Show HUGOS TRIBUTE TO GREAT SAGE eulogy eulogy of voltaire held as masterpiece just a century after Volt aires death in 1778 victor hugo delivered an oration on the man and his abad abiding influence a writer in the kansas city star recalls hugo was not only his count rys greatest poet in the nineteenth century but equally famed as the writer of such celebrated dramatic novels as notre dame and les Mise ile he was als also 0 a superb orator and it Is safe to say that no more eloquent words have been spoken concerning the eighteenth el lit century sage during all ahe the years which elapsed since 1778 1178 when voltaire laid down the burden of his body the following passage from that address may 30 1878 vividly suns sums up what the later preat great frenchman felt concerning the earlier great man of the same race ice in the presence of this society frivolous and dismal voltaire alone having before his eyes those united voices the court the nobility find and capital that unconscious power that blind multitude that terrible magistracy so severe to subjects so docile to the master crushing rind and flattering kneeling Ic neelin on the people before the king that clergy vile melange of hypocrisy and fanaticism voltaire alone declared war against that coalition of all the social iniquities against that enormous and terrible world and he accepted battle with it and what was his weapon that which has the lightness of the wind and the power of the thunderbolt A pen with that weapon he fought with that weapon he conquered gentlemen let us salute that memory ile he conquered the old code and the old dogma lie ile conquered the feudal feud al lord the gothic judge ue ile raised the ir populace to the dl dignity alty of pro peo pie he taught p civilized ile he was indefatigable and immovable morable lin lie he conquered violence by a smile de despotism by sarcasm garca sm infallibility by irony by perseverance ignorance 1 norance by truth I 1 have used the word smile it is voltaire whatever may be ills just wrath Is passes and the irritated voltaire always gives way nay to the voltaire calmed then in that profound eye the smile appears that smile I 1 repeat Is voltaire luminous that was fruitful also the new soc elty the society for equality and concession and chrit beginning be inning of fraternity which calls itself tolerance reciprocal good will the just accord of men and rights right lit reason recognized ns its the supreme law the annihilation of prejudices prejudice 4 and fixed opinions opinion the serenity of if souls the spirit of indulgence and of reason harmony peace behold UIL all has come from that great smile I 1 |