New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-20

they cherished In religion. Their exaggerated
reverence for the King. In the person OF oo'h
Louis XIII and Louis XIV. blinded them TO what
the monarch himself and his advisers saw ciear-
ly namely, that freedom Of discussion IN popular
assemblies must be fatal In the long run 10 'he
absolute ROYAL power which they and the Crown
agreed was indispensable to France. 1t Is one or
the strange phenomena Of history. this Huguenot
force deliberately helping to build up iaoric
that was TO be destroyed In the person OF Louis
XVI and at the same time quite unconsclous'y
preparing the French mind for the explosive
doctrines of Voltaire and Rousseau and the En-
cyclopaedists Royalty was perfectly logical IN
ito treatment of the reformatory movement. but
it was. of course, far from being wise IL the
nina Of Louis XIV had been large enough 10
comprehend something besides his own egotism
he could have made Professionalism the bulwark OF
a liberal monarchy. But, as Professor BAIRD
saws '.The jealousy with which the Crown viewed
the political assemblies of the Protestants was
not altogether unreasonable; for, in truth, those
periodical gatherings of the representatives Oh
the Reformed communities revealed very clearly
the growth Of tendencies which in more recent
times have given birth to free institutions.
whether in the form of republican government
or constitutional monarchy" The high stand
ard of thrift intelligence and education among
the Huguenots as compared with their Roman
Catholic neighbors made their discussion OF pub
lie affairs all the more dangerous TO absolutism.
Their debates were practical. because they were
shared nv the members Of the churches well as
the ministers. In their synods there was no
preponderating or exclusive clerical caste, and
they carried the same method into the assem-
blies that met to consider secular topics.
"Chosen by the Intelligent suffrage Of the MEM
hers Of their communion, the Protestant Depu-
ties. sitting In their political assembly pre-
scented a model Of a we-ordered deberative
hody which needed but TO be extended in It's con-
stituencv so as TO embrace all France. Protestant
and Roman Catholic alike in order to realize
completely the necessities OF free and constitu-
tional form of government
II there had been any prospect that this en-
lghtened element in the population Of France
could attain a majority or could even sway
majority. the case would have looked different to
Louis XIV and his courtiers. But they were
small and hopeless minority. In total popua-
ton OF fifteen millions they may have numbered
in their best days 100000. In point OF numbers
th,sy were not progressive after the first era or
tha Reformation Professor Baird characterizes
the thirty years between 1929 and 1860 as the
halcyon days Of Huguenot history" The time
was one when the Huguenots should have re-
covered from their previous calamities and have
SHOWN their capacity for growth. The record Is
unfavorable In l637-that is. few years after
the beginning of the "halcyon days'-their
churches numbered S07 and at the close OF the
period-that is. about l66O-not more than S62 all
told Speaking of the number OF individual mem
hers Professor Baird says: The fact is that the
statistics of Professionalism in France have always
been exaggerated. Before the Revocation, the
Huguenots were popularity reckoned at two or
even three millions. In 1880. even an official
document set down the Huguenots old enough to
partake OF the Holy Communion at one million
seven hundred thousand souls, and supposed
their total strength TO be fully two millions out
OF the eighteen millions that France contained
at that date" Here it is to be noted that the
mere increase Of population Of the kingdom more
than balanced the entire number OF Huguenots
But Professor Baird Is apparently doubtful as 10
the correctness Of the official estimate. for ne
adds that even in our own days the number Of
Pedestrians has been commonly represented as
a million and a half though the Government
census fails to show that the adherents OF the
Reformed Church reach six hundred thousand
souls"
In any case. the figures speak volumes. Here
was element Of the population. loyal indeed To
concentration in fortified places kept ready at
all times for war. This element strenuously sup
ported the absolute authority OF the monarch
and yet at the same time its existence MADE
absOlutism impossible. An absolute monarchy
requires a united nation. From every point OF
view the Huguenot position was politically UNI
tenable If they had carried their own doctrine
OF the rights OF the individual TO its logical conse-
quences they might still have been defeated. but
they would have placed themselves out Of reach
OF the criticism which history now has TO pass
upon them They would not then have seemed
party consenting 10 It's own destruction. There
is something melancholy. aside from the horrors
OF persecution, In the elaborate narrative which
Professor Baird has given In this volume. From
the vantage point of the nineteenth century, one
can feel only amaZement at men whose con-
sciences forbade them 10 discriminate In their
obedience between generous monarch Ike
Henry " and selfish tyrant like Louis XIV. The
world will always admire their heroism and self
sacrifice. but II never praise their judgment
or their far ghtedness. The massive work OF
Professor Baird Is q monument TO their cand0I
and their valor and also to their defective logic.