The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-24
Lecture by Parker PiIIsbury

Lecture by Parker IniisDurys
Last evening" at the Brooklyn Institute Parker Pills.
bvry-one OF the many satellites (of whom Wendell
Phillips is not the least in magnitude) which revove
around that self-suficent OF humanitaranism as
embodied in the negro william Lloyd Garrison-be-
fore small but appreciative audience read his lee
ture on sThe French Revolution Of 1793-Its Causes
and Character in monotonous tone and without
action his eyes being continually directed to the
desk, on which was spread out his manuscript. Mr..
Pisbury commenced his discourse by reviewing the
POLITICAL moral and religious condition OF the three
estates into which the people OF France were divided
Immediately antecedent to the revolution, the
causes OF which he proposed to discuss, and
which, traced back, found its origin quite much
In the success OF the revolutionsts this Continent
as in the grinding exactions OF king, mobiles and
clergy. who by their tyranny their selnshness and
their immortality had brutaized the subjects over
whom they ruled without a thought OF justice or
OF remorse. The clergy were before the nobility,
out OF which order they sprung. All that was rich
or s.honorabe'i or profitable In the land, without
regard justice or love. they appropriated to them
selves. These gded glittering caterpiars OF
royalty'gded through the galleries Of state selfish
the nobility nearly exempt from most OF the bur
dens Of the state and Of taxation The third state,
were made deirious with despair. They had APP
peacd TO the throne for justice but roaty turned
deaf ear :, eT were be was hour1
companions OF the down trodden that the
storm gods Numbered, and preliminary 70 the revo-
luton, which all but the very blind could see was
near at hand, that the spirit OF freedom awoke.
The lecturer then proceeded to ken the uprising OF
the people to an earthquake, which, though dread
full event I'm ITSELF could not be held responsible for
the evils or which IL was the cause. The twenty
instinct. It was not a question with them sprngIng
out OF reason They had been hereditary bondsmen,
but their condition had gradually become nsupport-
able, and with blind conviction that they could not
longer submit and exist they gathered wildly around
the palace gates OF royalty and asked for mercy.
season from their lairs in the Businesses OF the
tans TO the towns for food and shelter these DOWN
trodden, ignorant, besotted peasants gathered
petition for partial rectidcatIon OF their wrongs
King and, in their presence swung from a gallows
fifteen feet In height. At the opening OF the revou-
n the cRy ss 90
many personal privileges from the throne, enjoyed
clear revenue OF twenty-five millions OF francs, and,
two-thirds OF the table lands or the kingdom. The
taxes nearly all collected from the peasantry, were
tse naysry Of the people
by the tax gatherer. Nor was this all The peas
antry had to support in their homes q debauched
soldiery, who were being constantly billeted on
law. These were free to embrace and dis.
honor the wives and sisters, mothers and
daughters OF the hosts, and to complain Of their
conduct to take revenge into their own hands was
to court the conscation OF their property and pos
sibly death. So high was the tax on salt, which was
one OF many monopolies In the hands OF the nobility
that to successfully get undetected q pint thereof
across the lines yielded greater profit to the
smuggler than would \ days labor on the land SO
severe were the laws against smuggling this condi-
ment that those who were caught In the act were al
most Immediately thereupon executed for what In
the eyes Of the governing class, was regarded as .
crime even rofserious than murder itself. The
game laws were equally N injurious TO the people.
Il was death to touch any OF the wild animals that
roamed the country, destroying the works OF the
agriculturist and for doing several have
been burned at the stake. Throughout France
no one who had not the patent OF nobility, however
rich OF however high his standing In society, could
own even pigeon The lecturer then traversed
minutely the ground during and subsequent to the
revolution, and held that although many mistakes
were made by those who attempted TO govern France
as a republic, they were good men. Robespierre, he
maintained, was truly pous patriotic and lar from
being the boodthirsty wretch Edmund Burke and
other English statesmen, prejudced to the last de-
gree, declared Lin. or NoltaiTe he also spoke In