The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-12-30


and fertility its immediate desolation and ravages :"
and this author was SIR WALTER SCOTT, the SLAM
derer of NAPOLEON BoNAPARTE, the bigoted tory,
the serviIe worshiper of royalty and the mpacable
enemy Of any thing pertaining to democracy; and
yet he virtually admits that after the storm had
passed, and the Bourbon had rcgained the seat of
his ancestors-the condition of the country repaid
the ravages and death of the Reign of Terror" as
it is termed by all, aristocrats especially.
Every one has heard of the horrid eruclties COM
mitted by the infatuated peasany of France during
this period of her history, but every one has not
heard of the deep and maddening wrongs which drove
them to despair and caused them to take such sig
nal vengeance their oppressors and it is to these
wrongs that Iwould call the attention of all impair
tial readers, that they may judge whether the ci-
of Paris had not cause to cry" down with the
aristocrats"
The government of France from Charlemange in
1856 down to the close Of the 10th century had been
on the principle of progresso-not in the principles
of equity and virtue-but in q system Of oppression
and selfshness. This system had reached its height
when the renegade protestant HENRY of Nara,re
assembled the throne He was popular sovereign and
with the aid of the wise and anable SULLY he
governed wisely and uscfuy, and by the "edict of
Nantes" which tolerated the Protestant and other
acts of his administration he infused principle of
liberty into his people that, though it slumbered for
century and half, ultimately awoke the whole
of continental Europe from its lethargc state of
servitude but We anticipate.
HENRY fell by dagger in the hands of minion
Of the Society Of Jesus" (what blasphemy y and
his successor, instead of governing, was governed
by that odious priest RicheHcu. Next came LOUIS
14th who was governed by the love of conquest or
AMBITION and though he might have desired to
benefit his subjects, his left him no leisure
In 17l5 the monster LOUIS 18th assembled the throne
and filled it for ffty-nine years. 1t is under his
reign that we would take view of the country pre-
vious to the Revolution. LORD CHESTERFIELD,
who, as his conduct in Ireland showed, we'll under
stood the principles of government, said that "at
this time France had all the germs of a revolution
at work in hers" and well he might say it, for the
body of the people were in the most abect state of
slavery. Only one third of the and-and that but
nomnally belonged t item, and from this they were
obliged to support themselves, pay all expenses of
the State and feed 10000 priests and mobiles; and
they had not the least privileges. If they entered
the army they could obtain no higher post than be-
ing servants to the officers; if they wished to obtain
all office in the civil department of state, they could
only do so by buying it with all they possessed and
then make it up by venality and extortion and Of
this ll-gotten gain they were obliged to refund
portion to government as brbe to have their ini-
qutious transactions overlooked they wished to
engage in mercantile or commercial pursuits they
were obliged to buy licenses at most exorbitant
prices and submit to very degrading restrictions,
subject to severe penalties for violations of the
same and these were often exacted-especially if
they acquired property-when there was not the |
least shadow of violation of duty:-ifthey cult
waited their land, their crops were liable to be des
troyed by the nobility, who, with their troops of
dogs and horses in heir hunting excursions, would
frequently in an hour destroy the labors ofthe poor
man for months alike regardless of his prayers or
tears beseeching them to spare his all, but for him
there was no redress. The taw required that they
should gire one tenth of all they possessed to the
priests Who with their exactions of the poor in the
shape OF fees for the spiritual privileges they granted
full one half. These. are few, and only few of
the prvations the body of the people of France had
TO endure for $50 years before the "reign of Terror
while on the other hand the nobility and priests had
each their own exclusive privileges
The mobiles alone could hold any military or naval
office; they alone could fill any important or profit
bic station in the civil department of government
they we're exempt from taxation, or in any way
to the expenses of state They had the
privilege of issuing what was termed the "teHer de
cachet" This was professedly designed to aid the
state in its operations but it proved one of the most
engines of tyranny that was ever
invented, save perhaps, its sster-the Inquisttion
By this they had power lodge in the BdSte any one
who had rendered himself obnoxious TO them, or who
stood in the way of their schemes Of selfish nggran-
dizement or of gratifying their licentious passions
and many an unhappy father, husband, lover, or
brother, had without moments warning, been
consigned to the dungeons of the Bastile there TO
die for no other crime than that they were the
guardians of those they loved.
As the head of every family who possessed title
conferred the same titles on each ofhs children, the
nobility had increased to IL surprising extent. a
DISTINGUISHED writer of that period numbers them at
100000 Such body of men, living at the expense
Of the poor was alone sufficient forum the kingdom
but we must add to these-S0OOO priests, who had
almost the same privileges of the nobility, except
they had to render to the government their lrHyerStor
its pelfarel But their prayers became curses to it;
for more corrupt and dissolute body of men never
lived, than were the clergy of France at that time