The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-12-26
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Chief is not responsible for the
views expressed by correspondents.
Encore, Mr.. Arceneaux.
New Orleans. La. Dec. u. 1908.

New Orleans. La. Dec. 21. 1903.
EDITOR CH1RF:
Mr.. ]. F. Areeneaux continues to
wear his war paint, and to pop his
fire crackers at the Catholic church.
He holds on with bulldog tenacity to
his notions that the church Is respon-
sible for the Saint Bartholomew mas
sacre; that the massacre in question
was one of the most extensive human
slaughters known to history; that the
sufferers were all Huguenots; that the
Huguenots, or Protsstants, were al
ways innocent and entirely sinned
against, etc. We may assure Mr..
Arceneaux that the patrons of The
Chief are well aware, by this time,
that his ideas are immovably fixed
in these regards; but they have had
authorities and reasons given to them
heretofore in this discussion, sufficient
TO satisfy them that Mr.. Arceneaux is
not safe guide for them in the matter
OF forming convictions for themselves
as to the facts of Catholic church
history.
Upon the question of the church's
participation in the tragic event of
Aug. "a. 1872, We submit the verdict
OF a we'll known, non-Catholic student
of history, Alfred q. Guernsey. writer
Of the article, Bartholomew, Saint,
Massacre OF, in The American Zap
pleton'sl Cyelopedia, second volume.
Dealing with this branch Of his sub
iect, this writer says:
"a grave question has arisen as to
the supposed completely of the papai
court In the massacre. The dispatches
OF the papal nuncio at Paris seem to
set this question at rest. On the very
day of the massacre he wrote to the
cardinal secretary at Rome an account
of the matter. A month later Sept.
221, in reply to inquiries for more
detailed information, he wrote: The
queen regent, having become jealous
OF the admiral, came to the resolution
few days before and caused sn
arquebuse to be disch arged at him
without the knowledge Of the king,
but with the participation OF the Duke
of Aniou and the Duchess OF Nemonrs,
and OF her son, the Duke of Guise.
Had he died Immediately, no one else
would have perished. But he did not
die, and they began to expect some
great evil; wherefore, closeting them
selves in consultation with the king,
they determined TO throw shame aside,
and to cause him to be assassinated
with the others; determination which
was carried into effect that very
night. This account was contained
in cypher dispatch from the nuncio
at Paris TO the government at Rome,
which would hardly have asked infor-
nation about conspiracy IN which
they had borne part; and the nuncio,
In a secret dispatch, would hardly
have spoken in terms Of such condem-
nation of plot in which his superiors
we're implicated. These secret de-
spatehes were hrss published almost
two centuries after. !"
The last sentence of the quotation
just given shows how slowly news Of q
certain character is in reaching people
of the temperament Of Mr.. Arceneaux.
We do not justify the massacre oi
Saint Bartholomew: but when his
torieal subject is up for study, II
should be viewed in all aspects, with
true lights. The Huguenots, Protest.
| ants Of the times OF Luther, Calvin,
| Zuinglins, ETC., we're not suffering
lambs always and entirely sinned
against. Ample historical eyidenc,
caa be submitted to the contrary o.
such q supposition.
Jean Jacques Rousseau, born Pro
testant in Geneva, Switzerland, Jun
%, 1712, and educated also as a Pro
testant. says, in his Letters de Il
Mont: "The Reformation was intol
Grant from its cradle, and It's author
universally prosecutors. Baza, Cal
WINS successor, at Geneva. il his foil