The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-28
The Religion of Fraternity.


When Madam LOUIS BLANC WAS buried
with such n remarkable following in Paris
the other day, the funeral Grafton was
pronounced over the grave by VICTOR
HUGo: and we have examined it with
curious interest IN order TO find out
the rel giOus convictions of the venerable
poet, rcformer, and politician. The ind-
o,tions-0nd there are only Indications
are vague and shadowy, as doubtless are all
those ideas of the orator which may In any
sense he described As religious, or AS Dor
Ucrit upon the sphere of religion. The
grca' PRINCIPLE which he celebrates Is fra
teiLi'y. On this he dwells with eloquent
emphasis, setting il out rs the truth alike
cf death and of life, the doctrine whose
prevalence is essential 10 the happiness
and the peace Of the world.
Tie &, qua OF human fraternity belongs
p.cul 'u.y 10 the democratic creed and
philosophy which French thinkers, senti-
mertnhsts, and reVolutionists nave elabo-
rat,,S oAI ound,d and illustrated now for
NOR tlau II century; but IL we seek
tarouga III, long array OF celebrated men,
al :.itc', few wise, and none practical, for
tLconc who has most effectively taught this
u"c,"a. and whose influence has been most
profound ana most durable, we think we
49, '@r, tllt this man is no other than
liEsL4 SA1;T-SINoH, the visionary, the So
crl.si. nd the founder of the most brilliant
tchcoi of philosophers and writers known
e moutru times. From him the religion
{: fraternity aa.n.d rs most taking for
mHi"s; and though tho precise nature Of
hls nnliuis lespec iug liz religion Is not
easily III ,crned through the elaborate
fvsioW construct Il v hi- dirciplcs, they
nic 80 lV cleaned fr M his own works, and
are certainty not INV T,hy o: attention.
That p.,dil, elton for The interests OF the
working class which formed the main
spring of SAINT mons life gradually
assumed sentiment aud quasi-theologi-
cal character. 10 thus aspect of his later
opinions he ascribed his rupture with
ArGUsTE CoNyr, aud here doubtless lay
the point OF division OF postivism and
SAINT Slnonianism. In his earliest work,
"Lettors to an lnhabitant Of Geneva" the
Idea OF a new religion had begun to germi-
nate, tut il took the form OF n fanciful
perhaps lruncal, chimera. At this time
hi novel scheme OF worship was conceived
as the apoiheosls OF science, and he pro-
poscd to call il tho religion of NEWTON"
There was TO be Il mausoleum oOnseciated
20 NEWTON, Oue-half of which must be so
constructed as TO convey q notion of the
fGjOurn assigned for an eternity to those
who should thwart the progress Of science
and ART. Thus the system included verita-
bic he'll. peopled with the enemies of en-
iightenment. Every year all adopts were
~, a nj, ,af to thia fop,h nd
the hlgiI priest OF the religion had the
privilege of intermont within its walls. All
this may have been propounded as II jest,
bnt I was taken seriously in the end for
the saint S.monIan sect shaped by EEFAN-
rrS aud others pre-, entcd some features OF
science worship, and this character is still
salient IN the positivsm which grew out
OF II.
In his appreciation OF Christian ideas,
bAINr-r 1MoN cyiuccd more liberal and
Elevated spirit than the philosophers of
die eighteenth century. He always main
tnined that religious progress had been u
prime factor o! social moderation. Sull
he held The system of morality, sanctioned
or tolerated by medieval Christianity, to
be defective and obsolete. He thought il
failed TO interpret and enforce the true
relation Of government aud the governed
OF one people to another, of man to man
New ethics adjusted TO the present state Of
Intelligence were demanded. The cler-
~ should be required to base their moral
teachings on positive principles, and to
that end should submit to an examination
In the sciences at the hands OF positive
philosophers In not dssimilar way, ac-
cording to SAINT-SINoN, had the Christian
religion been primarily organized by the
philosophers OF Alexandra. 1t was, in
fact, one OF his fundamental ideas to COM
pare the downfall of medieval society to
the downfall Of polytheism, and, pursuing
the analogy, to deduce the necessity OF a
new dogma
The role OF religious reformer assumed
more definite shape in q letter Of SAINT
siAsH 70 A3UW xyglA soliciting the King's