The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-04
Cemmuni.m-it. Cause. and las Care.

were especially noteworthy, as containing the
views Of two eminent American divines on the
revolt in Paris Whie the Brooklyn preacher
took wider view Of the aubjec. than the New
York priest, both agreed in SAYING that inf
deity was the foundation CT French Com
munsm. Mr.. Beecher attributed this want Of
religious faith 10 want of education To a
considerable extent he was correct bat not
entirely SO. Ignorance has certainly been the
agency through which socialism has become a
threatening power in France but ii has always
been guided and directed by intellectual men
men of great learning-and in this fact is en-
countered the great difficulty in dealing with
| it, Were socialism confined to the illiterate
and the untbiuking remedy might be applied
without much trouble. But the misfortune is
that the pernicous and insidious poison has
entered into the very vtals, 80 to speak, of
the educated classes The doctrines of such
social disorganizers as Voltaire, Rousseau,
Fourier and others are cherished by the French
| people The ignoran. find something in them
tnat panders to their prendices. while the en-
llghtened are attracted by the captivating
dash and holdness-the 6i0n, so TO speak
With which they assault the most sacred insti-
| tutIons, constructed on the solid foundations
OF order aud religion. Frenchmen like dash (;
| they glory in Ian, and trouble their noodles
| precious little in what cause it is exhibited
IL will not be necessary to trace the rise of
communism and socialism. and to follow them
in their various phases down 20 the last sad
developments which have just ended in IN
/ happy France. 1t will be sufficient for our
| present purpose 10 state that socialism
was OF gradual growth in France,
and geruinated from the sufferings aud
! necessities Of the dwellers in the large centres
\ Of population. Paris was always peculiarly
/ susceptible 10 communistic tendencies. II the
theory OF hereditary depravisy be correct, then
We have an explanation for he horrible ferocity
and absurd iaeaism Of The Paris mob The
city was largely settled by desperadoas, 10
whom morals and religion were idle, meaning
less words, and their descendants have for
centuries made the French capital the most
disordery metropolis in Europe II was
during the regn Of Louis XIV. however. that
TIE hucUlf ulSl DeCdNlp ueeDiy
rooted in The minds Of the urban population
Endless war bad given glory to France and
had added considerably to her territory but it
had impoverished the people, who instinctive!y
sought for some means of relief. There were
not wanting sophists to instil into the minds OF
the masses the belief that this relief was to be
found in IN overthrow OF tie existing social
system and the substitution Of system which
would form universal brotherhood of man
kind. Men OF great learning taught this
They contrasted the poverty Of the masses
with The spleudor Of the few, aud plausihly
urged that if there were no rico there
would be 10 poor. At this very time the
French Court was setting example Of
Righteousness unparalleled before or since
II had never been distinguished for virtue and
morality and had gradually corrupted the
people into initiating IFS practices. At this
moment came Voltaire who Knocked at religion,
and with him was Rousseau, who clothed vice
in its mos attractive form. Little wonder
was i. then, that inidelty and its in
evitahle consequences spread with such re-
sistess and fatal speed. The clergy
vainly tried TO stem the nnholy tide,
but only met with ridiculc. contempt and
death. In their madness the deludcd people
asked what had religion done TO alleviate
their suiferings and better their condition.
that its doctrines should be needed The
romantic school was then giving way to the
material, and il was difficult TO get the inlet
tered mob to believe that il was best for them
to submit 10 privations and even starve to
death in unfolding certain theological views.
while the rich revealed in vicious pleasures
with consciences apparently undisturbed.
Because the clergy were. for the most part.
belonging TO the upper classes, they first
hated them and then hated God becauss they
saw no escape from their poverty they hated
the rich Thus il was that the turbulent ele-
ment of Paris and the other large cities found
two central ideas upon which TO unite and
against which 70 eypend their fury. The
was against religion and The other was
against the rights Of property With these
were mingled the aspiration for greater polit-
cal freedom The liberation OF the many from
the tyranny Of the few was the grand idea
upon which everything leaned. The few were
the landed proprietors aud the clergy to
think with these was to act With them hence
they became atheists and agrarians. Our
revolution was the Initiation of the great polti-
cal and social revolution in Europe. France,
by means Of these very men who had been
tyranrizcd over and worried into becoming
atheists and a.rarians. struck the blow which
burst the chains thsi shackled the hands and
minds of Europeans: but. while all other nations
were elevated TO nobler manhood. France
alone gained aotning by her own heroism and
her sacrifices. in he's cup Of liberty was
mingled the poison Of tyranny. She exchanged
tyranny for terrnram and AT last Welcomed