Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-05-28

to be the home OF as prosperous peo-
pie as the whole earth can show, be-
moro callous to the instincts Of human.
lty and more Indifferent to the prin-
ciples of justice and freedom year by
year until In the revolution" her whole
political and social structure fell In
utter and inevitable collapse.
An essential element of the true
Huguenot faith Is non-reslstance. ID
had not always been acted upon. In
deed. In the earlier history of the faith
the Huguenots were as belligerent in
the defense of their rights as any
other members OF the commonwealth.
But amidst all the cruelty Of the years,
of the dragonnade and the dispersion
the doctrine of non-resistance was
steadily adhered to. There was, how
ever. one notable exception. In 170s.
seventeen years after the revocation,
there began In tho hill country OF tho
Cevennes and in the Desert" what
proved to be one Of the most remarka.
bic resistances to oppression that tho
world has known. The story is too full
of wonderful interest too full OF BRAY
cry, daring. courage, heroism, to be
even attempted here. Our readers
should look it up and read 1t for them
selves. Suffice it to say that for three
years the rude untutored Inhabitants
of these districts. numbering in all
only a few hundred, maintained in
face OF what would naturally seem to
be an overwhelming superiority Of
force. force with all the might Of
military France behind it. a resistance
that inflicted many severe repulses
upon their enemies and scarcely knew
Il defeat. And the marvel of 1t all Is
that the chief leader in this resistance
was a boy who at the beginning of it
was only Is.
But 1t was not in this rebellion OF
the Camisards," as it was called glor-
iously heroic as that frutlrss enterprise
was. that in these later years the CHIEF
heroism of the Iiugucnots was display
ed. 1t was rather in the efforts they
aftcrward made, efforts in the main
crowned with success, toward resuscl-
tation and reorganization. The chief
mover in this enterprise also was
youth. In the year Ills. thirty years
after the revocation. Antoine Court.
then only 10 years Of age. held the first
meeting for worship that the Hugue-
nots had been able to take part in
since the days of the CamlsQrds. The
danger was as great as ever. The whole
power of tile throne, the whole influence
of The hierarchy. the whole machinery
of magistracy. justiciary. police and
army were as likely to be aroused
against the rcorganiaed church as they
had been aEans; the church that had
been destroyed. But the work of resus
eta dion and reorganization went quiet
J Is on. In coves and forcs; depths and
secluded hooks in valleys the re
formed religion" once moro sprung into
life Bat II was only to suffer again the
old oppression. Banishment, coniisce
zion. The galleys for lie. Imprisonment
for life. breaking on the wheel. the gal
lows. the eXecutioneva block. all once
more had their part, until The very sur
! felt OF the thing helped To brini; 1t to an
| end. Public opinion TO-. helped to bring
| it to an end; not. let it be understood.
Tho public opinion az France. but the
| public opinion Of Europe. impel!ed by
the Recommendations cf Npltairc. France
/ became ashamed &c hc,S L. In Use took
I place the last Iluguenot executions.
| About The same time took place he last
! condemnation of llugueno.s TO the gal
! lcys. Finally. in 1857. l02 years after
they were deprived Of it. the Husucnots
received back their legal status as CT
| liens. l!ui ii was to the revolution II Il
| to Napolccn-strnngc hcrcfr ctors-that
The IIuPuenots owed the restoration OF
their fun religious liberty.