The New Annual Register, Or, General Repository of History, Politics, and Literature for the Year Volume 1790 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1791 Excerpt: ... is ignorant of it; he who attacks, in any manner whatever, the liberty of others, attacks his own, and deserves to lose it in his turn, being unworthy of a present of which he knows not the-value. Your principles are, that liberty of thought and of opinion is an (inalienable and imprescriptible right. '1 his liberty, gentlemen, is the most sacred of all; it goes beyond the empireof man; it takes refuge within the conscience, as within an inviolable sanctuary, where no mortal has a right to pcnttiatc: it alone is excepted from submission to the common laws of society; t- fetter it is injustice, to attack it is sacrilege. I reserve my reply to the arguments which may be offered, by saying, that it is not to attack the conscience of dissenters, but to forbid them the profession of their worship; and I hope to prove, that it is an extreme injustice; that it is to attack and violate their conscience; that it is to be intolerant, persecuting, and unjust; that it is to do" to others what you would not wifli sliould be done to yourselves. But having the honour to speak to you, gentlemen, in order to solicit you to introduce into the declaration of right a certain and well-defined principle, on which you may, one day, establisli just laws in regard to the non-catholics, I ought first to mention their present situation in France. The non-catholics (some of you, gentlemen, cannot be ignorant of it) have received the edict of November, 1787, only as what could not not be refused them; yes, what could not be refused them. I repeat it not without fliame; but it is not a groundless censure; these are the very terms of the edict. This law, more celebrated than just, prescribes the forms of registering their births, marriages, and deaths; it permits them, in cons...