The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1877-08-16
"BOB.o

Ensros CHrEFs-Under the above caption, the Kan
HarsA devotes space to q review of Col In
gersolis proposition to pay $1,000 to any man who
could prove that the last hours of yoltare not
peaceful and resigned and that he died with curses
On his lips.
The Herald says 1T is stated, and the statement
ID generally accepted true that when Voltaire was
dying, he cursed God, and the mother who gave him
birth that he oaed at the mouth CRASHED his teeth
and died as the fool dieth."
Against the authority of the Herald, place tha Of
APpietons american Cyeiopodia, Article Eotaire, page
507: "Amoug his latest words were these: die wor
shipping God but detesting superstition Also, Car
lyles quotation from Wagniere, Carlyle's Mseella-
Essays, Appletons Edition, page l5S: "He ex-
pired" says wagniere, "about quarter past eleven
at night ,cih the most perfect tranquility, after hav-
ing suffered the cruellest pains, in consequence Of
those fatal drugs which his own imprudence, and es
pecially that of the persons who should have looked
to it, made him swallow"
Perhaps more appropriate comments upon the sill
ly invention of clerical malice concerning Votares
last moments can be made than those which the great
master of letters, Thomas Carlyle, quotes in foot
note to the Essay Voltaire. With your permission
will transcrbe them for the benefit of the Herald
and others who take their history at second hand from
its pages:
.On this sickness of voltaire, and his deathbed de-
rotment many foolish boots have been written con-
cerning which it is not necessary to say anything.
The conduct of the Partisan clergy, that OCCASION
seems totally unworthy of their cloth; their
reward SO far as concerns these individuals nappro
pirate: that of finding themselves more bilked,
more persifes, by that strange old man in his
I,., 5oor.n;,uJe Who in his STRENGTH had wroupbt
them and others many grefs Surely the parting
ooon;.s of f.,,our.mort,l when the spirit of one
bro,her rant in the wbirlwind, and thick. CHASTITY
,,r of d..,b .lut.bes blpdlv for helm and no helm
,h.rs .re not tho sccnes where n wise faith would
col 20 ox,, ben II cap mn ,o,cer hone To alleviate
For the res, 10 touc further on tbose their idle tales
any x;se 10 Jscnss them. were but continuance of
Tho ..me ;nant;tude He who. after the imperturba-
HE ;ts of an MANY Cartouehes and Thurletts in ey
r .ge of the world can continue To regard the man.
per of n mans death as test of his religious ortho
do,v may boast himself impreguable to merely ter
rostr;,l lo.;c- The ofic;ous intermedlnp by which
the de,tbhed of voltaire was soupbt to he made the
scene which il has been SO often painted is thus de-
s.-;I,sd. .sTxo dovs bsfor. that uouruful death NJ
rAbbe Mipuot his uephew. went to seek the Cure of
S,n, sr,n;oo aud tho .hb c,u,;.r and brougbt them
into his unc,es sick room. who being informed that
,be Allie auter was there All we'll, said he. give
him NV commitments and NV thanks, The
Cnre of Saint Suln;ee then came forward. having an
nounced himself. and asked of NJ yoltaire, elevatng
b;s voice if he acknowledged the divinity of the Lord
Jsus Christ, The sick man pusbed his hands against
A.. (,r., .,,,,. fo;f, sbovr. him hack and cried
turn;,g obruntIv In the other side Let me die in
neacer The Cure seemingly considered his person
smiled and his Golf ishonored by the touch of phil
os,nher He made the sick purs, give him a little
hrnsb;ng and then went ont with the Able Gautier.-
Tho Ias, uorIs snot.n hv yoltaire were addressed
o. ~. ,..,o, 40 .h.mhr. TAXING his hand he said
.,,;., ,.,,, A., M,.o,J a,n.r
IT, u..,Irs stotement that n ia oerera,,v accent
~, 90 TN. tho, y,,a;r. 5;.d ..foan,;py nj the month";
80. T., ,,.. lam, ;f that ho tho fact tbep men have
road h;s,or tronoh tbe eves of nre;ud;ce or worse
., b,,o NOT reoJ !, nj ali and have derived their
;n,r...;on. sols,v from men who draw ON their imar
;na,;or for f,.ts With which IN make somc of the
,,-or,r. h,not,.tors oa;o,s The ovowaI of belief
in the tales of horr;ble deatbbed scenes of Infes
I;Le yo,.rs which are d;scre,;ted not only br their
intrinsic imnrobabl;tv but by the testimony of the
We. on,,h,.,., s.bo,ars of tho dav shows the me-
oss;, Of shools or other apcpc;es far the diffnsop
Of knox,eIoe
y, il Jonht6,, If any historian who had reputation
tn iure bv pub,;sbnp calumnes upon the dead. ever
f,rr;sh., a.. s,;ch,ast ontboritv for these mrtbs
IT,, h.,,o hoo, ;nyon,od nv mon wbo lacked facts
It'll, ,r,;.I, 60 .f.n their fable. Observe the lo.;c
hv which tho H,ro,d answers Ipgersoll: "But the
sIs,,;o .sls for nroof Of al, tb;s There is the
r,,, ,,5 p,, Inr.rso,, lrows II and IL would he as
so,.lIv ;cult for him or any otber Indel to proye
Tho, thsir las, hours were neoeefn and resigned
This last assertion have already shown to be un-
Sounded hut grantng tina, Int;des cannot proye that
,,,. d..,b b.,s of yo,ta;re and Thomas Paine were
o..f,l ,ranon docs that ;ustifv the pulpit or the