The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-06-01
prom Harper. weekiy.I
st. Bartholomew Day.

which has ever arisen between parties
the most demoniac cruelty, and the
bloodiest carnage. have been in connec.
ton with the so-called religious wars
IL also strikes the student Of human ma
ture with wonder THAT some Of the foul.
est treachery ever known upon earth
has been the work Of a womans hand.
The massacre Of ST. Bartholomew Is one
Of the most fearful instances Of the ruin
that can be wrought by religious bigotry
and the Vaccinations Of a female hand.
Catharine de Medicis. Regent Of France.
during the minority Of her son, Charles
TX, was n woman Of boundlcss energy
and indescribable depravity. Caring lit
tie for religion in itself, although very
prone to superstition. she was an enemy
TO Protestantism chiefly because It's prin-
ciples were opposed 10 the absolute des.
poGsm which she desired TO maintain.
In the sixteenth century IL would al.
most have been regarded as impious 20
affirm that error-or heresy was not 10 be
pursued and punished. Even the re-
formers themselves had not yet awaken
ed TO the principle that man has a right
TO believe that which appears to his con
science to be true. and that he should
| not endeavor TO constrain the religious
faith Of his neighbor. The doctrine Of
/ liberation was unknown among the
members Of the bitterly opposing parties.
and they met to settle their difficulties
on fields Of blood. Civil war ragged with
| terrible ferocity throughout France. Led
/ BY Guises, the Catholics made terrible
headway against their adyersaries. whom
they outnumbered six 10 one. The Prot
estants seemed only 10 struggle In self
defense. Coligni and the Prince OF Con-
de were doing their utmost. while the
i trr.r aF h.sw 81
varre. was held inthralled by the court
beauties employed by Catharine de Med.
icis to corrupt men she regarded a. dan
gerOus.
Thecompleteness OF Catharine scheme
for winning this prince 10 her cause will
be seen in the marriage arranged be
tween him and the naughty Marguerite
de Valois. sister Of Charles TX. This
weak-brained prince. who in the mean
time had attained his majority. still re
mained a mere tool in the hands Of his
unscrupulous mother. and between them
they arranged one Of the foulest plots
ever conceived by mortals, which was 70
be executed under the cover Of the we'd
ding festivities. A sort Of hollow peace
had been concluded between the com
batants in 1870. Open hostilities were /
concluded. and the distracted realm was
-
i've calms which precede a storm. This |
circumstance gave the willy Catharine an I
opportunity 20 summon all the more i'm |
portant Protestant leaders 10 Paris. /
Nearly all responded TO the invitation,
but few, suspicious Of n snare, declined. /
One nobleman remarked TO his friends. /
IF the wedding be celebrated at Paris. /
the liveries will be very crimson"
The brave Coligni was drawn 10 Paris. /
Not only were the friendly protestations 4
OF Charles apparently sincere, but he |
even offered the old admiral an import
ant Office in the council Of the state. the /
better to blind the party which he repre-.
sented. The day appointed for the we'd.
ding approached, and meanwhile the
king aud his infamous mother delibcrat-
ed in secret council whether or no the
bridegroom should be included in the
list OF victims. IL may have been that
Catharine did not care TO hft her hand
against the husband Of her child. but IL
was decided that Henry Of Naverre
should be spared
On the 18th Of August, 1872, the mar.
riage took place. followed by the sump-
tuous entertainments that usually ae-
company royal alliance The Pope.
who was unaware Of the hideous acts In
became alarmed az the
friendly relations that had been .appa
rently established between Protestants
and Catholics, and sent legate 20 France
whose business 10 was 70 expostulate with
Charles. The monarch replied 20 his Wis
itor Il do devoutly wish / could tell
you all. In little time the holy father
shall have reason TO praise my zeal IN be-
half OF the faith"
On the 22d Of August Coligni request
ed permission TO retire from the capital
Then II was that the first shot was hred.
On his way to his lodgings the bullet Of
an assassin pierced the old mans breast.
The Protestants were wild with conster-
nation. All their leaders had been en-.
ticsd to Paris, and danger was in the
very air
Another day Of comparative quiet pass
ed, though the Huguenots dreaded they
knew not what Further 70 allay all
suspicion, the king planned a magnih-
cent entertainment for the evening Of
The morrow would be the
day Of st. Bartholomew. All arrange
ments were intrustcd to the vehement
and blood thirsty Duke Of Guise Troops
were stationed in important positions.
and the Catholic population secretly
armed For the greater security Of the
they were enioined TO wear
upon their hats a white cross, which
might be distinguished in the darkness.
The conspiracy was by no means confined
TO Paris its seeds had been disseminated
throughout the kingdom, and the storm
was TO burst simultaneously in the prov.
inces and the capital
History tells us that AZ the last mo-
ment the cowardly heart Of Charles TX
quailed at the thought Of his awful work.
lie hesitated when the time for giving
the signal arrived and 70
was only when urged on by his
fendish mother that he found courage
to order the alarm.bell 10 be rung This
was the preconcerted signal for the be
ginning OF those fearful acts OF carnage
that make men shudder TO hear of them
even after the lapse OF three centuries
The sights that met the eye upon that
awful night, says one Of our eminent
historians, were enough TO appall the
stoutest heart Murdercrs. with wild
outcries. rushed in all directions in pur.
suit Of their victims. Women aud chill.
dren in their nightclothes ran frantical.
~ through the streets. uttering piercing
shrieks. The manRled bodies Of the 4
young and Of the old. Of males and fe-
males, were strewn everywhere about. \
and the payements were slippery with |
blood
The annals OF the world arc filled with 4
narratives OF crime aud woe, but the 1
massacre Of St Bartholomew stands pro. /
badly without n parallel The massacre /
was continued in the city and through. |
out the kingdom for a week, and ID i |
computed that from eighty to a hundred /
thousand Protestants were slain In /
France. The messenger who carried the /
news TO Rome was received with trans /
ports Of JOY, and rewarded with q thous |
and pieces Of gold Cannons were fred. /
bells rung, and an immense procession, |
with all the trappinFs OF sacerdotal re |
ioicing, paraded through the streets |
Thus the Romish Church celebrated an
event which. contemplated in all ita a.
poets OF perfidy cruelty, aud cowardice,
must DO pronounced one Of tho greatest