The New York herald., 1870-03-28

analogy the late lawsuit was an attempt TO put
abusive and oppr0b9ous remarks about his wife, on
the ground that no WaS insane at the time OF max
Ccmte formed the sore s nom which Dos sides s
sought to draw proofs n support OF their respective
positions IN his earier writings NJ. C0mte gave pub.
ity and was maintained with extraordinary skill and
research. Human belief, according to NJ. Comte
ne usroegs Srea. stages n s march
refer all events 70 Divine influences. In the second
stage they explain everything BY reference to meta
been less explicit and less successful than In the
r otner parts OF his work. The third stage OF
men cease to look for causes and only observe
enects tlfe laws oflnature investigated and men
inquire n.r INTO what does and what w happen with
nature These three stages are called respectively
the theological, the metaphysical and the positive
pure and SIMPLE. 1t is as directly opposed as sys-
tenn eau DC to anything which implies belief In
,sags41 r,s, OF IN any Supernatural world. Prayer
Wooa DC unmeaning, because II would be an appeal
TO an Imaginary Being obstruct the laws OF nature
wncn are and ever have been, invarlabe. IL ls
flow from rigid application Of the positive theory
10 practice. They would bc consequences
sn,lreiy en-, ely SUI smoyersiye % not only Of our moral
congratulate ourselves that there Is likelihood OF
cneir troubling us-at all events, for the present.
the commencement or hls intimacy with Clotice de
Naux, supplemented these opinions by fresh max
Will WHICH LIcy are Cprlaluly WHOLLY lQCOnSg-
tent He reintroduced sert OF quasi religion con-
sistng OF the worship OF humanity; he established
forms OF devotion and dedicated certain days
IN the year 10 the memory OF great men
whose achievements he conceived TO have
been 1ene1oial 10 their race. In this fan-
iasuc limitation OF the Romsh calendar NJ.
CotnJe reproduced q form OF Waat he before con-
sidered human superstition, III a manner calculated
TO shock The feelings aike OF religiousy Inclined
persons and or those 10 whose gratitude ms former
specui1LionS nad given nun q titie. But the que3-
ton before the court was not whether NJ. Comie' q
opinions were true, but whether they were consis-
tent lis widow maintained that there was &c
marKeu a repugnaHee between RtS earlier anu hli
later tenets that II was Impossible he could have
been ether than insane IN his later days. On the
o.her SIDE IL was urged that mans philosophical
system must De taken and Judged as whole, and
tnat Madame Comte listened TO the promptings OF
Jealousy IN treating haucinatious the iegln ate
EXPANSION OF the authors views.
+ A London journal commenting on the case anG o
decIsion OF Inc Court says
It's always difficult thing to lay down precisely
where tile ine IS 10 be drawn between the proven
bialy kindred spirits OF genus and madness. Per-
haps the task IS still difficult when the proof
Without reference 10 Ms actions or TO the
little things In life Whicn betray The
real condition OF the mind Eccentricity VIII
account Tor much but there Is point where that
excuse ceases 10 be available, and the latitude 10
which the fancy OF writers has been known to
wander, consistently with perfect retenJon OF the
laculies, makes 1t douoiy hard TO decide case on
the evidence OF what they have written. In this
the Court decided that the insanity was not made
out but directed that the unj,lstitiabe expressions
used by M. Comte regarding ms wife should be
struck out OF the wnl. The Judgment Of the Court
VIII De received with much appreciation BY con-
siderable number OF thinking men who embrace the
opinions of NJ. Comte. AT the time 1t
that there may be much reason for thinning that 1t
ought to have been decided the other way. No iul-
pntation would have been In any way cast upon the
correctness Of M Complies earlier theories by deci
sion tnat hls later works were the offspring OF dis
eased brain. 1t Is perfectly true that mans sys-
tenn OF Thought expands with the gradual maturity
or his intellect; but wherever the case Of other
men the same development has been displayed
there never has been, between their first and last
opinions, any such gross ana radical inconsistency
as may be fairly charged upon M Compte; nor has
there been IN other cases an attempt unite in one
entire stem TWO sets OF opinions SO utterly repug-
nant TO each other. This circumstance OF It.
was a, weakness Of intellect IN the latter
part OF the great P0sitiyists liIe This pre-
sumption Is supported by the extravaganza with
which 1T appears that he used TO address his mis-
tress, to whom he was wont to attribute almost
perDuman qualities with an eagerne5s which, Of
ITSELF points TO madness. Great thinkers are OF all
men, most liate 10 lose their their health
becomes enfeebled by age; and TINS was the more
probable III the case OF man WHO was so deter
mined as Nd. Comte to reject the traditional opinions
oi mankind ana 70 dely Their criticism. "A reason
which be SAID TO nave been directed against the
whole catalogue OF human beliefs Is not unlikely to
fam IN the struggle II y no oisrespect TO the mem
Ory OF an eminent philosopher 20 say that the
earnestness with which lie pursued what he consld-
ered to be Iratn while ne was young iacapacitated
view wouid also be tne most charitable towards
the dead Whatever estimate we may form about
Lie lucfIiS VI MS pHLOsUDHlcaf SYSTEM IL
would be ridiculous 10 defend his conduct
towards his wife. She made no attempt TO
retaate by rakng up against him any records OF
his weakness or winch sac may have been cogntzant
but was actnated by desire to preserve hls
reputation unlmpaired On the other hand, NJ.
Comte not only deserted her and formed fresh at
Sachment which all morality must prescribe, but he
even impaired the authority OF his VIII by inserting
IN 1t violent and abusive attacks Upon the wife
whom hu had deserted. Mankind are ready to Judge
lightly or The failiags OF great men, and 1t s right
that they should be SO, because the great are aole
to stronger impulses than other men, FOR evil well
for good; but it would be utter mockery OF oil
the distinctions winch we draw between what Is no
BILE and what Is base II we did not acknowledge that
the best excuse winch can be made FOR M. Cofnte's
treatment Of his wife Is that he possessed OF
his reason during the latter part or his life.
The French court refused to consider him insane,
and that verdict be 10 is Impossible not to
remember his conduct III riticising his philosophy
The jean Thierry Cash 5Iillions--Decision on
Three Hundred and sixty -four Claims.
The Tribunal OF the Seine has March III delivered
Judgment in the case OF the latest claimants to the
inheritance of Jean Therry, the French adveRturer
OF the seventeenth century.
For 2i6 years this mysterious property, usually va
ued Ut 20 900 900 tancs has continued TO dazzle the
ImaginatlonS Of bis fancied descendants. Inlerry
made his Will i'll 1854, at which time the bulk or his