Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1848-03-23
THE HUGUENOTS.

Hugueno', is an appelIalion which was
given 10 the protestant Calvinis,s Of France
and desi gnated the same description Of
Christians in France that Puritan uesigna-
ted in England. In public documents the
Huguenots were styled Ceur de la religion
pretemdue vetormee or RcAgionnaries. The
principles Of Lu'hur and Zuinglius obtained
an entrance into France, during the reign of
Francis l., (l5l5-47) and those who aban-
doned the Romish religion were called Lu-
therans. From this circumstance many
have inferred that they were all believers in
the doctrines of Luther, and averse to those
Of the Swiss. But they seem rather to have
been mixed company of different descrlp-
tons of persons. Geneva, which was the
literary and ecclesiastical metropolis Of the
French reformed people, Lausanne and other
cities which embraced the Calvinis,ic sys-
ten o! doc5nes and q ID dsssjpne and The zeal
ing and multiplying the oaposers Of The p
mish See in France, induced Them all, be-
fore the middle of the century arrived to
profess themselves the friends and brethren
Of the Geneyans. By their enemies they
were nicknamed or contempuously denom-
as SGIit lcoo'
As to the origin Of this aPpellaton, there
are various opinions, and which one is cor
rec, is not known with certainty. 1t origl-
mated, probably, in an erroneous pronunci-
alton by the French Of the German word
EiagenosSen, which signifies coniederaes.
This had been the name Of that part OF the
inhabitants of Geneva, which entered into
an alliance with the Swiss cantons in order
to maintain their liberties against the tyran-
ncIe attempts of Charles III Duke of Sa-
voy. These valiant confederales were cal
led Eigno,s, from which Hugueno,s seems
to be derived
The persecution which the Huguenots
endured has scarcely parallel IN history.
During the reign Of Charles IL. August
24lh, 1875, the massacre Of Saint Barthoio-
new occurred, when 10000 were martyred
under circumstances Of aggravated cruelty.
In 1893 Henry w. passed the famous ed'ct
Of Nantes. which secured the Protesants
religious freedom. This edict was revoked
by Louis XIV. Then, the churches OF the
Huguenots were destroyed, their persons
were insuled by the soldiery, and, after the
loss of lives of mulliiudes, fifty thousand
were driven into exile. in Holland they e.
rec,ed several places Of worship, and ENJOY
ed the labors Of some very distinguished
preachers, among whom was the eloquent
Saurin In one of his printed sermons he
has the following apotrophe 10 the tyranl
Louis XIV, by whom they were driven IN
to exile: "!And thou, dreadful prince, whom
once honored as my king, and whom yet
I respect as scourge in the hand of Al
mighty God, thou shalt have part IN my
good wishes These provinces, which thou
,brea,enesl. but which the arm OF The Lord
protects: this country which thou hiles'
with refugees. but fugitives animated WIN
love: these walls which contain thousand
martyrs of thy making, but whom reiI gioh
makes victorious, all these yet resouno De,
nedictions in thy favor. God grant The ia'al
/ bandace that hides the truth from thine eyes
NAV fall off! May God forget The rivers OF
! blood with which thou hast deluged the
earth, and which thy reign hath caused 10
he shed MAY God bio, out of his BOOK
the injuries which thou hast done us; ane
while he rewards the suffering, may ne par
don those who exposed us TO suffer! Oh
NAV God who hath made thee to us ana 'e
The whole church, minister OF his Judg
men,s, make thee dispenser of his faVors
an administrator of his mercy :"
The Puritans who fed from civil ano re-
lioicus oppression in England TO this conn
try settled principally i'll The New kng'ah'
States, and tie Huguenots who lett France
for the same reason located themselves prln
cipallv in the Middle and Southern States