The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-07

fcrred Bless tho reprobatc tho parah oil
those for whom never yet thou didst III voice
In prayer Bless hell !" Who IL this man ex-
claims the Patriarch. and the rcply is: Bishop
Of the Orient. the Bishop Of the West salutcs
thee; am thy brother" Then follows a re-
markabIe dialogue. from which wc can cto
only tho concluding lines Tho exponent Of Latin
Christianity. in its imagined mission Of fcrvcnt
cooperation with the laboring masses. tells the
prclatcs OF the East that he has emerged in fcnr
and horror from their night Of calous indffer-
enco and blind self-seeking. "Whati' he cries.
IL might have been said OF mo- this man had
In charge Rrcnt idea. tho highest md
nohest that ever dawncd on our terrestrial
twilight: he was the organ Of tho homage
which the soul owes to heaven. the ono cable Of
safety between a laundering vessel md Its port.
the one flash Of light between stumbling man
and tho abyss Of humiliation and despair.
What because these phantoms whom men call
lords. princes. sovercgns. Kasers-because
false gods made up Of accidents. the chance of
conquest or the chance Of birth. chose to come
10 me- the watcher who hath no function here
on earth but to shout Hosnnna, and point with
| upward finger to the soul eternal; me whose
| duty ia to ponder ever amid sobs over wrong
| chastised how to change Gods light into Gods
| pity-because these Kings. these shadows.
these dealers in dust and nshes. come to my
| door. stern and naughty. and bid me do their
will. must therefore take their side? Should
1t be said that the appointed almoner OF
Heaven had become the broker Of these slave
merchants. cheapcning Mt their bidding truth.
honor. justice. law; nlching its rights from n
starving people to enrich king; praying for
| tho hand that smitcs. and cursing tho head that
falls Shall II be said that degraded Jesus into
Auila's lacqucy? shall humanity look me In
tho face and say He had our soul in trust and
loet III the day was dawning and this man sold
II; he has prostituted the morning starr" The
Patriarch breaks in with. You bias
pheme. Pope |" The Pope rejoins. Proud
priest. be humblel Gilded altar. quit thy
gildingi August mouth. part thy long muzzled
lips and speak the truth Enter once moro into
thy patrimony. disinherted mani Women.
children. possess rights at lastl People. be con-
scious OF n soul! Come. priests. preach the
truths that I proclaim. Be lowly of heart: draw
nearer TO little children that ye may draw nearer
unto God. Believe that the meoker the pontiff
his tcmple is the more sublime" But these
veriies. like those uttered by st. Paul are to the
Greeks but foolishness; they vanish and leave
silence around the Roman. who continues:
What. the priests fly. the altar falls even SO
Babel crumbled In the fore time am alone
Nothing left but shadow" Then from the far
| heart OF the Infinite voice whispers. am
therei".
Before passing to those pages In which tho
| Pope OF Hugo's dream pronounccs before n
crowd OF paupers and outcasts and malefactors
such an harangue ms may have been heard from
Savonaroa in Florence streets. let us cite tho
lines in which the poet suggests q form OF
propaganda with which Catholic priests are by
no means unfamiliar. and which accounts in n
| large measure for the hold Of village curates in
| France on the affections of the rural popula-
ton. The scene is a garrett. 1t is winter. A
| poor man and his family arc hudded together
cold and famished. on n straw bed. The poor
fellow muiters hoarsely: " / do not believe in
God" The Pope enters. and with. You must
be hungry. eat" divides his slender store OF
| bread. and gives half to the father, And my
boyl, returns the other sullenly Take tine
whole" then says the visitor and puts the rem
nant in the child's hand. How good 1t tastes -
the boy cries. munching eagerly. Children
arc angels" says the Pope To tho father suffer
me to bless him." do as you will replies
| tho Inter. not very graciousy. Then the Pope,
emptyng his thinly garnishcd wallet on tho
| straw" Look. here is money to buy blankets. +"
" And wood too says the poor man. softly.
Yes. and to clothe the little boy. his mother
and you as well. my brother; alas !" the priest
continues. " It's a harsh life. | will find You
work to do. These winter nights are hard 10
''oi. anu NOW lNN uo Atlh OF you. my uTOtntT.
The poor man answers. believe in him."
And this is how the Supreme Pontin OF n
younger and brighter day may commune with
his brethren Of the streets: From the depths
OF night, the depths OF woe. the depths Of
tears. come to me all we that tremble. suffer. all
ye that bleed and We that sob. the convict. tho
beggar. the incurable. all that know want and
wretchcdness. all that are benton in lies battle
am your yoke-fellow. one Of yourselves. my
bones ache with tho same fever. am racked
with the same agony Come yc ragged ones yo
dishonored. ye chastised ones. am the servant
otyour servitude. the feow-captive Of your gaol.
| whom they namo first among the Kings will
be the last among you. love you. and have no
other excuse for living. am only n poor crea-
ture owing service to all. Do ye help me. o
ye sufferers! claim my share In the grieis Of
earth. ye poor. give me all you have-your
hungry days. your unwarmed lofts. your foot
sore walks. your cares. pains. murmurs an
gers. your signs. your prayers. your tears"
After all the poet who would carry 10 such
heights the gospel Of fraternity scarcely goes
beyond the teachings and the acts of St. Francis
d'Assis THIS is one OF the condolences with
historical TACT which make 1t impossible to ro-
gard this poem rs in any sense n satire. But
before examining in the light Of some Catholic
writings the practicability Of the new alliance
which seems to he commended with so much
eoquence to the Papacy. we would direct ntten-
ton to one or two other passages OF peculiar in
terest In the following passage Victor Hugo
rebukes distinctly and sterny the excuses into
which French Radicals have sometimes been
betrayed In view Of these lines II Is impossi-
sible 10 caumniate the poet by conceivinG him
ms an apoloRist for the bloodshed and devnsta-
ton which dishonored the last days Of the Paris
Commune. AS TO ye. he says. working men. on