Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-02-07
THE DECAY OF RELIGION.

that records the combined assault upon the Catholic
church, and let trace that assault to Its starving
and bloody results. We are forcibly reminded,
while pursuing this record of human lmpIety ana
shame of the thrilling and impressive passage IN the
speech of Hon. Joseph r. Chandler, delivered in the
House of Representatives OF the United Sales Oh
the 10th of January, which quote as follows
ITO the warnings expressed here and the ner-
vous apprehensions expressed abroad that the pre-
vaIence of the Catholic religion will be dangerous 10
the country, have only to say that we Oh ths
country are in no danger from Cathoicity, EplSco-
pacy Calvinism, Lutheranism, or other forms OF
Christianity Sir Christianity in any form Is better
than Intidelity and Atheism. And Atheism IS no"
at work. it has been busy, against the mrs
tan faith and Christian prohibition. 1t assaiis the
Roman Catholic first because that creed Is more OK
tensiye and without considering the evil when each
is doing to religion, Christian men are yielding them
selves unconScously, co-workers with lnndehty ny
their active hostility to each other
IF this country is to fall by any other means than
ordinary decay or local commissions it is not Chris
tianty not the Christianity of Geneva, Rome, Scot
land. or England that will produce the ruin. Inc
mischief will be by Infidelity -sapping nTst
the confidence of the people in each other, under
mining the foundations of Christian charity, oreah-
ing the bonds of social life reElxing the ties OF NOR
al obligations setting creeds in hostile Attitudes, I'LL
there is nothing left for hostility and bringing uo"
the whole scheme of domestic, Social and political
life to the plans ends of socialists and atheists'
who laugh at the existence Of God, and seek thef
triumphs in the oberation ofthe doctrines anu each-
ings of Christ"
It was when the clergy deserted their vocation, and
took part in the bitter controversies of those bloody
days and nights, that the image OF Just ana oTeH
ing God faded away from the minds OF the french
people 1t was when abandoned demagogues, reek-
ing with the fumes of midnight and secret cabaS,
and Keeling under the weight OF shame, sought anu
succeeded in putting down prevailing sect, that
Indelity, with all its train OF evils and al It's con
course of crimes social and POLITICAL reared Its hide
Gus front The accomplished historian, Alilson
speaks of this period of the French revolution as fo
lows:
1.-The services of religion were now universally
abandoned The pupitS were deserted throughout
the revolutionary districts; baptisms ceased; the
burial service longer heard the sick received
communion; the dying no consolation Inc VII
lago bells were silent Sunday was obiteratcd In
fancy entered the world without a blessing; age
quilted without hope!
1t is instructive to follow step by step, the course
of the people of France they advanced to the Gil
max of intidelity. The prescription of the clergy
was naugurated and signalized by the most mon
strous avowals and the most scandalous orgies Let
us quote the words of Theirs:
This example given, it was no difficult mat
ter to excite ali the sections of Paris and all the
communes of the republic to follow it. The sections
met and after another to declare that
they renowned the of superstition, and that
they acknowled other worship than that OF reaS-
on. The section of IIomue- Arme declared that 1t
acknowed no other worship than that of truth and
reason other fanaticism than that of liberty and
equality, no other doctrine than that OF fraternity
and of the republican laws decreed since the 3lst OF
May, 1898. The section of La Reunion intimatcd
that it would make bonfire of all the confcsSIOnals
and of all the books used by the Catholics, and that
it would shut up the church of St. Mary. That of
William Tell renowned forever the worship of error
and impoSture. That of MutuaS Sc;eyOa ahlured
the Catholic religion and declared that next Decade
it should celebrate at the high altar of ST. Sulpce
the Inauguration of the busts of Marat Lcpclletier
and Mutius Scevola; that of Les Piqucs that 1t
would adore other God than the God Of Liberty
lat a he Arsenal also
the Catholic religion
Thus the sections, taking the initiative, aburcd
the Catholic faith the established religion, and |
seized its ediceS and its treasures pertaining to
the communal domains. The deputies on mission
in the departments had already melted great num-
Der OF communes to seize the movable property OF
the churches, which, they said, was not necessary
for religion, and which, moreover like all public
belonged to the State, and might, there
fore, be applied to its wants. FOuche had sent sew
era chests Of plate from the department of the Ali
or. \ greater quantity had arrived from other de-
partmentS. This example followed in Paris and |.
the environs, soon brought piles of wealth to the /
bar of the Convention. All the churches were
stripped, and the communcs sent Populations with |
the gold and silver accumulated in the shrnes of |
saints in places conSecrated by ancient devotion
They went in procession to the Convention, and the
rabble, lndulSng their fondncSs for the burlesquc,
in the most ludicrous manner the cere
monies of religion, and took much delg ht in pro-
flaming, as they had formerly done in celebrating
them. Men, wearing surpiccs and copes came |
singing lIalleujahs and dancing the Carmagnole to
the bar of the Convention; there they deposited the
host, the boxes in which it was kept and the stat
utes ofgod and silver; they made burlcsquc speech
es, and sometimes addressed the most singular apos
trophies to the saints themselves. 90 you'll ex-
claimed deputation from st. Denis, o you, nstru-
ments of fanaticism, blessed saints of all kinds be
at length patriots, rise nasse the country
by going to the mint to be melted, and give in |
this world that felicity which you wanted to obtain
for in the otheri' These scenes of lnerrinent
were followed all at by of reverence and
devotion. The same persons who trampled under
foot the saints Of Christianity bore awning, the
curtains were thrown back, and, pointing to the
busts of Marat and Lepelleter These said they,
are not gods made by men, but the images of wor-
thy citizens assassinated by the slaves of kings
They then filed off before the Convention, again |
singing Halleujahs and dancing the Cormagnole;
carried the rich spoils of the affairs the mint and
placed the revered busts of Marat and Lepeletier in
the churches, which thenceforth became the tenn
pies o. worship.
At the requisition of Chaumette, it was resolved
that the metropolitan church of Notre Dame should
be converted republican edtice called the Tenn
pile Of Reason. festival instituted for all the
Decades, to supersede the Catholic ceremonies of
Sunday. The mayor, the municipal officers, the
public functionares. repaired the Temple of Rea-
son. where they read the declaration of the rights of
man and the constitutional act, analysed the news
from the armies, and related the brilliant actions
which had beer. performed during the decade. 4
mouth Of truth resembling the mouths of denunc-
alton which formerly existed at Venice, placed
in the Temple of Reason to receive 0pinions CEN
sures, od0ice, that might be useful to the public