New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-10-15
GENERATIONS FROM FRANCE
THE LESSONS OF HISTORY.

returns of population before the war gave the number OF
Germans in France as 5000 the recent German ofcia
abatement makes the total Of the German refugees who
have actually been driven out OF France 10000. The
approxmaton Of these numbers Indicates prompt ana
tborough enforcement Of the French enaoments that
d not have been accomplished except at the price OF
great suffering and to the Germans expelled, and
tend to confirm statements received here OF extreme
desttuton and misery among them. Ihey are
in large proportion working people, 4o'OW oi
them are believed to have come from
paris II ia highly probable that France in sending these
across the frontier has repeated her grave mis-
take ~ the seventeenth century in exng 10 other lands
those who within her borders have acquired peculiar
proficiency In the mechanical arts. Skilled workmen
carry not alone their handcraft with them commercial
enterprise and trade their manufactures follow them
The Revocation of Edict OF Nantes, and the emgra-
on OF working people from France in the latter part OF
the reign OF Louis XIV was one OF the most costly eA
perments ever made In political economy 1t incteda
blow upon French prosperity, whose bad effects were
clearly traceabe after the lapse OF century sketch
OF the circumstances and consequences of that emiga
| ton cannot fail to be OF interest In connection win
| present occurrences.
The Edict OF Nantes, promulgated by Henry ~ OF
France in April, 1885, at once Of political ana Oh
Religions character and not more law Of the realm
than compact between two cOntendng factions France
had many years been prey to the most violent cN
di,sensions in which religious differences played part
Of great prominence. There had grown up an intense
! antagonism between Catholics and Protestants; an
antagonism that penetrated all ranks and conditions
that was exempified whenever either sect obtained
| the reins Of power. Very extensive were tine
| political di.sensons among themselves between
| Catholics, but they united in their opposition
! TO the Reformers. Lutherans and CalYinists met
in synod at Gap in 1908, and AFTER long ana use
less efforts to bridge the differences by which Proes
tants we're divided found Last their only common
| doc lp
Church. 1.-THE Pope is ABtichris" was the expression
agreed upon as the essential confession of faith OF Pro
testantism The Elict of Nantes was the breakwa'er
which stemIned the angry floods either side. Henry
| w. forced IL upon unwilling Pariaments. To the
members OF the Parliament OF Pans ne de-
clared 81 have made the Edlct | wish 1t TO
lie observed. My wish must you for reason No
question is ever asked of "A prince in obedient state
am King; speak to you King; wish to be obeyed
In lGlO Regency of Marie do Medic declaring that
this edc had brought assured repose to the subjects OF
Crown, confirmed it as perpetual and rreyOcaDe by
solemn decree At his majority, and aferward at later
date Louis XIII. twice again confirmed it by decara-
ton and added penal clauses for its enforcement Anne
Of Austria followed these examples in 1913, during the
minority of Louis XIV. In 1852, Cardinal Mazarn had
the OF of the most important OF those decara
tons and the last the series Of combinations Of
the edct was published as late as 1852.
The edct was a treaty Of peace that commenced its
between the contending parties. All previous enact
ments against the Reformers annued and erased
from the statutebooks. Their previously denat0nazed
children again became French. Prisoners sent to the
galleys for religious opinion were set free Liberty OF
church worship and celebration accorded to either
sect liberty of to all was freely proclaimed
and in all civil and political aspects both parties were
placed upon equal footing.
In the latter part Of the reign OF Louis XIV the royal
policy underwent change. That monarch had not yet
failed in foreign enterprises when he first essayed the
suppression OF liberty Of conscience in France; but
already his energies had become more ntroverted In
their action; the exempfcation of his personal pety
became more important him than the glory of France
the ambition OF conquest replaced by the zeal OF
persecution and the Grand MOnarque became less ormi
dable his enemies abroad than to his subjects at
home. Court intrigues intensified these tendencies,
and the passions of the King iwere infamed
by the Vaccinations OF his mistresses, who were them
selves il said influenced by their spiritual advisers
In the first Of the persecution of Protest
ants directed against those of LanguedOc. With
each year thereafter series Of expressions
Of those unhappy people throughout France The hours
at which they were allowed to bury their dead were
limited TO sunrise and sunset. New converts to Caho
csm were absolyed Of indebtedness to heretcs. The
baptism into the Catholic Church OF the children Of
Catholic fathers made compulsory Rigorous laws
against Catholics converted to Professionalism were
enacted, and barbarous indignities to their bodies
after their death without taking the sacrament
sanctioned and executed. one by the diff
ferent occupations of life were closed to
those who professed the reformed religion;
notably, the learned professions The law Inerfered
with the support OF their ministers in charge o churches
while open-ar preaching was not allowed. School
not permitted to teach anything but the
simplest elements 10 Protestant children Such were
of the enactments prior to the declaration of
against Holland-a announced by Louis XIV in 1872
waged for the suppression of heresy That finished
persecution recommending took forms Of greater vio
lence Proestants deprived of the right to
else any authority their children. Advance
men and public employment Of every kind denied
to the Reformers, and Of them, recently
nobed were deprived Of their titles. At length the
conversion Of herecs became the will OF the State and
the King bent all his energies to the undertaking. Con-
yerts be procured the hand by purchase,
To be compelled the other by military force. The Re
formers were given To the license Of mounted troops
ITO dragon" became active transitiye verb. The
remembrance Of the "bOOted mission" the dragon
nades TO this day handed down among the families OF
the sufferers, and adyerted to with horror.
This series OF royal enacments eliminated in the act
known in history the Revocation of the Edict OF
Nantes, signed by LoAs XIV at Fontainbeau the 22d
OF October, This begins by statement that
the original intent Of the Edic itself to enable
Henry w. to labor to better advantage "for the reunion
to the Church OF those who had lightly withdrawn
from ia labor, it says, which his death prevented
Inc reason OF the Act OF Revocation is that since but few
heretcs are remaining uncOnverted 1t is desirable to OBJ
teate that which merely commentaries the troubles OF
period past Twelve articles added the Revocation
authorize in respect to those who profess the reformed
religion, that their churches be demolished their
else of worship in public and private he prevented by
the nhcon Of penalties their ministers be sent
To the gaeys their schools be closed their children be
rebapzed and reared in the Catholic faith II the
ties are found attempting emigration they are to be
in lpa VIII tha try
their entire properties TO be confscated.
The last clause operated to occasion concealment Of