Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-27
RICHMOND VA MONDAY MORNING, JANUARY 81 1862 ,

deity iu France yoair and bis popularity knew no
limit below the s;ars Bot to what il attrbutablel
Certainly not TO h' skep,icsm. for he imprisoned
'brs mes ia ;hs Basiie sld three times had 10 y from
Ffaace on account OF hs s.eplicism. What then .As
The of his immense popularity. Lis poems
essays dramAl and wit 0ssr hs dark thoughts his wit
played ike lightning dark cloud aOd over France
the corruscalons Of hrs genius ,shed for half centSr,
With yvidness that dazzled and infatuated all casssO
society," irrespective Of cresds And the thundes Of the
Vatican that orpa.riaed the in6de to-day would be loi
tomorrow, amid the louder thuniers Of the popular
Catholic voice, eirg boma tia wit When II lire" was
played all Catholic France rushed TO the theatre, and
the greatest honor he received from sponta.
bu,s: Of enthusiasm with which hc was suce re-
ceved upon entering the theatre, while they were per-
forming of his plays. He had for long time
been absent from Paris, and when the eye OF tie
audience fell upon the bowed and venerable form
OF the great author Of no: only thousand and one
happy hours Of glowing ineres. they had ejoyed but
Of The mental rspast that then being spread before
tSem their enthusiasm broke through every restraint
and burst upon him like tornado. Old put their
arms afIecionAtely arousd him. Beautiful poui
ed upon him refreshing shower Of passionate ksses,
and all joined in taking him vie dis aud entbroning
him upon the stage, and weaving round his brow
wrcathe Of living surels Voltsir wep! with joy. Bu
this was no tribute to his niielity II was the hon.
age Catholic people delighted to pay to trans,e ,endent
genius. His society courted BY Frederick the Great
and all the great nteleca aud wits Of Europe But in
fidelity had nothing to do with his popularity. know
that literary society formed in France the svowed
purpose Of which to snite down religion, and thai
s members frequently assembled in the salons Of Ne
danes du Defiant, Georn Of Ne rEspnaCs, and Biroh
Htloack and that for time their doctrines spread
like malaria blasting religion aud morals Temporarily.
To this society belonged that cynic aad sophist Die
erot D'Alembert R,sSesr Condlac, the sentamentah
Grim the philosopher HelyedIs and the malicious Ma
noate but right here wish to call your special ateD
lion to three prominent facts The inf les if they
had anything to do with the laws licensed ganb
ling that period France under the sceptra
OF All iGfiel King Emperor, and that the communi
cants OF the Catholic church did always and do nov
number all other denominations ircudng the ipfiels in
France and if this docs no: prove that France never
vas aud is not nadel nation then facts impoteat
and argument useless. Moreover, it il well known to
every student of history of Botstourt thst nhiey
has run s course in Frarcs and is pros.ra;ei with
the uFy gOL NtCAef bS IhsnCt VI hAuAu uc . ael
drew h.s bright blade the side Of The church when
the storm Of n6dely at its widest aud around him
there gathered formidable host Of powerful writer,
aud they kept the banner Of the h'ng from tn,
masthead Of the church wheL the beach being hie
strewn with the wreck OF infdel crafts Madame d,
Sael aud ChsueIbrsnd fought the battle Of the okurc
in literature Maine de Brsh and RoysrCoird in phi
iosophy and Benjamin Constant in political science, ana
to no nconsiderable extent they did succeed in neu.
ra1ug the basful pfIenc of vosir and his school,
and from that day this iafiey has been on the vain,
in France Catholic sits her throne, Catholics sit
her councils and Catholics frame her laws and ~hi
10 you take by your allusion infie France, when
cveataates that France never was and is not isfds
France, aud that when there were more ibfies thcr
than there was at any other time, gambling was 10
licensed and nov, when they DO not WELD the vino
clad tls one shadow Of Influence It is. To Germs y
aud the balance Of your crippled ald deformed bras
will lock tomorrow. ERSKlNE.