Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-03-26
SPEECH OF VICTOR HUGO
in the French Assembly.

ltle beginning. tlliS plOJOOI 10 SOiiN'H 80"
more, worse if you will, than Polltlca
law, it is a cunning law.
address myself, not, certainly, TO th'
venerable bishop of Langres, nor to any
one who may be in this place, but TO th'
party which has, if not drawn up, at leas
inspired the project of Iaw-to this party
at the same time extinct and ardent, TO the
clerical party. ] do not know if 1t is in
the Assembly but | feel it everywhere,
1t has a quick ear it will hear me.
address myself, then, to it, and | say,
Hold frankly, l defy you. TO instruct
is to construct. defy that which you
construct.
| do not wish TO conide to you the
teaching of youth, the souls of children,
the development of the new intelligence
which is opened in life, the mind Of new
generations, we may say the future OF
France, because to cOnide it to you would
be to abandon it TO you.
1t does not satisfy me that new genera
tons succeed us. understand that they
continue us. Therefore | do not wish
your hand or yoW breath upon them. |
do not wish that that which has been
done by our fathers be defeated by you.
After that glory, | do not wish this shame.
Your law is a masked law.
1t says one thing, and it will do anoth-
err. 1t is design of slavery which takes
the charms Of liberty. 1t is conhscatlon
entitled donation. | do not want it.
This is your way. When you forge
chain you say, " Here is liberty!" when
you make a prescription, you cry, " Be
hold an amnesty !"
All | do not confound you with the
Church any more than | contound the
mistletoe with the oak. You are the par
asites of the Church; ; you are the malady
of the Church. lgnatius is the enemy OF
Jesus. You are not believers, but the
disciples of a religion you do not compre-
hend you are the getters up in scene OF
sanctity. Do not mix up the Church in
your affairs, your combinations, your
stratagems, your ambitions. Do not call
your mother to make of her your servant.
Do not torment her under the preteXt of
teaching her politics especially do not
identify her with you. See the wrong
which you do her.
See how she has declined, since she
has been in your hands. You make
yourselves to be loved so little that you
will end by making yourselves hated by
her. In truth, tell you she will easily
pass away from you. Leave her in repose.
When YOU shall be there no more, rest
will come to her. Leave her, this mem
orabIe Church, in her solitude, in her
self denial, in her humility. These COM
pose her grandeur. Her solitude will
draw the multitude to her; her self-denial
is her power; her humility is her majes-
ty.
You speak of religious teaching. Do
YOU know what is the true religious teach
ing, that before which we should PROSTATE
ourselves, that which we have no occa-
sion to disturb 1t is the sister OF Char
ity at the bed Of the dying. 1t is the
brother of Mercy ransoming the slave. 1t
is Vincent de Paul taking care of the
founding. 1t is the bishop Of Marsellles
in the midst of the plague-striken. 1t is
the archbishop of Paris approaching with
smile that formidable faubOarg st. An
tome, raising his crucifiX above the civil
war, and little disturbed at meeting his
own death, if it only brings peace. Here
is true religious teaching, real, profound,
efTicacious, popular religious teaching,
that which happily for religion and hui
manity, makes more christians than you
make.
Ah, we know you We know the cleri-
cal party. 1t is an old party 1t has
some ways of service. This it is which
mounts guard at the door of orthodoxy
This it is which has found for the truth
those two marvellous conditions, igno-
rance and error. This ii is which forblds
to science and TO genius, the going be-
yond the missal, and which wishes to
cloister thought in dogma. Every step
which the intelligence of Europe has Ia
ken, has been in spite of it. lis history
is written in the history of human pro-
pTSSSj Dul IL Is "EltleH VII tllC UdCh VI llIC
leaf. 1t is opposed TO it all. This it is
which caused Prinelli to be scourged for
having said that the stars would not fall.
This is it which put Campanella seven
times to the tortnre for having affirmed
that the number of worlds was infinite,
and for having caught glimpse at the
secret of creation. This il is which per-
secuted Harvey for having proved the cir
culation of the blood. In the name OF Je-
sus il shut up Calico. In the name OF
Saint Paul it imprisoned Christopher Co
lumbus. TO discover the law of the heav-
ems was an impiety. To find world
was a heresy. This it is which anaihe-
matized Pascal in the name of religion,
Montaigne in the name of morality, Mo
| liere in tho name both of morality and Of