Year: 1878

| AiousiStSo Lom tne PAriS Univerc.


One of the errors of this age is believing


that liberty and equality can be decrea3


To declare in charter or in q constitution


that all men are free aud equal lie about "a


reasonable as to declare them all nohle


and holy. Liberty and equality are no


more to be decreed than holiness and


honor they are to be won. To be won


these days are thus constituted-they de-


maud that the prize be awarded to them


without having gained it.


Equality has been presented to men bv


God Himself as the eliminating fact and


poi9s OF nnman destiny. And what equal


feet as your heavenly Father is perfect y


This is not to be attained by q decree.
Where is the man who can aatter him.
| self that he can attain perfection The


best can only draw nigh to it. As they
draw nigh to 1t, higher do they draw TO


expanse Of liberty enlsrges, since, as man


becomes more perfect. constraint upon him


becomes less necessary.


Liberty. in fact, is naught else than the
absence OF all constraint. SO considered,
IL Ia not the beginning of wisdom ON the
contrary, it is its crowning glory. He
who avoids evil and does good only
through fear of chastisement is only in the
rndiments of virtue I: "initium sapientie
timor )" If he rises no higher, he will never
be anything but a being of inferior nature:
neither liberty nor equality was made for
him. Nations are not to be deceived and
know how to distinguish between the man
who eets about his duty through fear of
punishment and him who fulfills it through
motives of conscience and zeal,


10 burn with passion for the attainment
OF the good, the beautiful, the true,
whereof God is the eternal and infinite
Type, to measure with the souls eve the
greatness of the immolstions which this
victory demands, and nevertheless, to
press steadfastly forward to that goal. to
advance thus with all the strength Of intel
lect and heart, in the fullness of liberty,
towards those lustrous heights where sa-
preme equality abides-equality even in
perfection-this is a spectacle which men
have ever judged worthy of their admira-
ton.


Grossly do they deceive themselves who
think that the human soul can be borne
sloft by the power of the law.


whose says law says constraint, that
is the opposite of liberty. And yet how
many pretended liberators day by dey
proclaim that they will make laws to
establish the reign of liberty Thew do
not seem to doubt but that liberty reiRns
In proportinn as laws GO on. Every law is,
a bond, as it's name indicates-''lex," >" from
s.ngare." Liberty is absence of all bond.
They, therefore, alone are worthy of liber-
ty who have no need of law to conssrain
them to shun evil and to do good.


For such men, laws can be abolished and
its full perfection be given to liberty with
such men universal suffrage would be only
an imposing manifestation of truth and
suffrage that murder.
Que instrument in the blind and ignorant
hande of men whose will obeys only their
appetite.


The path to perfection is, therefore. the
only one that leads to absolute liberty and
equality. But in the road to perfection
how many stages How many lnkewarm,
bow many cOWards, how many deeerters
On that endless ladder of progress and
failures where shall we find equality 2 And
how many who, instead of pressing for
ward, turn back from the RoalP How
many leave the ways of light and salvation
70 descend into the byWays where dark
ness abounds, where the very idea of good
Ind evil is lost, where the yoke and the
'ridle await them.


Ihe unfortunate wretches still do not
'ease to thirst for liberty and equality;
hey are hot in pursuit of them. But in
'ain is it for them to invoke, to decree,
o impose them liberty and equal
ty but wing their further flight away.
Ill liberty which is such by decree il only
onsense or disguised tyranny; all
quality which u aueh By cOpIasnd can be- 8