The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-03

The right OF property was respected. and
for the immense majority OF Frenchmen
there was almost complete Individual
liberty. IL Ia true that this liberty
was not inviolate. since. in spite OF
repeated protests from the Parlement. the
power OF arrest. imprisonment and exile was
exercised by means Of lettres de caehet. Dur
! ing the last years Of the reign Of Louis XIV
| lettres de cachet had been issued not only 10
| obtain the triumph OF such or such a religious
opinion but also to crafty the hatred. revenge.
| or caprices OF one or the other OF the sover-
| eiRn's mistresses. and perhaps even OF the
very Ministers who had this terrible weapon at
| their disposal But this odlous scandal had
ended with Louis XIV. on the accession OF
| Louis XVI. NJ. de Malesherbes had been In
strumental in opening the prison doors to pris-
oners OF State. and during the course OF the
| reign up to 1887. the use OF lettres de cachet
had been m oderate enough to be looked upon
rather as the violation Of q principle and an
insult to justice than as any real injury TO so
ciety. Moreover. lettres dc cachet at this time
were hardly ever called into use except
at the urgent request OF families desiring
70 put a stop to the follies OF some OF their
members The famous Mirabeau, for instance,
had been imprisoned at Vincennes Mt the re-
quest OF his father Summing up the Chan
cellor insists that with the exception OF n few
persons whose acts CHubeu Nn6 bONeEuuenb
peculiar Irritation. the rest OF the citizens en-
ioyed the most complete liberty. Ono was
free to speak, to write. and to act with the
greatest independence, and one could even
defy the authorities IN perfect security. De
jure. the prese was not free. yet anything and
everything was printed and hawked about
with impunity. The most sedate personages,
even tho magistrates them selves, who ought
TO have curbed this licentiousness. actually
encouraged It. II. from time TO time. some OF
the most Jealous and conscientious OF them
denounced in the Parchment any fragrant
breach OF the laws relating to tho press their
action was treated as ridiculous. and. as
rule. led to no result 1t is submitted that II
this was not liberty II must ut least DO &C.
knowledCed to have been license.
II lie further pointed out that what remained
o. the feudal power was hardly more than q
word bereft OF meaning. All the substance
bad been absorbed by the Crown. There still
remained certain pecuniary manorlai rights.
but they simply constituted n form OF property
like any other. and could be held by q com!
moner as well as by one OF noble birth. The
power OF the seigneurs over the bodies OF their
vassals no longer had any existence. except In
fiction. about all that was left to the seiRneurs
OF the old feudal power being the shadowy OBJ
legation to protect their vassals. At the time
of his accession. Louis XVI. did away with
everything that might still be found oppressive
in the exercise Of a seigneur's authority.
Hence there was between the nobility and the
other citizens Just as there was between those
citizens and the clergy only one question In dis.
pute. namely that Of pecuniary privileges. and
especially the privilege enjoyed by the two
higher orders OF not being taxed. as was the
third order. either In form or at fixed rates
The influence Of the clergy, finally, did not
make itself felt between 1888 and 1879 any /
more heavily on the individual than did that
OF the nobility. The concessions granted to
Protcstants in the matter OF their civil status
had met with no distractions on the part OF
the ecclesiastical power. Nothing could better
illustrate how tolerant it had become. The
higher clergy. in truth. had become reconciled
to the views known as the Light OF tho CEN
tury" With regard to the cures who came |
into actual contact with the people. they mere-
ly gave paternal care to their hocks. which |
also absorbed the better part Of their incomes
Whence came. then. tho passion for reform, |
the desire to change everything. which made |
itself manifest at the close OF tho eighteenth |
century, In the opinion OF this eyewitness. |
It was due ratherto great stirring up OF ideas |
than to actual suffering. 80 much had been |
written about these ideas. and they had been
so greatly discussed. that doubt had been
cast upon everything. The sovereign au-
thority had been In = more particular man. |
ner broken in upon. and tho court Of Louis |
XVI had not known how to restore the |
waning prestige OF royal authority. even |
in the matter OF the exterior glamour which |
oftentimes suffices to insure the obedience |
OF the massea In word. the irreliGious. |
critical. and philosophical spirit. the craze for
all sorts OF utopian chimeras, the lowering OF |
the moral standard. ana ESPECIALLY the loss OF |
respect for institutions cvnsecrAted by time. |
and for old family traditions. all these things |
fostered the development OF passions which |
were soon and forever to sweep away the old |
French society the Ancien Regime. When tho |
General met. people differed about de- |
tails. but all were agreed as to the necessity OF
everything that existed.