Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-02-11
.oRRUrfiUs ATInE TnnunE.

Professor Andrew ID. White deliv
red the second of the course of lee
ures upon the causes of the French
evolution. In speaking of the rela.
ion of the state to the causes of
he revolution, among other things,
re said 1.-THE first ideas of absolu
lou in France were laid by Charles
VII, aud finally worked ont b,
Richelieu, one of the greatest states
men that France has ever produced
The kings had absolute claims npo
the life and property ofevrry persoi
Of the nation. Blackstone, in thu
last century, classed France anil
Turkey together as the countries j,
which liberty had been lost. T,
-uch degree had the alteration OF
the king been carried that til,
statues of Louis XIV, were even
worshipped. The people made all
the prostitutions before his statues
that the pagan Romans had mad,
before their statues of the emperors.
The church consecrated the idea OF
the king having the powe,
to perform miracles. Louis
XVI, at his coronation touchea
thousands of people for the king,
..viI. Every institution that stoo,
in the kings way must be rooted
out. The goods of the people wer.
the goods of the king. The king is
sues edicts. which were laws without
any restrictions whatever. He take.
the nation at his pleasure. With
small piece oil paper aud about bal
dozen words he could imprison mel,
for life in the Bastile. These litth
pieces of paper became so common
that they were playthings for TIL
mistresses Of the kings court. The
courts of France had become sump
tuous and luxur GUS places through
out the kingdom. They had becop,
the system Of worship for the king
and so disgusting were the detail:
Of this worship that they cannot b.
repeated. The mobiles drew all the
money from the peasants they could
and spent as little among them az
possible. Frederick the great il
said to have remarked in his dry
way that if he were king of Franc.
he would have another king OF the
court to take his place. So much OF
the Kings time was taken up al
the court by gambling, licentious.
ness and petty trties that he had NO
time to think upon state matters.
The Kings ministers spent all then
time at the court also. The peopl
were divided into three classes
nobility, clergymeD, and what wa,
called the base born, and the nobil
ity were most generously insulted
when they were called brothers H.
the tiers-etat by the so-called base
born. or the twenty four million.
Of people In France at that time 150,.
600 were mobiles; and this fact help.
ed to make the revolution inevitable
Offices Of the government wer.
created by the ministers to be sold
at the highest price that could BE-
obtained. Sometimes five to seven
hundred thousand dollars were paid
Tor judgeships alone. Seats were
sold IN the parliament, and so cor
rupt had its Institution become that
it's only redeemable power, upon it,
suppression in 1889, was IN its fine
appearance. The offices in the mil
itary department were also bought,
and no one could be an officer who
was not noble. The result of this
was that the French Amy was
always beaten. 1t was like the Aus
TRAN army OF our day. But a few
years later this army, based npon a
different system, not only defeated
but annihllated every other one
with which it came in contact. 1t
was then filed with volunteers.
where before all were mere slaves.