The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-11-27
Chevalier La Barre.
Tortured and Murdered
At the Age OF 19 Years
By The
Catholic Church
Because He Had Failed
TO Kneel Before A
Pe1iUious Procession.
To Kneel Before A

Inc parish anu Iue Cle1 SS Sei1el any
were filled with Indignation. The sta
tue, unquestionably a work OF art.
stood within the very shadow OF their
church door; their children could not
attend divine service without being
contaminated by it; no stranger:
whether pilgrim or tourist, could enter
the church without first noticing the
monument and having his mind pois-
oned by the words thereon. They ap-
pealed to the law, of course in vain,
for the thing could never have been
placed there without the express, spe-
cifc permission of the government. IN
deed. it's erection was government
act, the expenses of which were de-
frayed by private society. The par
ishioners posted placards, protesting
against the deed, declaring that the
inscription on the monument was
without foundation in fact, and that
the Chevalier La Barre had Deen con-
demned and executed by a criminal
court of justice. But the placards
were torn down within a week, while
the monument is designed to enure for
centuries. Words cannot describe the
bitter, bitter strife engendered by this
and similar proceedings. Paris has
scores of monuments, most of which
have been erected within the past Ten
or fifteen years, dedicated to the mem
ory of men whom the inscriptions say
were martyrized by the church. That
of Etienne Dolet, on the Place Maui
bert, not far from Notre Dame, is one
of the best known examples. A cir
cumstance, of the same genre, was the
experimentation" of Emile Zola.
The Pantheon, it will be remembered,
was built by the architect Soufflot,
during the reign of Louis XIV, and was
destined to replace the ancient church
of the Abbey of st. Genevieve; build
ed, then, on sacred ground, it was con-
secrated to the worship of God and to
the memory of the patron saint of
Paris, and it's dome is still surmount-
ed by a cross. The reyolutionists de-
cided that the Pantheon should be de-
dicated to the great citizens Of France,
and traced upon its facade this IN
scription, AUX Grand Hommes La
Partie Reconnaissance" When the re-
mains OF Rousseau and Voltaire were
transported to the Pantheon, the
clergy felt that holy shrine had
been defiled, and when these two
tonlbs were violated during the Res
toration, the churchmen regarded it as
a Judgment from on high. Their first
Indignation. however, was nothing as
compared to that which they felt when
Zolas body was placed in the crypt.
Catholic journals. which have as yet
by no means ceased to lift their voices
in protest, charge that the deed was
done not to honor Zola, but with the
sole intent Of insulting religion and
morality. The family Of President
Sadi Calnot has demanded that the
administration restore to them the
body of their kinsman, which was
placed in the Pantheon prior to that
of Zola. The administration, on the
other hand maintains that all this
protest is but another example OF Ca
tholic "bigotry and intolerance" This
last phrase tempts me to interpolate
word or two regarding trifing de-
tail which may bear on the same
question. In Partisan argot, or slang
any aged lady, of devout habits and
pronounced Christian faith, is called
''bigotte.' The expression has passed
into such common usage that the
words original meaning has been lost.
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