ha'
had more than a surfei, and If I have ever d
rved any bene6, from them, il has only been !
that process which extracts healing medicine fro
The deadlies, poisons.
AN very respectfully and thankfully, dear 81
Your obedient servant,
JoHS QuINcy ApAss.