The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-01-11
A Letter from Victor Hugo on the
Strug1le In Crete.


NJ. Victor Hugo has written a letter, Of
which the following is a translation, in refer
ence to the revolutionary contest in Gambia ::
A cry reaches me from Athens. In the
city Of i'hidias and Tschylus an appeal is
made q rie-my name is pronounced. What,
am | to deserve such an honor? Nothing
but a yauquished man. And who are they
who cal TO me? The ~vanquished. Yes,
heroic Candiotes, the fallen Of to-day, you
are the vietors of the future. Persevere.
Even if you are Frustrated, you will triumph.
The protestatlon Of q dying agony is a pow
er. 1t is an appeal to God, who crushes-
what Kings Those mighty ones who are
now against you. those coalitions of blind
force and stubborn prejudice, those armed
antique tyrannies, have IS their principal at.
tribute a remarkable facility Of making ship.
wreck. The tiara is on the poop, the turban
on the PROV, the old monarchial ship is leak
ing. 1t ~ at this very hour laundering in
Mexico, in Austria, in Spain, in Hanover, in
Saxony. ut Rome, and elsewhere. Perse-
verel You vanquished Impossible The
instruction suppressed is not q principle de-
stroyed. There are no more fats dccomplis:
there is only Right. Fact is never compile.
ted. lis perpetual incompleteness is the
opening lett 10 Right. Right cannot be subs
1 UitfkxQ- 1 Ht waves VI tfcHls pass over II.
1t reappears Drowned Poland hoats on the
surface. For "a years European policy has
| torn this corpse, and the world has seen its
soul floating above the fats a~ccomplis.
Greeks Of Gambia, you have right on your
side, and yon have also reason. Why a Pa.
shs should exist in Crete is beyond compre.
hension That which is true of Italy
is true also as regards Greece.
| Venice cannot be restored TO the one without
Crete being restored to the other. That which
is there a resurrection, cannot there be a
sepulchre. But in the meantime blood is
flowing, and Europe permits 1T. She gets
accustomed 10 it. To>day it is the Sultan
turn to exterminate q nationality. Is there a
Turkish divine right venerated AS the Chris.
tan divine right? Murder, robbery, viola.
ton, are al this moment sweeping over Can
dia, as SIX months ago they swept over Ger.
many. That which would not be allowed to
Schinderhannes is allowed TO policy. To have
the sword in hand, and quietly 10 witness
these murders-this is called statesmanshiu
1t would seem that religion is interested III
what the Turks are quietly doing-the cuj.
ting of Canadian throats land that societs
would be shakenif between Scarpetto aud
Cytherea little children were not put to the
sword. There the rsvaging Of crops and the
burning OF villages is useful. The motive
which explains and ~tolerates these extermi-
pations is beyond our penetration. Alas! one
of the hamiiiations of men whom . long sx-
lie has made stupid Il Am one of them is
that they cannot comprehend the great reas-
ons Of the present assassins. Never MUD.
The Cretan question is henceforth clear. 1t
will be solved, and solved like all other ques-
tons of this age, in the sense Of deliverance.
Greece complete, Italy complete-Athens a,
the head Of one, Rome at the head of the
other-this is what we-France-owe 70 our
brothers. 1t is . debt that France will acouit;
it is a duty that France will discharge. When
Persevere. yicroa Hueo.
Hauteville House, Dec. 2, 1865.