The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-01-31
ITS CAUSE AND Ell
EAD BEFORE THE CHAUTAUQUA CIRCLE BY A. L)


point. The sound of that exclamation
never died.
Allow me at this time to introduce
to you the author of the "Countercry"
to that infamous folly. We find him
as very young man occupying the
chair of French Ambassador to the
court at The Hague. While there he
distinguished himself by falling in love
and falling from grace. He was re-
called and within a short time put in
prison. There was no special charge
against him, but the welfare and pro-
lection of society was of course of ut
most Importance to the king. When
the former ambassador was imprisoned
they took everything away from him
except his faculty for thinking, and
during a few months he stored up
mental food enough to feed Europe on
for years. When those prison doors
open again the mightiest character re-
corded in modern history steps forth.
The cynic, poet, orator, critic, states
man Voltaire appears on the scene.
"Ah, ha" says VoItaire, $50 the State
is Louis. What about the rights of
man." The sound OF Voltaire's cry
reverberated throughout every nook
and corner of the land until it seemed
rs if every man, woman and child
joined in one common chorus: "What
about the rights of man?'
This brings the matter to a crisis.
Can these newly acquired thoughts
and sentiments be shaped or restricted
so that "the transformation" of the
people can be accomplished through
natural evolution? or will it require
brute force and riotous revolution to
satisfy them?
Voltaire foresaw the latter. He re-
allied that he himself had unWittingly
inspired the passionate people with un-
healthy sentiments. He was misun-
derstoOd and hastened to make amends
by pointing out another self-evident
truth: "The rights of man and the
duty must not be separated" Perhaps
VOltaire would have been able to stem
but for the fact that just at this crit
lcal time there appears few other
very able men and leaders. In ability
they were not the equals of Voltaire,
yet they were favored by many advan-
tageous conditions.
Voltaire was honest and straight
forward at all times. He was not al
ways right. His opponents were un-
scrupulous and dishonest. l refer to
such men as Marat and Danton with
| others). These men took up the theory
of "Rights of Man," but gave it
meaning never intended by it's author
Disguised as Friends of Liberty" they
taught the people to look upon present
conditions and present laws with dis
regard and contempt. They made it
their sole mission to lead France into
terrible struggles and suicidal revolts.
Very cunningly did they execute their
plans. They first destroyed the nations
best and costliest treasures, literature,
art and religion. They ridiculed the
old literature and wrote new books
which were of such character that no
government of today would pass them
through its mail. The new pictures
which adorned the private homes and
public galleries should have brought
in place of admiration-a blush of
shame to the cheek of any one claim
ing decency.
The court had already for a long
time been without any sense of moral
ity whatever. The populace is fast be-
coming so. The destruction of religion
was the most important factor. A
truly religious individual will not go
far astray from the path of righteous