The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-03-15
What Rome Does for the People.
The following article ia from n

What Rome Does for the People.
The following article is from the
pen of Victor Hugo:
All, we know you. We know
the clerical party. 1t is an old
party. This it is which has found
for the truth those marvellous sup.
porters, ignorance and error! This
it is which forbids to science and
genius the going beyond the missai,
and which wishes to cloister thought
in dogmas. Every step which the
intelligence of turope has taken,
has been in spite of it. Its history
is written in the history of human
progress, but it is written on the
back of the leaf. 1t is opposed to
it all. Ti,is il is which caused
Prinelli to be scourged for having
said that tile stars would not fall.
This it is which put Ca,npanella
seven times to the torture for hav.
ing affirmed that the number of
worlds was infinite, and for having
caught q glimpse at the secret Of
creation. This it is which perse.
cuted Harvey tor having proved
the circulation of the blood. In
the name of Jesus it shut mp Cali.
leo. In the name of St. Paul, it
imprisoned Christopher Columbus.
10 discover law of the heavens
was All ilDpiety. To find world
was q heresy. This it is which
mathematical Pascal in the name
of religion, Monlaigne in the name
Of morality, Moliere in the name
Of both morality and religion
For a long time already the human
conscience has revolted against
you, and now demands of you !:
What is it that You wish Of me I"
For long time already you have
tried to put a gag upon the human
inrellecv. You wish to be the mas
tiers at education. And there is
not a poet, not an author, not a
philosopher, not thinker that you
accept. All that has been written,
found, dreamed, deduced, inspired,
imagined, invented by genius, the
treasure of civilization, the venera-
bic Inheritance of generations, the
common patiimony of knowledge,
you reject. There is q book-a
book which is from one end to the
other an emanation from above-a
book which is for the whole world
what the Koran is tor Isla,nism-
what the Vedas are for India-a
book which contains all human
wisdom, illuminated by all divine
wisdom, n book which the venera-
ton OF tho people calls the book
the Bible. Well, your censure has
reached even that. Unheard of
thing! Popes have prescribed the
How astonishing to wise spirits,
how ovcrpoweriDg to simple
hearts, to see The finger Of Rome
placed upon the book of God =
And you claim the liberty OF teach
ing. Stop-be sincere; let us nm.
derstand the liberty which you
claim. 1t is the liberty If not
teaching. Yon wish US to give on
the people to instruct. Very well.
Let us see your pupils! Let us
see those you have produced; =
What have you done for Italy -
What have you done for Spain 2
For centuries you have kept in
your hands, at your discretion, at
your school, these two great nations,
illustrious among the illustrious.
What have you done for them Z ]
am going to tell you. Thanks to
you, Italy, mother Of genius and
OF nations, which has spread over
the universe all Of the most bril-
liant marvels Of poetry and the
arts Italy, which has taught man.
kind to read, now knows not how
to read Yes, Italy is, of all the
States OF Europe, that where the
smallest number Of natives know
how to read. Spain, magnificent.
ly endowed T; Spain, which received
from the Romans her first civiliza-
ton, from the Arabs her second
civilization, from Providence, and, i,
in spite of you, a world, America =
Spain, thauks to you, to your yoke
Of stupor, which is q yoke Of degra.