Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-01-12
Letter from Victor Huge on The slrug-
Gle In Crete.

nj. Victor Hugo has written letter,
of which the following is translation,
in reference to the revolutionary con-
test in Gambia:
ga cry reaches me FROM Athens. In
the City of Pmdias and Hschylus an
appeal is made to me-my name is pro-
nounced. What, am l to deserve such
an honor Nothing but a vanquished
man. And who are they that call TO me?
The vanquished. Yes, heroic Candi-
ates, the fallen of to-day, you are the
vietors of the future. Persevere. Even
ifsyou are Frustrated, you will triumph.
The protestation of dying agony is
power. Lit is an appeal to God, who
brushes what ? Kingsl Those mighty
ones who are now against you, those CO.
alitions of blind force and stubborn
prejudice, those armed antique tyran-7
MES, have as their principle attribute
remarkable facility of making ship
wreck. The tiara is on the poop, the
turban on the prov, the old monarchial
ship is leaking. 1t is at this very hour
laundering in Mexico, in Austria, in
Spain, in Hanover, in Rome, and else
where. Perseverel You vanquished
Impossiblel The instruction sup
pressed is not a principle destroyed.
There are no more fats aocOmphS; there
is only Right. Fact is never complet-
ted. It's perpetual incompleteness is
the opening which is left to Right.
Right cannot be submerged. The
waves of events pass over it, 1t reap
pears. Drowned Poland floats on the
surface. For 81 years European policy
has torn this corpse, and the world has
seen its soul floating above the fats dc-
cOm1pis. Greeks of Gambia, you have
right on your side, and you have also
reason. Why Pasha should exist in
Crete is beyond comprehension. That
which is true of Italy is true also as
regards Greece. Venice cannot be re-
stored to the one without Crete being
restored to the other. That which is
there a resurrection, cannot be here
sepulchre. But in the meantime blood
is flowing, and Europe permits it. She
gets accustomed to it. To-day il is the
SuItan's turn to exterminate national
ity. is theIe Turkish divine right
yenerated as the Christian divine right?
Murder, robbery, violation, are at this
moment sweeping oversCandia as, six
mouths ago, they dashed over Germa
ny. That which would not be allowed
to Schinderhannes is allowed to poll
cy. To have the sword in hand and
quietly to witness these murders, this
is called craftsmanship. 1t would
seem that religion is interested in what
the Turks are quietly doing-the cut
ting of Canadian throats-and that so.
ciety would be shaken if, between
Scarperto and Cytherea, little children
were not put to the sword. There the
ravaging of corpses and the burning of
villages is useful. The motive which
explains and tolerates these extermina-
ton is beyond our penetration. Alas
one of the humiliations of men whom a
long exile has made stupid II am one of
them) is that they cannot comprehend
the great reasons of the present assas
sins. Never mind. The Cretan ques-
ton is henceforth clear. 1t will be
solved, and solved like all other ques-
tions of this age, in the sense of deliv-
erence. Greece complete, Italy con-
plete-Athens at the head of one, Rome
at the head of the other-this is what
we-France-owe to our brothers. 1t
is debt that France will aquit; it is a
duty that France will discharge.
When Persevere.