The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-06-09
THE VOLTAIRE OUTRAGE.
Catholic Review.


Monsignor Dupanloup, the lion hearted
Bishop of Orleans, always to the force at
the necessary moment, has just electrified
France by q magnificent protest against the
infamy of the proposed celebration of the
one huudreth Anniversary of the death of
Voltaire. The Bishop does not mince the
matter. His protest 10 in the form of let
ters addressed to the Municipal Councillors
of Paris, who have voted 10000 francs to
the celebration, and, according to the
Bishop of Orleans, have given the chief
stimnlus to it. The pamphlet begins by
showing that the avowed object of the
festival is anti Catholic and anti Christian,
aud he gives thrust, in passing, at Carl
baldi-"The most furious enemy of the
Church and the Pope" He denounces the
centenary as an act of war, an insult to the
religious faith of France which Catholics
are bound to resent, and which is not
political but religious question. Bossuet,
Corneille, or Racine would not have been
thus honored but the idol has been badly
chosen, for while he will not dispute Vol
taire's literary talent, or seek to check
just admiration, his infamies have so dis
honored him in the eyes Of public con-
science and patriotism as to render the
glorification of him impossible. "We are
no longer, thank God," exclaims Monsig-
nor Dupanloup, sin the eighteenth century,
and its depiorable levity is not ours.
Whatever the reproaches merited by our
time, one justice must be paid it, the moral
sense has grown up, the public conscience
how Yoltaire and Rousseau treated each
other then cities the criticisms on voltaire
of "uniDpeachable Judges" beginning
with Marat and Mirabeau, including
Madame de Stael, Beranger, Renan, Taine,
Ste. Beuve, Louis Blanc, and Lsmartine,
in "Les Rayons ct les Ombres." OF this
work. two lines NAV he OUnfad.
Chez ThOmme on mission par 10 diabIe envoys."
The pamphlet lastly shows by ample
citations that Voltaire was the very oppo-
site of q Democrat that he toadied
mobiles, princes, kings, and kings' missresses;
the working class, declaring them un
worthy Of education, but requiring, like
cattle, goad and yoke. Were living
writer, urges Mgr. Dupanloup, to express
such sentiments, he would be stigmatized
as he deserved (; and the contemplated
sniter of the people is an outrageous
offence to the people whom the municipal
ity represent. While the Centenary Com
mttee propose to lssue popular selection
from Voltalre's writings, believing that
"when there is a 'Voltaire' in every house,
the churches will be emptied," their oppo..
nents have published collection of
passages from his correspondence with
Frederick the Great, in which he ridicules |
and denounces his fellow -countrymen. |
The Defense denounces the Voltaire statue |
as an altar to infamy, and remarks that the |
statue erected in 1870 brought France ILL |
luck, "tbe hideous countenance smiling at |
all our disaeters," and wonders what |
this festival will bring in it's train. |
It proposes that the yellow and red banner |
Of Joan of Arc should be displayed on that |
day at Orleans, Rouen, and wherever there |
are citizens who detest Voltaire and love |
France.