The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-04-15
victor Hugo and the Clergy.


victor Hugo and the clergy.
ought perhaps, to apologize ior again lntrudlng
upon your columns the discussion OF subject which,
happily possessing no PRACTICAL influence In this
country, probably OF interest to but lew OF your
readers do SO, however, to supply authorities
omitted in my previous communication rather from
their apparent needlessness than from any lack Of
them- As the Daughter OF the True Church "
appears, however, never to have heard ofthe corn-
Gil of Toulouse | will refer heT again 70 Gieseer
Ss6, p. q, where she may read the canon in the
barbarous latin Of the middle ages She may find
the same thing in Mosheim, Sismondl's Crusade
against the Albigenses, Cardinal Eeury, or indeed
in any history comprising that period, unless 1T be
those Of LeLong, Maitland and Digby, Of whom
we know nothing except that tie ignorance 81 their
pupil upon this point would lead Us 10 suspect them
Of being but blind guides, dldactic historians who,
write rather what may profit the faith than what
may instruct the mind.
OF Gieselers history we have never before heard
any than the most favorable opinion, and should
like to see some OF his errors specified. The work
is almost entirely compilation OF original author
| tiles, the text merely serving as hooks upon
which they are hung. II is the most direct COM
muncaiion with them which the limited range of
L
Upon all the points, however, on which we have
quoted it, it is supported by Cardinal Fieury, to
whom the most devout Catholic can not object.
She quotes the venerable Bede, writer of the
eighth century, to show that knowledge Of the
Scripture was disseminated among the people.
Now, this is utterly inapplicable, since it is 400
years anterior TO the commencement Of the struggle.
We have no means Of verifying the citation, not
Uu hf1f Of yuP are Ife
certain, that the perusal OF the Bible was at thai
date, and even a much later one strictly confnec
to the clergy, for there were none others who eoso
read. The warriors OF that age despised knowl
edge which they associated with craft, and tn
clergy were not anxious to disseminate that mo
noPoly of which was the great source of thei
power The privilege Of reading without thinkIn
may be accorded by The clergy OF the present day
yet as 1t is dangerous experiment winch canne
always be eomPassed by intelligent minds, the
uniformly dscountenance the attempt onhl IN
progress oil knowiedge had deprived them OF tn
power OF resistance, they absolutely forbid II, a
they stiii do IN those countries over which igno
rance gives them an unoounded sway
The passage quoted from Southey is jnst such
one as we should expect from his extrayagant ad
mlrauon OF the antique and nnlntei'glbie. III
opinion has been reversed by the unanimous judge
ment OF the Whole world, which has consigned t
eternal oblivion this mass OF monases erudltion
and even the lew scholars wLo now shake th'
mould from the leaves turn them with regret tha
noble powers have been so perverted and wasted Il
childish irlvohues. Equally 1odicious ana terclot
Is that exquisite specimen oi dlaieesics ex,raeie
from the southern onarter'y REVIEW, when a
tributes to the papacy Inc present enlightened con
dltlon of the world II may De aonlii'ea 'tai ma
Papacy not existed protes'anism would nave pee
Impossible yet strange deoucuop tnenC
to reier the results oil the latter TO power whic
mas lett no means untf'ea OIL neu.tah1fng tnem;
I man Is suffering under terrible cancer wh'c
i wastes ms hesh and Pfosrates every vital 'uncnof
u remedy is aPphed winch not only removes Il
disease, out reinVgola'es ms consu'u,ion' VIZ
;. would he say II told that MS increased strength
owing TO the cancer LOT, Hd9 " not eFiSteG u
feneay 'eo'''@ 't0' NHVe oec" efp"s" ne a.
; surdlty is apparent, yer is Preeisey logic
parallel "ouia this au'hor OF ms ehoofser
Wiling to admit tnat all 'he errors Oh pro'estanis
are justly chargeaoie 10 papacy' because had u
latter not existed, the FORMER would nave pes
. impossible we ADVISE me Laughter oil u
True Ohpreh 10 LOOK TOT lhe lu'ure 70 nef "eapo
and to be certain that hey are not such as act me
efectually IN the recoii' :" may oe permitted
:. to doubt whether the blows Of Charles Mart
II would not have fallen quite as heavily and quite
$. effectively had he been Protestant or even
S tao.t.n ,Th., ,,,s o,,,. n. r,s.sn,
society," our freedom from that greatest OF curses
n clerical domination to the strenuous efforts OF
clergy to obtain the supremacy even in secu
at matters, is proposition which we are unable
e comprehend. The great principle Of modern :
ciety is the subseryience Of the church to the Sta
u or their independence of each other; the great