New-York tribune., 1894-04-22
THE RELIGION OF ANARCHY.
CREED OF INDIvIDUALISM AND SELF
ISINESS
A POETS VIEWS OF TIE NEW IDEA CONTEMPT
FOR TIE PEOPLE - ALL OBLIGATIONS
AND DUTIES REPVDIATED.

Another explosion s reported This time tie VIC
tim who will be most talked about is precisely hat
oscar Wildeke poet who has twice male h'ms"ii
notorious by expressions of admiration Tor the e's
Of Anarchy. His personality. like his words lur-
nstes peculiar specimen OF the Anarchist con
tagion at work. OF the prelispositions when II
finds and the facility ot It's spread IN young France
II ~ not enough 10 say with an English medical
Journal. tha: the expression Of Anarchist sentiments
IS TO be regarded prima facie sign oi dangerous
insanity which the police authority OF the state
has the right and the duty control The disease OF
Anarchy lies deeper than the brain; ii Is IN affection
OF what old-fashioned people call the heart. Not
withstanding all the prepossessions OF the American
and English press. those were true words or Nurf-
lien Scholl. the last OF the classic BouevardlerS'
who has undsputed knowledge OF all things
Partisan: I'VE are in the presence OF new re-
lgion" This religion Is Christianity spelled back
ward Those who disagree most violently with this
conclusion. who would classify on-hand all An
archist attempts simply crime or social rebellion
or fits OF epidemic insanity, will at least acknow'-
edge the importance OF knowing the fun facts IN
the case
NJ Laurent Talhade is OF thirty seven
years OF age. tall and thin. with pale face lighted
by uneasy eyes. unruly lock OF hair that fais
over a slightly bald forehead. and n soldiers
twisted mustache and goatee. lie has written much
from the time when he really young; c"hr.
cutting verse ana caustlc criticism. which have
have excited In his own clique lie has always been
In opposition with what the world has hitherto adj
mired; and more than once. in his own foTcihle
style he has expressed his contempt for the greater
portion Of the human race. In one OF his lectures
he gave utterance TO his longing after th" time
when the common people Oa plebe) should kiss the
footprints OF poets" The evening after Valiant
threw his bomb in the Chamber OF Deputies he was
present at the monthly banquet OF La Plume al
assembly OF the young ntt"ratcGrs. held under the
presidency OF Zola. \ sheet OF paper was passed
round on which the guests were invited to write In
a few words. their appreciation of the Anarchists
deed Tailhade wrote: What matters the act II
the deed is beautiful? What matters tho death of
uncertain humanities (vaGues humanitts). II 10y
means Of them individuality asserts nselft THIS
saying created no little excitement. although the
poet aftcrward declared he did not realize at the
time the gravity Of the event. on other public oc
casions he has thought NJ to utter defanty his
Anarchist convictions. notably I'm connection with
the pessimist plays OF 1bsen and Gerard Haupt-
mann. which the uneasy Young school has been try
ing TO force on the Paris public.
!. few days before the explosion which has
brought home 10 him forcibly that he too is
but n vague humanitt. hc unbosomed himself 20 an
Interviewer in the presence of asfonshel profess
sor OF the School of Law. In the nrst place, am
not an Anarchist. or very little of on" and In very
special manner I am artist. a faster. otenest
an Indifferent spectator Of outward things yet
all else my aesthetic satisfaction"
To satisfy SELF no matter what happens N others.
IS precisely the cornerstone of the Anarchist re-
llgion. Just as scf-Genla and charity are Of the
Christian
81 take IN Anarchy. on the one hand. tha. which
divcrts me- on the other that which agrees with
my theories; that which favors my egotsm as an
iutellectuallst. should b" enchanted. for
example to escape from the tyranny of the state.
rhf IL itrOr 81
even hostile 10 the individual mixing itself up with
everything" II. went 20 DENY tho slightest In
terest in the Anarchist pre'enson - heal the
worlds misery II look on Nf" from above. aS
gentleman looks tho street from hts balcony.
what On sses down below. when II does not touch
him directly makes him pass his time without
causing him any emotion. For my own part. Ideas.
generaltlcs alone interest me. This IL what vas
irving 20 explain briefly IN that sentence ~ which
every one has talked without UNDERMINING H.
wrote II when was not yet very well Informed
a bout tho matter believed they had killed a few
vague Deputies ana thought there wore only a
few gentlemen loss that were ignorant of syntaN.
l. was NJ; great loss. Moreover. any way they
were taken my words dii not mean that was an
Anarchist. but only that am a friend Of all a"s-
thetic manifestations. whatever they may be. Thus
should ike a revolution. for the beautiful sights
it would give US.
In spite OF these protcstatons. have here
the worst Anarchists. who look with Tx" hcart-
less Indifference on the suncrings inflicted com
mon people by the realization of their own IDEAL
The interview would not be taken seriously, II the
n,cring Of similar ideas through minds dangerously
ready TO receive them not the immediate cause
Of criminal Anarchy.
NJ Tailhade Iimitel his remaining words 10
,empt for the people-"a OF creatures. drunk
en- mediocre and vicious am convinced
beforehand OF the emptiness OF all the peoples ef-
forts Of the blind imhecllty OF all Us movements
The people have nothing TO do with laws except TO
obey them" The disagreement here Is only ap-
uarep. The Anarchist viii never obey. but he
youl1 do AWAY with laws which demand obedience.
while the poet would do away with the State which
rnakes the laws. Genuine Anarchists also apply
,us. such words OF contempt 10 the bourgeois. that
is TO all that any property or respect present
la " and order.
Il do not believe in the realization Of the An
archist dream All revolutions are useless and end
abortively Nothing Is Interesting but deeds
CRestes'-not with View 10 the end pursued. but
10 the means employed) The bomb-throwers are
men that are blases looking after new sensations.
or dscontented persons who sacrifice n life that
has failed and Ia henceforth useless. or else hys-
terical peope having. like the first Christmas.
thirst for martyrdom. They interest me. yes. but
only as working out an idea. Why should inter
est myself in people who are not OF my world and
who have OH no one point the same notions as
myself?'
Here finally. though at opposite extremes the
same egotism appears in the superhne poet and the
criminal Anarchist. Both care only for their Idea;
neither cares for the people who are not OF his own
world.
Leaving aside the lofty ideas OF the poet. whose
svntax has not saved him from the practical re-
sults OF the Anarchist theory, II IL well worth while
"a listen TO the Anarchists Themselves They simply
translate after their own fashion, Ideas which run
through all the young literature OF Continental
Europc These Ideas are In the main. only the con-
sistent outcome Of the French Revolution. and Ike
Il they are based two-fold reaction first. OF
Tho rea sure loving world against Christianity with
us commandments and second tand especiay.
against the minute despotism. the intolerable and
uninteIIlgcnt and vcxatious abuse OF authority
IL l..s uLler the RDnlIhlic In