Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-03-18
SGT BARTHOLOMEW. !"
The Historic Massacre the Subjects of Bishop
Kain's Lecture.

aov,;no church. 1t WAS the second lec'uIe
ofh;s Tsnten course, and was replete with IN
tersst Having, in in his first lecture, laia
the doetrinsl teachings of his Church
for the purpose of refnting the charge Oh
illiberaiity alleged against Catholics, NC
vesterdsy took the above most interesting
bisioricsl fact for his subject, and argued
tbot however afrOciOua the murder OF SO
rosnv innocent victims of popular iuTy
rs mat massacre could not be justly held
m "a proof Of the scouting
spirit of bis Church The point OF
his argument was, that the Church
Igas in no wise responsible for that deed oil
blood. which owed it's origin solely 10 the
isalousy of the royal cOuItiers. He rsPu-
dated the imputstiOo, SO often made Dy
tbs enemiss OF the Catholic Church, tnat
!. was iustigated, or at least endorsed, by
the Pope. His line of argument necessi-
toted a review of some of the stirring
events that preceded and led up to tina.
s,npnius,y contamination. He rehearsal
the attemDis made TO Introduce the RsiOf-
mstion into France, and the counter Efforts
to Illustrate those attempts. In tins Struggle
for the unfolding of the old and the
adoption of the new religion, the clssn oil
arms was often heard and the contsndlng
forces met upon many bloody heid'
The Land was devasted by all the horrors
of civil war. Deeds of violence were COM
mittei alike By Huguenots the name
given the French Calvanists) AID by
Catholics. Churches were wrecked, ana
shriues. held in veneratiOn for thousand
wears we're profaued and rihed Of their
nrecious treasures. The Huguenots had
not only the sympathy of Elizabeth OF
England and the German Princess, but
their substantial assistance men and
money. They were thoroughly organized
and commanded by skiIful leaders like
Colignv and Condo, and they were not
unfrequently successful in their encoun-
ters with the royal troops. 1t was their
intention to place the crown upon Condo,
and to establish the Reformation upon the
ruins of the Church. The Massacre OF
three thousand Catholics at Orthe; the
massacre again at Nesines, on the feast OF
st. Michael; the assassination of the
Duke of Guise, brother of the Cardinal OF
Lorsiue-a deed of which COligny was ac-
cused of being privy, and like acts OF IN
called-for violence sre proofs enough that
thew did not canfne their efforts tc estab-
lish the Reformation IN France TO the
preaching of the doctrine or to more peace
full measures.
After Condos death in the fierce bsitle
of Jarnac, in 1869, the King both aston
ished and irritated many of those who had
been always loyal to him and to
his family, by the cordial manner
in which he treated the arch-tTaitcr, Ad-
miral Coligny, whom he had invited TO
court, and on whom be showered the
highest honOTs. Hia mother, Catherine de
Medicis, was one Of those who resented
ssch treatment of man VINO had passed
his life 10 armed treason against his SOW
ereigns. II is in the jealOusies and vim
dictive passions thus engendCred, and not
in any religious promptings, that We
are really to look for the
cause Of the sad tragedy Of st.
Bartholomew's Eve. The enemies of Co.
Hguy, encouraged, or rather instigsted by
the Queeu Mother, were bent on his de-
structiou. The execution of their wicked
project Was committed 10 Henry dc Gnise,
son of the Duke who bad bsen 20 foully
dealt with during the siege of Orleans.
An attempt was made upon the life of the
Admiral, az he was passing through the
streets of Paris and q severe, though nc {
fatal, wound inflicted.
In this plot, it is certain the King bad
no part; on the contrary, he went IN per
son to express his cor dolerce, aid assured
C0liguy that the assassiDs would receive
their Just punishment. TbiDg5 had Gow
assumed most serious aspect for Gather
inc and her accOmplices, and they realized
that some desperate blow must be struck.
The threats of the Huguenots to revenge
their leader, ana their mcnaciDg aspect as
they marched through the streets TO the
very door of the Palace, gave an ep-
pearancs of credihility to the chMg3
Of an intended general uplia-
ing against the Catholics. Several
councils were held, at which, however, rot
a single representative of the old nobility
was present Catherine and her party
sought to terIify the King by relating re-
ports of conspiracy against his crown and
person, and to impress upon him the I'M
perative necessity of sverting it's cOnse-
quences by cutting off COligny and the
other ring leaders. When at last he yielded
to their opportunities they lost 40 time
ia executing their horrible plot. Col
ieny vas the fist who was dispatched
in the quarters where he lay wounded. The
work of destruction that f.llOTed was the
work Of an unres raine1 mob, infuTis6ed
by the rumOrs of q great conspiracy 80 IN
dustriously circulated among them. AS
the meas of the bloody riots in Paris
reached other cities in France similar
seems were enacted, whilst the discrep
sncy of the dates in which these outbreaks
occurred in those various places shO rs
cOnclusiyely that there was no concert
of action. How many persisted it is i'm
possible correctly TO state. The most
reliable of even Protestant historians
reject IS huge exsggeratiOns some of the
figures given. When the Reformed Mar
tyrologist, as DR.. Liuensrd states, wrote a
few years afterwards TO the ministers in the
different towns ior the names OF those
known to have been killed, he could dis
cover only 7s6 No Catholic prete1ds to
exculpate those guilty of that fearful
butchery, any more thar Prot astants would
try TO defend the atrociOus murders CON
united by Cromwell, Elizabeth and other
cruel prosecutors OF Catholics.
The attempt to involve the Church in
the RESP onsibility for that massacre is pre-
posterous and wicked. The annals of those
lrightful days show that everywhere priests
and bishops opened their churches as
asylums for the unhappy victims Of the in
fuIiated pOpulsce.
Bat did not the Pope, Gregory NIL,
who had assembled the PGpal throne but a
few months before) held o public service
of thanksgiving when the news of the mag
sNcre reached Rome? Yes; hut what WIS
the nature of the news which reached
him? How had Charles N represented
this tragedy in his reports to the various
foreign courts? As an act of self-cefence,
and az the thwaTting of diabolical cSeme
for the overthrow of his throne. 1t WA
for the supposed escape Of the King aud
royal family that the Pope gave thanks,
and rot for the massacre Of so many in
nOcent victims because they were here
tics. The attempt to pervert an
act perfectly justifiable into a solemn ap-
probation Of dasjardly crime, is what
Catholics denOunce as ore of the most no.
torious calumnies against their religion.
Modern Protestant historians of any note
in the world Of lett rs, at least by their
silence upon this point, condemn the foul
calumny.
On next Sunday afternoon the Bishop
will lecture on the Inquisitiou.
When you feel yourself gradually bresk-
ing down don't wait until you have taken
to your bed. While you are still able to