, 1860-02-23
n. Edmond A bout 0Ra EsrOtcstNntR aAlu
AF1f.s fhAk

n. Ednaond A bout on FrOtcstnntR and
lkonaAitt4.
III. EdmOnu nuuu,, author Of the bouk
which created such an excitement few months
since, ''Tl,e Roman Question:" makes the fol-
lowing remarkable statement in the Dpinion
N4ti4nale, respecting the rrotcsiants aud Ro-
n,nn;sts OF Alsace, Franec. lie says:
~ had cvcry rcusrn to suppose TINT the Pro-
testautx Of Alsacc. beng rebels, tran'pled uudcr
foot tic 'aws Of Tue Etpise, refused 10 pay
taxc4, eyaded military service, set at naught
morality, and pifia.cd other mems c"ods. Fer,
II point Of fact, stct wlci, is destined to Ger
tan daInnati"n would be very silly to deny it.
self my possible cnjuy1neat in this present
world. But the things hare heard hcIc com-
pletefy astoni>l ME. have been assured by Il
Catholic policeman that the EmTcror has nn
more devoted. more rraceab'e, or more irtc-
proach.le subjects than these cursed heretics.
\ Catholic cfiiter :wcaEs 10 HE that his best
soldiers are irotestants. learn from Catho-
lie tax-.atherer that the 1'rotestants not onls
pay their taxes regularly, bu. t,at many of then.
inuke it APPOINT Of payins ull their contributions
for the year on New Years dav. i catholic
Superintendent Of Woods aud Forests declares
10 inc that ia q canton Of which 1hrec-onrths Of
the inhabitants ar" psotcst:nts, 10 per cent. Of
the n.ascs against the furest laws are commit.
tel by Catholics. could nut believe my ears.
But, gentlemen. exclaimed, with nil the au-
tor,fv Of thr true faith. 1T is most certain that
Catholics are more enlightened than Protest
ants. since tlteir light con,es FROM on high.
Moreover, they must necessarily be mole lich,
because, as we know
'1)cu p-ndIgut tIcns
a CcuA I'4t ful t rnA dctrc stcEs.
"Thcy ci:ily answered me tia, was alto
Gcthtr III error. That the lcrctic youth Of this
district WAS better educated ti,nn uur own. md
for tll:s reasou. that the Protestant ministers
were mule and zca'ous men, who thrcw their
Whole souls nto their works; While, nu the other
hand, the good Catholic priests Of A.sacc knew
nothing murc than how to say mass and curse
i'rotcstunts. They further told ME that the
frotcstauts arc tue brst farmers, that their
dwellings are the neat.st and ctrunest, that ,hev
arc tho best men ot business, aud make furtu.tcs
morc Frequently than Catholics. TheJ showed
int I'ro'es':n: villages ~ state Of the highest
prosperity, lands yielding rich lurEcsts, and
n,usishing n,nnufacturcs-s.:ch for example, as
hose q! II. ColtnInrg and N. SchAtcpman.
They showed nr Calhol C hu,nlets, and cven
to~ns. in which, id'cncss drunkenness, md mis-
cry enjoyed 4 ;E.tt rnal rci5r, notwithstanding
that ntl the wolcn attended 1ns>s every day.
and that ttc nlcn kept more than a hundred
saints days il. Il year. 'lun *ec.' sail aherc,;c
t.p tnr 'lh.t tlIr Influence OF Rome is felt afar off,
1t may b. compared to the tirocco, which blows
til. deserts uf Africa and throws US upon
our backs II Sfra$bu1s. 1t is & happy thin. Tor
lis that VT hare found shell CT a:a,t,>t the bI1st
IRON EHrc. And, remember this, that it cur
kings OF the 18th century ira,l allt w. France
10 become altogether frotestaE:, it would TT
this time Ct day hare l,rcn'nc infinitely 1uosc
rich and ihore ulorsl than it it, THIS i. potc-
Sis 80 shrrk.d my Catholic rridcthat cxclair,-
cd to the FRO es,ant, sir, What You huvc just
said arpcars to me- a monument Of hypocrisy,
aut! IN .uobc ti-s,,c nf contradictions. Iu this
WHY shut him up. For between ourselves, his
arguments were n": easv to refute, and when
yoa do not fec! your sclf able to answer a man,
the shortest wa out Of the difficulty is 10 insu1,
hir,