New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-18
THE MINES COMMUNICATIONS

Two hundred years ayo yesterday the EHlct
of Nantes WAS revoked, and the anniversary
will be widely observed to-day. In France
there will be feelings Of humiliation and regret
for an event in which, at a woman's inStgation'
the Grand Monarch drove into exile hiiy
thousand families OF the most fertile brains
and most industrious hands IN the country.
There will also be rejoicing at the Knowledge
that the days Of such dongs are now forever
past. In England, Prussia, Switzerland ana
Holland the descendant Of the cN!leS VIII ct!e-
brntc to-day perhaps more than anything else
the hospitablr reception and protection eN-
tended to their ancestors. There may, too, crop
out some natural cXultation over TIE part
PLAYED by the Iiugucuots in humbling the
House OF Bourbon. For these cxilcs took
with them their arts aud Industries, ana
bult IN ut Spitashcld and elsewhere great
manufacturing establishments that should have
stood upon French soil. They helped, too, to
build and man the ships that swept the French
fleets flom the sea, aud fought in the armies
that uprootcd the golden lilies and iiut;ered
III. Napolcouic eagles. Indeed for Its doas-
trons effects upon French interests, it Is difficult
to lind i'm history n Iaralicl 10 this event.
The history of the Protestant Reformation in
France is full of romance and pathos 1t had
not the aid, rs in England and Germany, oil the
civil power. II was pcIsccutcd by monarch
after monarch with guile and cruelty unSur-
passed. II was forced to rely solcy upon It's
own moral aud spiritual influences. The
natural result was that though few in
number the converts were, as Guzjt re-
marks. particularly religious and sincere. lhcy
accepted the new doctrine from no motives
save earnest conviction, and they clung to 1t
for the same reason even though they had no
hope OF being treated with liberation. For
century the handful of Eidgcnos'cn -!iugucn0tN
kent up the unequal fight, with fidelity to
their religion and loyalty to their unworthy
nation that have challenged the admiration of
all succeeding generations. And when ut last
forced into exile, whether in Continental Eu-
rome England. or America, they and their de-
sccndan.s became the trucst and most useful
citizens of their adopted lands. There are no
name, in the history of the United states more
deserving of esteem than those of the huguc-
nots. nor will this anniversary be anywhere
more thoughtfully remembered than here.
II is an interesting coincidence hat en- this
historic date the American public should be
lust turning rcvcrcn,ly away from the tomb OF
tie first Roman Cardinal it has known, and
that only a few days ago representatives, oil one
of the most partisan of Protestant dcnomina-
tons should nave paid public tribute to that
prclate's worth and offered prayer for his we'll
being. 1t strikingly shows how fast indeed
humanity sweeps onward; how much the Ro-
man Church of McClosliey has outgrown that
of Richccu aud Mazirin; how far the France
of Grey SURPRISES that of DleudOnn6. In the
minds of Protcsiants and Catholics alike scnti-
ments of thankiulncsS for the changes of two
centuries may well be inspired by this days
cOmmCmOratlOn.