Page:Essays on Catholicism, Liberalism, and Socialism.djvu/274

are united, and of the same opinion. If any negation is common to them, it is certainly that of the negation of the solidarity of the family of the nobility. All the revolutionary and socialist doctors unanimously concur in the denial of that communion of glories and misfortunes, of merits and demerits between ancestors and their descendants, which mankind has recognized through all ages as an established fact. Nevertheless these same revolutionists and socialists affirm of themselves in practice, without knowing it, the very thing that they deny to others in theory. When the French revolution, bleeding and disheveled, trampled under foot all the national glories; when, inebriated with its triumphs, it considered a definitive victory as certain, it was seized with an undefinable aristocratic pride of race, which was in direct opposition to all its dogmas. One then beheld the more celebrated of the revolutionists with the pride of the ancient feudal barons, hesitating to grant to others the privilege of association with their illustrious families. My readers will remember the remarkable question which these doctors of the new law addressed to the immaculate aspirants to their favor: "What crime have you committed?” How unfortunate were those who were guilty of none, for never would be thrown open to them the gates of the capitol where the demigods of the revolution presided in terrible majesty. Mankind had established a nobility of virtue, the revolution instituted that of crime in its place. When, after the revolution of February, we saw the socialists and republicans divided into classes, separated from each other by an impassable gulf, and the republicans of yesterday heaping contumely and insult upon the republicans of to-day; when others again more