The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-08-07
Error Of Indiseretion.

People are apt to get into mischief by
impairment or at least unde-
sired advice. A droll example has been.
quoted from the writings of Voltaire, as
follows = "a Frenchman had the au-
dacity to write to Law, the famous con-
troller-general, telling him that he was
the greatest blockhead, the greatest
simpleton, or the greatest knave, in pro-
pagating the belief that nation can be
made rich by the mere issue of what is
called paper-money. The Frenchman
was correct in his opinion as to the fol-
ly of Laws schemes, but he did not act
prudently in thus addressing him. Be
ing considered a dangerous individual,
the authorities conducted him to the
prison of st. Lazarus.
when he got out of st. Lazarus,
where he studied a great deal and forti-
fed his reason, he went to Rome. He
demanded public audience of the
pope, on condition that no one should
interrupt him during, his speech; and
he thus addressed him Holy father,
you are antichrist; and mark how I
shall prove it to your holiness. I call
him antichrist whose life and acts are
contrary to what Christ did and com
manded. Now, Christ was poor, and
you are very rich. He paid tribute,
and you exact it. He submitted to the
powers of this world, and you have be-
come one of these powers. He went
about on foot, and you go to Castel-
Gaudolpho in a sumptuous equipage.
He ate of any thing that was given him,
and you compel us to eat fish on Friday
and Saturday, though we hive far from
the sea and from rivers. He forbade
Simon Bariona to protect himself with
the sword, and you have many. swords
to protect you. Therefore in this sense
your holiness is antichrist. I reverence
you very much in every other capacity,
and ask of you an indulgence in 1rti-
culo morris" AS might have been ex-
pected, they put the man of the pure
reason into the castle of st. Angelo.
When he got out of the castle OF
st. Angelo, he fastened to Venice, and
demanded an audience of the doge.
Your serene highness, said he to him,
must commit an extravagant folly IL
espousing the sea every year. For, il
the fast place, one does not marry him
self twice to the same person. Second
/ ly, your marriage resembles that Of
Harlequin, which was only half a mar
rage, since the consent of the Other
party was wanting. Thirdly, who cal
assure you that the other maritime pow
ers viii not one day step in an dispos
sess you of your bride 2 Thus he
spoke, and they shut him up in the tow
! er of st. Mark.
''When he regained his liberty h'
went to Constantinople, procured al
audience of the multi, and spoke to hin
thus: Your religion, though it MAJ
comprehend many good things, such a
the worship of the Supreme Being, anC
the necessity of being just and chart
table, is only a patchwork of Judaism
and tiresOme collection of old wives
tales. If the archangel Gabriel die
bring from some other world the leave
of the Koran to Mohammed, all Arabs
would have seen him descend. Nobod,
saw him therefore Mohammed wa
only a bold impostor, who deceive,
those that We're weak enough to believ
him. Scarcely had he uttered thes
words, when he was impal' d.
" Nevertheless" as Yoltaire remarks
he always spoke pure, reason. - Hi
only error was excessive indiscretior
The naked truth must not always b
told"