, 1860-11-07

Correspondence OF n. Y. Obsstver.]
NosrAuaAx. CTarn and Gatonne,)
3pFn Z

The Latin and Ans1o-sa1on Rases.
Correspondence OF n Y. Obssrver.l
NosrAuaAN, Crarn and Garonne,)l
Au:uat 70, 1s6o.
A celebrated writer, Mr. Emile de Laveleye, |
has lately. published 4 book entitled: PRO
g1ess Of Anglo Saxon Nations" In which he
examines the influence of Professionalism upon
education, industry, liberty, md national pros
perity, and bis testimony in favor Of the good
effects Of the Reformation Is the more remark
able, as the author is konlan Cathonc Dy
birth and by profession.
The present state of Europe calls also the
attention OF serious men to this subject Ihe
political press has spoken, for some time, OF
an alliance between the Latin races, that IL, be-
tween France, Spain. Italy ana Portugal, ~, ~
Anslo.Saxons. do not believe that this pro
1ect has rs yet begun to be carried out, Al,
though The French government has proposca
to admit Spain among the sreat powers oi Eu-
rope But it is interesting to observe now
Popery has caused the decline Of nations, and
how evangelical Professionalism, on the con-
trary, has been means Of strength and pro-.
gross.
live 20 hack three hundred yenrs, What do
VIC see: Spain, governed By Philip L., was
then preponIerant in the world. She possessed
the richest states on the European continent,
and the va5test countries iE America. her ar
mics were numerous and brave; her Heels
covered the seas; her treasures seemed mex
haustiblc. But rs time rolled on, all this pros
pcrity dwindled and declined Spain lost her
best domnins in the two hcmispheres, aud was
reduced to the rank Of n secondary power. She
became q poor declining country. without
manufactures OF commerce. uet solcie.s and
a civilized nation. Wig this hulnilsnting d.
cline? Every one will reply: Popery Ii the
principal cause.
The same with Italy. In the middle Of the
sixteenth century she was the country OF let
ters, science and art The cities Of Florence,
vailed In si,lendor The universities, Libraries
and museums OF the Italian Peninsula, attract
ed md gave instruction to the learned men
throughout the world. Besides, the charming
climnte, beautiful scenery, fertile soil, seemed
to secure to this privileged country an lmpcr-
isllable superiority. But all these advantages
hare not prevented italy from growing more
and more feeble aud impoverished, even In au
intellectual and artistic point Of view, and Of
existing miscrably under foreign bayonets.
Why. I ask again. And asain every one
will answer: The fault lies in Popery.
Shall speak Of Portugal? The Portuguese
have also had their days Of pre-eminence and
glory. They discovered The Cape Of Good
Hope; they ruled the East Indies: they pos
sessed large t!ourshing colonies in Africa; their
fleets were the terror Of the seas. Whit has
become Of their glory and riches? Portugal Is
now little country, poorly cultivated, t9inly
populated, and subject to the control OF Eng
land Why. The. answer Il always the same:
The eject Of Popcry.
We make this Important observation. AS
soon as the Spanish, 1talians and Portuguese,
ashamed Of their fccbleness and inferiority,
asrired aftera better position, what adyersattes
did they meet! The priests and monks And
what did they first attempt? 10 diminish the
power Of the priests, and to free themselves
from their yoke III other words, they became
half Protestants, at leagt in civil and political
matters 20 certain is It that Popcry is like
cancer In society!
As to France, her history Is very instructive
in this respect. Every time that our country
has scryilcIy bowed to the authority Of Po-
perry, and obeyed the inspirations Of the clsr-
gy, it has been weakened, overwhelmed with
misfortune, humblcd before the world. Think
of the rcIgns Of Charles TX, the author Of the
St. Bartholomew, and of Henry Ill. the most
disgraceful Of French monarchs! Recall also
the Inter years Of Louis AlV.'s reign. after
the revocation of the Edict Of Nantes, aud the
decline Of France under Louis XIV. Whenev-
er our country, on the other hand, contracting
alliances with Protestant nations, has malll-
tained the noble cause Of justice and liberty,
it has risen to the highest rank. You will
find striking proofs Of this In the reign Of
Henry w., in the first thirty years Of the reign
of Louis XIV, anu In all the events which
followed the revolution Of 17s2 Indeed, in
her ideas, her laws, her habits, France is not
Roman Catholic; she is Protestant III d civil
poipt Of view, and this alone explains her suc-
cess and her progress Look at Napoleon III.
in his Italian campaign: his interference, lis
aim, in spite Of some cold expressions Of IT,
spcct, was against Popcry; he combatted and
overthrow tic dcspotisIn Of the Jcsutts; lr
S,.n n
triumphc1.
Such are the inyariablc testimonies ofhisto-
r. among the Latin races. Wherever popery
rcisns, it brings with It poverty, Ignorance,
physical and moral degradation And whcn
1t last nation is tired Of holding such All i'll
ferior position, and tries 10 improve rs condi.
tion, it begins BY restricting tho privileges OF
the priests. The Roman Catholics by name
cannot arrive at any degree Of prosperity till
they decide to be Protestauts in action, At least
in social point Of view.
We come now to the history Of tho Anglo
Saxon races; we shall find it the counterpart
OF the history OF the Lasins, and = confirmation
Of the preceding remarks. The Reformed or
Evangelical religion has been source Of III
crc:1sinT greatness, and constant progress to
these nations. s'In the sixteenth century,"
says II. Emile dc Lavclcyc, in the work above
mentioned, England contained population
Of scarcely three million souls. She bad no
y
raj knowledge. + + A half century
ago, the Anglo-Saxons, on both sides Of the
Atlantic, far exceeded the number Of twenty
million souls. Now, scattered throughout the
globe, they number fty-1iye million, with
merchant 1leet Of ten million tons burthen,
and an almost unlimited produce, governing
one hundred and Eeyeoty-fiyc million men, and
holding under their laws large part Of Asia
and Anicrica In the year 1900, they will prob
ably number one hundred and fifty million
souls, ruling perhaps China and India, that is
to say six hundred million human beings.
Then thc prcpondcrance Of the Angle. Saxon
race, in the events Of which our planet must
be the theatre, will be sccnrc."
Further, the same author says: "Sincc the
world began, it has neyersccn such yast wealth
,,s that which is accumulated in the littlcislani
Of England. Neither Babylon, nor NIneyel,,
nor Tyre, nor Carriage, in antiquity: nor Venice,
nor Genoa, nor the Mansc-towns in modern
times, have furnished anything like their fabt-
lous commerce, which is estimated, not by
millions, but by thousands Of millions"
These being established facts, VIC ask:
whence does It come that konanism legr1des,
while Pfotestanti5m clevates nations. MT.
Emile dc Lavelye answers this question by
comparing tho two systems Of religion.
Ronianis1n Is hurtfnl to the prosperity Of socie
ty, because, in its doctrines sz well as in its
worship. ii is opposed to liberty, to the prop,-
gation Of light, to individual freedom, to the
spirit Of economy and foresight: quail
ties absolutely necessary to the growth
Of private and public prosperity By
1rocIaiming as m article Of filth the infal-
iibility Of supreme pontiff, by making the
priest the mediator between God and man. by
canonizing the idle and lazy, Komanisn stiles
the feeling Of responsibility, 1t accuetoms the
believer not to rely upon himself, to expect
the Church 10 do everything in matters per
tanning to salvation, and consequently, to cx-
poet the State to do everything in tho affairs Of
The State. Professionalism tends oproducc cx-
actly the opposite results. By rejecting a!l
human authority, and accepting only that Of
The Bible, and By putting this hook into the
hands Of alI, Professionalism addresses itself to
the mind and conscience Of all. The doctrine
Of Justification by faith awakens the feeling OF
individual responsibility, the simplicity Of lis
worship produces simple habits Of living. III
WORD, Professionalism at once teaches order
and liberty, it fills the soul with energy, activ~
Hy, perseverance. This is the CAUSE Of the
prosperity Of Protestant nations.
Nc may sec in this IN Indication Of Gods
designs towards mankind. Popery must disap-
pear, and future generations will turn more
and more towards the Gospel. Accept, &c,
g, DE F.
Singular StFatagcm.
When the celebrotcd Grotius was imprison-
eH IN 41,e cnst1e of n11yesfnin f1iR wifI NaYin