The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-01-01
Peoples Forum

eVPieS EOTuH
4 Reply TO Father Bouti,u. I.
Editor West vlrglnIan: 8 (
Dear sir-We are thankful that nl,
gave Father Ba,tlou a chance to n
heard and the ZANE full tnelsufrs .,
gratitude Is due you for giving It's The
same privilege. We are also thant!t''
that We are not living udipr a ri,irr
like Gregory XVI. who denounced free
dom Of conscience as AN insane FOL
ly" and the freedom Of the press =,
pestilelt error It Is a source o.
much pleasure to us to know thu:
mankind has advanced far enough ID
permit one 10 assert that the word
do move around the sun without
meeting the fate Of Calico. As for
the proof Of our original statement
that several good sized shocks had
been administered by the institution
to which the American Cardinal Is
connected, We leel that to any one nc
qlainted even slightly with history
any proof Is entirely unnecessary us
well al tiresome aud unpleasant. We
desire, however. to say that We feel
confident that the Statement: can rot
be refuted BY the ripest scholar Or an.
initiated by all the adjectives Of all
languages living and Grad. Rev n,N'i.
lou says that In his opinion botn sides
In the religious prosecutions were
wrong. We heartily endorse that op.
1nlon. yet We desire to add that he
who rebels against tyranny has a bet.
Ter title 10 defender Of the Faith"
than George the Third. We wish to
say that we have no word Of defense
for any form OF persecution BY Agnos.
tic, Catholic Of Protestant. To say
that Voltaire I Co. should be blamed
for the horrors Of tho French revolu:
ton appears TO us as unfair az would
be the statement that Washington &
Co. werc responsible for the American
revolution. In support Of this claim
We desire to quote the opinions Of two
authors which We think cannot be ov.
"r'hro%n, Mac'ul1y. prince Of His.
torians.|I says 'voltalrc often enjoy
cd a pleasure dearssto the better part
Of his nature, The pleasure Of yInd!.
eating Innocence which had'no other
helper, Of repairing cruel wrongs, Of.
Furnishing tyranny in high placea.-
Victor Hugo says: ITO protect the
weak, the poor, the struggling was
the war Voltafre wase'l." We protest
AGAINST our friends statement that Vol.
taire was 4 "professed agnostic' and
to show the justice Of our protest we
quote one brief sentence from Voltaire
himself. Ben Franklin once request.
ed Yoltaire to pronounce 4 blessing
on o child which Franklin presented.
This is the blessing uttered by VOL
talre: NY son. God and Liberty, re.
member these two" As our own par
tlcular views on the destiny Of man
have absolutely nothing to do with the
questions under discussion, We r.
frain from replying :, that part Of hls
epistle. The truth Is the truth, even
though spoken by Satan himself. Con.
corning Thomas Paine. We wish to IN.
form Rev. Boltlou that this patriot
q two revolutions who was praised
by Washington, Franklin and Jetfer.
son, did not spell his name Payne"
l1e, Of course, was not an asnostic, bis
belief was similar 10 Jefferson's, who
wrote at least one strong sentence In
favor OF Unitarlnism. We will now
abruptly close for the present, wishing
all a Happy New Year and On lncreas
cd devotion 70 Truth and Justice.
s. c. MuSGRAVE,