Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-04-21
n(isteilaneouS.
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TIKI FRENCH REVOLUTION.

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.
The cause Of the French Revolution which COM
mcnccd in lIS9, is usually attributed to an unjust
and wicked hatred ON the part OF the Revolution n
ist, 10 the Govern meit and htliy ion Of France, be-
cause they held in check Il system of %intdclity OPP ,
posed ~ institutions beneficial to man, and plea
Sing to God. But the Authentic history Of those !.
times demonstrates that nothing is farther from :
the truth, than such representations, and that the
real cause Of The Revelation, was an oppression of f
the common or laboring people by the mobiles, who
constituted the most tyrannous and corrupt Gov +
erImeut and Church, and p~rofligatc priesthood,
that ever cursed the earth. The Revulutonists, ,
were opposed to the Government because it had be-
come a great system Of injustice and tyranny, that
robbed them of their liberties, their earnings and
their lives They were opposed to the Church not
for the good there was in it, but because 1t was the
means through which the Government held, and
debased, robbed and butchered its victims.
Allison, in his history of Europe, Englishman as
he was, possessing Il natural hatred 10 France and
Frenchmen, ana in the interest of q corrupt Gov
c1nment and established Church too near like the
one overthrown in France to allow him TO criticise
that Church with severity, has scattered through
the pages Of his work ample proof Of these decla-
ratious. While the works of Thairs, GuiZot,
Young, Lnmartine and others, spread out these
ficts ut length, and show fully the real cause of
the Revolution.
As Aiison's History is peahaps in more general
circulation than the others to which | have refer
-%-r = H ~ ILtI4G tlAAN cunt AIitNl may bt vul
In it, that will 20 to show that the religion and
government overthrown Ivy that Revolution, ought
to have been destroyed, and that those who mourn
for their destruction are either pitiably ignorant or
grossly wicked.
lie says the extraordinary character of the
French Revolution arose not from any peculiarities
in the d~espotism of the people, but the ~weight0f
d~espot;sm which had preceded. and the magnitude
of the changes which were to follow it. 1t totally
subyerted the institutions Of the country, because
it condensed within a few years the changes that
should have taken place in as many CENTURIES
France would have done less at the Revolution, if
she had done more before it. She would not have
SO numerically uusheathed the sword to govern, if
she had not SO long been governed by the sword
She would not have fallen for years under the gull
lotino Of the populace, if she had not groaned for
centuries under the letters Of the nobility. If the
condition Of the lower order in France, anterior to
the revolution is examined, il will not be deemed
surprising that n CONFUSION should have arisen :;
and II humanity sees much to deplore in the calam-
tiles Ii produced, it will find much cause for cons0-
IatiOn in the grievances it has removed. He says
NJ the convection Of the States General, the desire
for change was universal except on the part of the
privileged riegS.' These were the Mobiles and
priesthood, who were exempted from the oppressive
impositions under which the common people suf-
fered, on the ieudal fiction that the former defend
cd the State by their swords, and the latter inter-
ccGed for it by their prayers while the truth was
that the mobiles were exclusively occupied with the
fryOlities and licentiousness of the court, with the
clergy uublusLingly sharing their vices. lie fur
ther says the distinction Of nobility and base born,
was carried 70 a length in France, of which it was
GjHlcuIt IN thIs Tree cUuntry.tO form a conception.
Every person was either noble or roturier; no mid
ding class, no shades Of distinction were known.
Ga tue one side were one hundred and fifty thou
sand privileged individuals on the other the whole
body Of the French people. OF this one hundred
and fifty thousand, eighty thousand were priests,
whose annual revenues derived from tithes was
}30,OOO,O0o francs or about twenty-sour millions of
dollars. But this revenue large as it was, was in
considerable compared to the extent Of the territo-
rial possessions Of this body, which embraced near
iy Il half Of the whole land of France. The mobiles
and clergy possessed twO-thirds of the whole
estates of the Kingdom, and the other third was in
the hands Of the common people, or base born, on
whom fell the greater portion of the burdens of the
State. The taxes were not only heavy, but une-
qually distributed even among the classes who bore
them, and in an especial manner oppressive to the
cultyators Of the soil. The taille and the ~vingtieme
imposis, exclusively affecting agricultural labor,
and following its profits, with other smaller bur
dens, amounted to no less than one hundred and
seveaty-eue millions Of Francs. So excessive was
tho burdel which this created on agricultural Ia
Dor. that if The produce Of an acre were divided into
twelve paris, seven and a hall parts would be taken
for taxes three and 4 halfb 10y ,he proprietor Of the
land leaving the laborer about one-twelfth Of the
produce Of all his toll. Bad as Nas the condition
OF tSe labcring classes in England at this periud,
tue rural laboroYs Of Franco were 7G per cent. poor
cf tEHA 3OS same CLASS ~ England. With very
few exceptions tho peas2ntry were in the most in
digcni- condition their houses dirk, eomfortless
and aimost destitute of furniture, their dress rag
ged and miserable, and their food the ccarsest and
InasthumJle fare.
The local burdens and legal services due by the
tenaniry 10 their Cccdsl sUperioYs, were IN the last
degree ~vexaiious and oppressive. The fcudal tights
ottae landed pToptietoIs stood formost in this list
OF grievances. The most imnarfapt onero-
tons Of agriculture, were f%et,ered or prevented
by the game laws, and tbe restrictions intended for
their support. Came Of the most destructive kind,
such as wild bears aud hords Of deer, were permit
ted 70 ran AT Large. through large districts, with.
out any inc,0sprg 10 protect the crops. The dam,
age they did 10 the farmers in four parishes d
.Montceau only, amounted to nearly forty thousand
aaNhrsa gear. Numerous edicls existed which
prohibited hoeing and wedding, lest the young par
tridses should be destroyed, moving has, lest tht
eggs should be destroyed. taking away the stnbble
lest the bifds should be deprived OF shelter, mann
ring with night soil, lest their flavor should be in
juEed. All tse game was tbus preserved for the
hunting and use Of the priesthood and MOBILES, anC
the killing Of 4 single partridge or rabbit by {
fpeasant would subject him TO severe punishment
Complaints Cor The infraction Of these edicts were
al carried before the manorial courts, were every
species OF oppression, chieanery and fraud were
prevalent. Nothing can exceed the force of ex-
preston used ia the coheirs of the provincial bod
lee In describing the severity Of these feudal scryi-