Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-04

French people in the closing decade Of
the eighteenth century, our first sem
sation Is that of horror and revulsion'
our second. desire to penetrate into
the cause of go terrible an effect,
The reign of Louis XIV has been
described as the starting point OF the
series Of causes that led up to the ire
mendous chapter. and We will first eN-
anime this proposition and then trace
briefly, step by step each successive
force that was marshaled TO the CON
fict.
1t has been said that Louis--thc
grand monarch-loved war for its own
sake and was never at II loss Tor
casus beli. His wars We're. further
more. invasive though described by
Guizot as rational and victory after
victory was the order OF his day es-
pecially in his earlier battles. The an
nexations which he made to the out
lying provinces of his kingdom were
numerous. and his victories were made
by sea as well M by land. Covered
with glory. his subjects We're thrown
into transports Of alteration, despite
the depleted treasury; ana his enemies.
which may be said 70 have included
the whole OF Europe. were struck with
amazcment. while almost as much eN-
haustcd 10y the conflict az he,
His grandeur was not, however, linz
tied to his military success. HIS pal
ace at Versailles had been erected at
enormous cost aud his court was
maintained with an expense an bril-
lance unrivaled by any other Euro
pean monarch. The licentlousncss
and extravaganza of this court has be-
come proverblal and must not be for
gotten In this review.
Louis was a religious bigot, A series
Of religious prosecutions was inaugur-
ated by the revocation Of the ediot or
Nantes which resulted In the torture
and death of many Professionals (cnlled
Huguenots in that country. Beside the
nassacred, nifty thousand families took
10 Highland France was thus deprived
Of much of its best population. includ-
ing much of Its manufacturing Skin
and industry While this was the
Augustan age OF French literature, IT
was likewise that Of absolute despot-
ism and the prerogatlves Of class dis
tinction. Louiss policy made an abso-
lutte and fatal distinction between the
noblessc and the pcasantry in the
army as well as among the people.
France was at the height Of Its glory
and that glory surpassed that of any
other European power. but the price
paid for this pre-eminence was imam
cial exhaustion and almost ruin ac-
compnnied by popular murmur Ana
thus the eighteenth century opened
with depression and decay, not alone
in the finances of the country but IN
its Institutions and respect In the
hearts Of the people for existing con-
dltions.
Louis XIV was weak, and his court
even worse than that Of his prede-
cessor Its profigacy and licentlous-
ness we're unbounded and its moral
degradation provoked the utter con-
tempt of the people. The country was
ruled by the mistress of the king
who. needless OF the overwhelming
burdens Of the hapless people, en-
deavored to keep up show Of gran
deur equal to that Of lie Grande
Mona-due Things became so weak,
discordant and confused that. by the
end OF his reign, France. instead OF be-
Ing In the van, was found painting to
maintain position at all among the
powers of Europe. Wars, continued
and almost incessant. had made their
enormous drain which was In Itself
nearly sufficient to fully exert .Very
cord and tendon OF the government, to
say nothing OF the addition Of gross
abuses by an outrageously eXtrava-
giant and reckless court. We need not
wonder at the discomfort and civil dis
natural result of 50 much folly in
thigh places" The utter depravity Of
the Fren, h nobility excited the CON
tempt of the people and what was
worse for the former. taught them to
think. Thoughts sometimes become
active things. They grew to formld-
able dimensions In the French press,
the great writer's Of the land began
to sound with eVer-increasing force
and dehniteness the clarion notes that
gave warning Of the coming outburst.
Disguised with the immortality. by
pocrlsy and intolerance of the privi-
legged orders. which Included the
clergy. Noltalre opened up his keen
batteries OF ridlcule and infidcllty. We
cannot wonder that he saw no beauty
or truth in the religion of his day for
II was hut system OF superstition
and outrageous oppression But his
disciples leuped beyond him and de-
MED God, whereas he had been con-
tent with a denial OF the Catholic
forms as he knew them. Rousseau
selfish, mean, weak. frenzled though
he was In practical life. was scarcely
second TO Noltaire In the love and ad-
miraton of his Countrymen, who knew
him through his writings only: and
while his passionate declarations of
the rights Of the humhlest sank deep
IN every peasant heart, his Contrnt
Social, with Its communistic doctrines.
bS'all' tllt law ana testimony OF
the Revolution. The political specula-
tions of Montesquien. who had been
IN America and studied its autonomy.
played no small part In the battle of
intellect, to say nothing of the practi-
cal example OF the American colonies
which France was even now assisting
though she could SO IN afford IL;
1t was a lengthy and difficult task
10 enumerate the men whose minds
We're slowly but surely npurishing the
public mind to the final crisis. the
length OF which they were not them
selves prophetic enough 10 foresee,
But To summarize. we will say: Skep-
tlcism had become rife. and Christian
ity was deposed ana compelled 20
make obesance to licentiousness:
communism, to the last extreme. was
lurking in many hearts and nourished
with cruel thoughts Of blood Difference
TO royalty and nobility had changed
TO contempt WEAKNESS and hate.
Speculative intellect was all in vogue.
Equality before The law. the sovor-
eighty of the people; the blessedness
of freedom; equal responsibility In
the burdens Of government, these
were the key notes of war-complp-
mented with jealous love aud a
vigorous energy In behalf of these
principles, which filled the hearts
Of the people with an earnestness that
would lay down life in their defense,
the movement became Irresistible Add
TO these the restitution and suffering
OF the poor, their oppression and mis-
cry, unfelt by those in pleasant plec-
es," and the barriers between the elias
ses raised by the nobility themselves
and we have the secret of the leaven
that fermented the lump TO stage OF