Chronicle and Comment

The dedication of the bronze memorial tablets on Michigan Boulevard Bridge will occur on Saturday, December 5. The city will close to traffic that part of Michigan Avenue between Lake Street and the North bank of the Chicago River, from 1:45 P. M. to 2:15 P. M. The tablets will be placed there by the Illinois Chapter of the Colonial Dames, under the auspices of the Chicago Historical Society.

During Sir Gilbert Parker's brief visit to Chicago, he examined the archives of the Historical Society for material on the French regime in this part of the country. Due to the death of his wife, the reception for Sir Gilbert Parker was very quiet and informal.

On Monday, October 19, a temporary organization was effected looking toward the formation of a Junior Auxiliary of the Chicago Historical Society. Seventeen boys were present and

the following officers were elected: President, William Cremin; Vice-President, Conover Talbot; Treasurer, Michael Cudahy; Secretary, Bruce Babcock.

A meeting for the adoption of a Constitution will be held on Thursday afternoon, October 29 at four o'clock. The ages of members of this organization may range from 8 to 16 years and they will be drawn chiefly from the Chicago Latin School, University School for Girls, Francis Parker School, the Faulkner School and the Starrett School for Girls and Young Men. Five hundred children attended Mrs. Julia Taft Bayne's lecture on "Good Times in the White House", on Friday, October 16.

Accessions

Some Gifts to the Library

From the library of the late president of the Chicago Historical Society, Honorable Thomas Dent. Personal diaries and notebooks, 18611924. Illinois Laws and Statutes, twenty three volumes. Works on Lincoln, four volumes. Miscellaneous books, fourteen volumes. Family photograph album of Dent and Strawn families. Gift of the Estate, in care of Mr. A. F. Reich

mann.

"A Catalogue of the Finley Collection on the History and Romance of the Northwest", by Edward Caldwell, Galesburg, Ill., 1924. Gift of Knox College through Mr. K. D. McClelland.

Map of the Siege of Vicksburg which accompanied the official report of Major-General U. S. Grant, of the Siege and Surrender of Vicksburg, to the War Department. SignedOtto H. Matz, Ill. Map of the Field of Shiloh, an official report of the battle of Shiloh. Signed -Otto H. Matz, Asst. Top. Eng. U. S. A. Gifts of Mrs. Rudolph Matz.

"The Kentucky Land Grants, 1782-1924”, by Willard Rouse Jillson, Sc. D. Louisville, 1925. Gift of The Filson Club.

"A New Map of Illinois and part of the Wisconsin Territory", by J. M. Peck and J. Messinger; Cincinnati, Doolittle and Munson, 1835. Gift of Frank J. Loesch.

"Atlas of Illinois-1876." Chicago, Warner and Beers, 1876. Gift of C. J. Hambleton.

"Life of Abraham Lincoln", by William E. Barton; Indianapolis, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1925. Two volumes. Gift of the author.

"Richard Yates-War Governor of Illinois", by his son Richard Yates. Gift of the Hon. Lewis L. Emerson, Secretary of State, Springfield, Illinois.

"Early Trails and Tides of Travel in the Lead Mine and Blackhawk Country", by Edward L. Burchard, Springfield, 1925. (Reprinted from Vol. 17, No. 4, Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society for January, 1925). Gift of the author.

"Energetic Maneuvering in the Old Aurora Town", by Clarence W. Putman. Gift of Miss Kate E. Marshall.

"Indian Traditions of Kenilworth and Wilmette", by Mrs. Bronson Peck. Gift of the author.

"Vikinge Faerden", (Chart of the Viking Ship in crossing the Atlantic Ocean to come to Chicago for the World's Fair). Gift of the "Skipper", Captain Magnus Anderson, who sailed this model of the ancient craft without convoy from Norway; through Mr. Alfred O. Erickson.

Map of Chicago; Rufus Blanchard, 1857. Gift of William H. Bush.

Chicago Tribune, dated Thursday, July 25, 1861. Gift of John G. Shedd.

Letter regarding the Chicago Fire written by John H. Witbeck at Chicago, dated October 12, 1871. Gift of Warren J. Davis.

Eleven Chicago Wall Maps, 1902-1911. Gift of John P. Cowling.

Gifts for the Museum

Portrait of Washington, etching by Henri Lefort, "Delineanit & Sculprit Anno 1880", after the Atheneum portrait by Stuart. Gift of Mrs. J. E. Jenkins.

"Washington's Mother."

Last Interview with his Mezzotint. Engraved by Henry Cousins. Painted by W. H. Powell. Entered according to act of Congress, 1864 by William Schaus, publisher. Gift of Misses Goodwillie, through Miss Cecelia Goodwillie.

President Lincoln. Considered by Mr. Lincoln to be the best portrait of himself taken at the time of his inauguration. Gift of Mrs. L. B. Bishop.

A tumble bed, flax fork and five other pioneer utensils. Gift of Dr. O. L. Schmidt.

Suit of buckskin and broad brimmed hat worn by Charles B. Cory in Wyoming and Montana in 1884-85, while hunting with Buffalo Bill, Liver Eating Johnson, Rattlesnake Johnson and Bill Donahue. Gift of Mrs. Charles B. Cory.

"Chicago in 1820." Premium of Palmatary's view of Chicago in 1857. Published by Chas. Sonne, 51 & 53 LaSalle Street. J. Gemmell Lith. 132 Lake Street, Chicago. Lithograph in colors. Gift of Will H. Lyford.

The Edict of Nantes, signed by King Henry IV on April 13, 1598, secured religious toleration to French Protestants, the Huguenots, who had long been the victims of persecution. The Edict of Nantes did not grant religious liberty as we understand it, for the Huguenots were not on the same footing with Catholics. They were tolerated but not absolutely equal. However, it was a very liberal measure for the sixteenth century, and seemed to the pope and to extreme Catholics to be a sinful surrender to the heretics. Protestants could reside and hold hold their faith wherever they pleased. Their form of worship could be publicly celebrated in certain specified places. The offices of the state were open to them. Mixed tribunals were organized for their protection in suits at law. A large degree of political independence was given to them, especially in certain cities

specified as Huguenot centers.

Henry IV was eager to put an end to the civil and religious strife which had menaced France for so long in order that he might secure national unity and such internal reforms as would guarantee strength and prosperity. The Edict of Nantes, which was a compromise between the hostile religions, was accepted by the nation. Under the peace which it secured, France rapidly recovered from the losses of the past and entered upon a new period of prosperity.

Although religious difficulties arose at times, the edict remained in force and the French Protestants enjoyed political privileges and freedom of conscience. Among the Huguenots were great numbers of skilled artisans. Some of the Huguenots' cities became important industrial and commercial centers of France. There were

many fine orators and scholars among their ranks. Some of their most able men were called to important governmental positions. They threatened neither church nor state. So long as they were left alone they provided France with a great source of strength both moral and material.

In 1643 Louis XIV ascended the throne of France at the age of five years. During the childhood of the young king, his mother, Anne of Austria, acted as regent, and in 1661 Louis assumed control of the government. The Grand Monarch was a profound believer in the divine right of kings. The famous saying, "I am the State", ascribed to Louis, sums up his ideas of government, whether he really used the expression or not. To the narrow mind of Louis it was a sin for which he was personally responsible that heresy should prosper in his kingdom, and to his pride as an absolute king it was deeply galling that there was one thing he greatly desired of some of his subjects and could not command; their conversion to Catholicism.

The mind of the monarch was not the only force working toward the destruction of religious liberty. The Catholic church of France had a strong influence in politics due largely to the ability and strength of its clergy. The general assembly of the clergy which met every five years regarded the Edict of Nantes as an insult and demanded new measures of persecution. The French Clergy was engaged in a dispute with the pope over Gallican liberties which made them very eager to prove their orthodoxy by measures against the Protestants.

At first neither the king nor the clergy had any intention of abolishing the edict. Their policy was merely to harass the Protestants by its rigid interpretation and the withdrawal of all royal support. In 1661, the first year of the personal reign of Louis XIV and sixty-three years after toleration had begun, Louis agreed to the demand of the clergy that commissioners be sent into the provinces to report on the Protestant churches built since the Edict of Nantes. They claimed that article nine of the edict gave Huguenots the right to worship only in certain places. Therefore, all churches built since 1598 should be pulled down. The report of the commissioners was favorable to this scheme and many Protestant churches were demolished.

This was only the beginning of the suppression that was to follow, for liberties were soon curtailed at every point. Toleration was withdrawn from the Pays de Gex, which contained

a population of about 17,000 Protestants and only 400 Catholics, on the ground that it had not been a part of France at the time of the issuing of the edict.

The Elector of Brandenburg protested against the infractions of the Edict of Nantes. Louis replied that nothing had been done in violation of the edict since no churches existing in 1598 were destroyed. Burials were prohibited by day because no clause was found permitting it. Schoolmasters were forbidden to teach any subject except reading, writing and arithmetic, on the ground that the edict contained no list of subjects that Protestants might teach. So many schools were closed on this interpretation that Protestant education was practically ruined.

In 1665 the General Assembly of the clergy drew up an address to the King suggesting certain liberties which it might be possible to deprive the Huguenots and still maintain the letter of the Edict of Nantes. Most of these were accepted by the King and promulgated in the Edict of 1666. The new edict professed to maintain the Edict of Nantes but each of its sixty clauses had some unjust decision against the Protestants.

The Elector of Brandenburg again protested against the new edict and in 1669 Louis XIV withdrew many of its clauses. The next ten years brought comparative peace. Foreign affairs were claiming the King's attention. Colbert, the great financial administrator had great influence with the king. But the Protestants saw signs of coming danger. The clergy started a war of pamphlets demanding the wholesale destruction of the heretics. Turenne, the greatest military leader of the country was soon converted. While the first soldier of France was of their faith the Huguenots felt safe from the worst, but he was finally won over to Catholicism. The government was excluding Protestants from its service. So rigorously was this policy pursued that even Colbert finally had to bow to it. The "treasury of conversions" was put to good use. Large sums of money were put to the disposal of the agents of the Crown to purchase the adhesion of the Huguenots to the Catholic faith. Fifty-eight thousand such conversions were made by 1682.

The year 1681 was the beginning of the end. Louis was again free from the complications of foreign affairs and began to devote his attention to the Huguenots. He issued an edict declaring that children of Protestant parents could declare themselves Catholics at the age of seven. This proved to be a terrible weapon of religious co

ercion.

Protestant households were invaded and the forceable abduction of children was the method used to convert them. Appeals were sent to the king, but all in vain. Before another year had passed a pastoral from the leaders of the Church of France was ordered to be read in all places of Protestant worship. It threatened more deadly measures than ever if the Protestants did not come back to the church. Huguenots were excluded from most of the trade guilds and from the King's household. Places of worship were closed on the plea that they had received back converts to Catholicism. Attempts to meet on the sites of ruined temples were interpreted as rebellion and punished with barbarous severity.

The same year marks the beginning of the terrible dragonnades. The quartering of soldiers on private persons was quite common in France, but this burden fell heaviest on the Huguenots. Soldiers had the hint that their officers would overlook their excesses in Protestant homes.

Added to these new measures of persecution, a great blow came to the few remaining liberties of the Huguenots, due to the great change that took place in the life of the Monarch. Madame de Maintenon, who was the governess of the children of the royal family, was beginning to have great influence with the King. After the death of Maria Theresa, Louis was secretly married to Madame de Maintenon. She was deeply religious and under her influence a religious tone took the place of the gaiety and frivolity of the Court. Madame de Maintenon probably had no direct connection with the religious persecutions, but her rise meant the strengthening of the religious and the weakening of the political interests of the king. It became the burning passion of the monarch to gain the favor of the pope by abolishing all heresy and uniting all his subjects to the Catholic faith.

Every means of persecution which was not too plain a violation of the Edict of Nantes had been brought into use and still the King and the church of France were not satisfied until all the heretics were either converted or exterminated. Every influence in the Church and Court favored the revocation of the despised edict. The Court adopted the point of view that Protestantism had almost ceased. Reports were sent to the king that the Huguenots had of their own free will and uncoerced flocked to reunion with the Catholic church. Very few Protestants, it was claimed, remained unconverted. Pere la Chaise, the King's confessor, and other influential members of the Court assured Louis

that the completion of the work would not cost a drop of blood. After about 570 of the 815 Protestant Churches of France had been closed and nearly 200 edicts had been issued against them, the last sign of toleration in France was destroyed on October 17, 1685, by the revoIcation of the Edict of Nantes.

Emigration of the Huguenots

Louis XIV succeeded in his object of the unity of religion in France, but at what a cost? The year 1684 saw Louis at the height of his power. The next year marked the beginning of the decline of the greatness and influence of France. The cream of the country was gone. Three hundred thousand emigrants sought refuge in other countries and had taken the trade of France with them. The educated middle class ceased to exist and want and misery increased enormously.

Many Huguenots left the country before the Edict of Nantes was revoked. In 1668 it was reported that 800 French Protestant families had arrived at the Hague. Other groups fled from time to time both before and after the revocation. In the year 1688, the year of all years when Louis needed his best soldiers to combat the rising flood of European hostility, 600 officers and 12,000 soldiers, who were better trained than their Catholic brethren, left the country as refugees from religious persecution.

England, Germany, Holland and America received the Huguenots and gave them encouragements to make permanent settlements. Some of the refugees who settled in America came directly from the coast of France, but many of them first fled to other countries and finally came to America either in groups of Huguenot emigrants or with settlers from the country in which they had resided.

The first strictly Huguenot settlement in America was made in 1687. Gabriel Bernon, the prime mover, was a wealthy refugee from La Rochelle, one of the largest Huguenot cities of France. He fled to England and was there offered a grant of land in Massachusetts if a settlement were made. Bernon chose as his agent a refugee from Poitiers, Isaac Bertrand du Tuffeau, and furnished him with the necessary funds for an immediate settlement. Du Tuffeau reached Boston late in the summer of 1687, presented his credentials, and was given 750 acres of land in the Nipmuck region, on the site of the present town of Oxford. The location for this settlement was away from civilization in the heart of the forest, and could be reached only