The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-05-28
William Smith O'Brien and the
Irish Revolution.

William 6m1Cu v or10Q anu Inc
Irish Revolution.
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ulstorical Parallel Between the Catholics OF
Ireland and the Huguenots OF France.
me departure Of william Smith OBrien from our shores
to-day necessarily throws back the mind on the part he
has played hs own country and In what cause no mas
noted and suffered that no calls forth public attention
than other who visit this country and return 70
their native land The cause with which Mr.. U mas
been identified during his life is the cause OF ov ana TO
lgous liberty the history Of the Catholics OF ireland
since the Reformation suggestive or another history az
tending from the period TO the present century
the history Of the Huguenos OF presents
perfect historical PARALLEL unless that the Huguenos
were Frenchmen and inhabited the country as their
ersecutors whereas the Irish Catholics not British
they were Of different race and language and were
ycparated by their nsuar position from the central Power
which oppressed them.
In both the fercest prosecutions employed
crush and TO extermnate the weaker party and in both
the cergy-awsys the most minded and bigoted
class in every counry-instgated those sangunary mea
which dgraced the very Of Christianity and
libel on the religion Of Him who came to proclaim
'peace earth, good will among men," In both cases,
too the clergy Of the minority not without their
faults and very great extent from their intolerance
pgs of their ocks Instead Of following the preceps and
example OF Christ and his Apostles the Christians Of the
sixteenth century, OF all secs initiated the pagans Of
Rome who threw the first Christians 10 the wild beasts
in the amphheare sport for the people. Even at this
day Is only in the United States that the principle OF
federation has been fully adopted and all religious secss
placed the level. But in Europe there s vast
i'm prov old tmes-men have outgrown the lead
Ing strings which they used to be held by the clergy
and they will not ersecute each other now for mere mat
tiers OF religious opinion About three hundred years ago.
or the period Of the Reformation his nhuman strife
ragged with most dabolical fury, when monarchs and
priests Protesants Catholics cu!strpped the cruelty
Of Pagan Rene 10 The rsenuity and refinement Of their
fortunes.
The doctrines Of Luther, Calvin and other reformcrs
which had taken deep hold in Germany, Switzerland,
England and Scotland, spreading in France and the
fact Margaret Queen Of Navarro having embraced the
faith did much 10 strengthen it in the land In order
check the progress Of these doctrines other WORDS
Of Professionalism, Francis Henry H. and Charles H. st
INFLATED by the Catholic hierarchy and the Pope resoted
10 prosecutions OF the most horrible kind The latter
monarch Charles), under the influence of his mother
Catherine de Medcs, widow Of Henry H. crowned all the
violent previously adopted by an act which Ia
without parallel In hstory-the celebrated massacre Of st.
Bartholomew, by which, at dead Of night in the city Of
Paris the Protestants-caled Huguenots in dersion-
were butchercd in cold BLOOD including their distinguish
cd leader, Coligny The massacre was not confined 70
Paris extended TO the provinces, and sixty thousand
are said to have been slaughtered, for which solemn
banksgivngs offered In the Catholic churches Taken
by SURPRISE they unable TO offer any resistance at
fYst but they at length rallied under the Prince Of
Conde But for the space thirty years alter they SUI
Sel ed grievous calamtes and s estimated that during
that time 80 princes 14s counts 2a4 barons gen
Scn mn ~ hao
called were destroyed for adopting the reformed religion
in France. In 1893 Henry w., who q Hugueno.
ascended the throne By the advice Of his Prime
Minister Sully he progressed the Roman religion, in
order to himself from assassination, and to oonci
ate the good will Of the Catholics But In five years AFTER
namely, in 1893, he issued the celebrated "Edics Of
Nantes which granted 10 the Huguenos the privilege Of
citizenship the right to worship God according TO their
faith and certain lands support their churches and
garrsons Against this the Catholic clergy protested with
one voice, and Pope Clement VIII declared 1t the most
execrabe edict promulgated. For this Henry was
aseassinated the streets Of Paris in 1870 But the
Huguenots had gained footing, from which II was
now difficult 10 dislodge them. Cardinal Richelieu,
The Prime Minister Of Louis Kill, was their
enemy. He said "there could be NO peace in France
tnl the Huguenots were entirely suppressed" He
did his utmost to effect that object and conquered the
Cavnss in their stronghold Of Rochelle and other places
But he not successful and was not till long after
his DEATH in the reign Of Louis XIV called the "Grand
Monarch" that the fatal blow was struck against the
Huguenos In the year 1885, after the death Of his wise
and faithful counsellor Colbert and under the magnan
influence Of Madame Mantenon long supposed to be the
mistress Of the French monarch afterwards his wife by
left handed marriage Louis revoked the edct of Nantes
snd the Reformed churches TO return to the Catholic
faith Their places Of worship were demolished and them
selves massacred. Even flight was denied to them 1t is
supposed wever that fifty thousand made their escape
10 Protestant countries This persecution had disastrous
effect Catholics In those countries The Catholic King
of England driven by revolution from his throne,
and Protestant succession established The Dutchman
william ILL.,, who succeeded him, waged war against the
Catholics In Ireland who sustained James, and after they
had finally surrendered Cor want Of promised Frcnch
add and made treaty with William at Limerick,
lemny guaranteeing their rights it was afterwards per-
Adiously broken by the Easlsh King and Parla
ment. The hieh army, according to the treaty, had
emigrated to France, where they fought successfully
against England, having formed what is known in
French history the Irish Brigade-which led
future English monarch to exclam-"Cursed be the
laws which deprive me OF such SUBJECTS;
and Louia XIV and France suffered equal loss He drove
away . great number Of rich and useful citizens, who
brought their capital and skill and TO other countries
Nor his persecution successful in extrpatng Protest
antsm in producing peace at home, while it reused
against him numerous from abroad
In the reign of Louis XIV. but less measures
adopted against the Huguenos and again they were
tolerated by degrees Montesqueu and voltaire cham
pioned their rather the Of toeraton-and
1852 they longer disturbed though they did
not venture to make any pretensons to public offices.
But the evil spr. exhibited by Christians, and Parcu
larly the clergy, led to nhdey and Indifference about
religion which displayed in a remarkable manner at
the time Of the French Revolution. There then
general conscaon of church property, and since
the French have exhibited the strongest jealousy against
any ecclesiastical interference with the civil power.
After the fall Of Napoleon, who thoroughly under
stood religious olcraon Charles X under the influence
Of the clergy again sought to aggrandze the Catholic
church at the expense Of the Protesns and the people
A oc lad4