FRENCH PROTESTANTS. WHILE the furious spirit of fanaticism which has been enkindled in France continues to rage, and while the organs of political power persevere in their system of treachery and violence against the professors of the Reformed Religion in the South; the Committee of the Dissenting Ministers dare not withhold from the Public the statement of facts, which, in spite of all the artifices and efforts of persecutors, they are constantly receiving from the purest sources of information. The Committee have long since had occasion to call attention to the conduct of the Authorities of the Gard, in permitting the massacre of Protestants with impunity, and in gratifying their murderers by vexatious and iniquitous judgments against the Reformed, for pretended crimes, or for offences comparatively trivial.—They must now refer to the condemnation of eight Protestants to death at Nismes, for the events which took place at Arpaillargues, after the capitulation of the Duke D'Angoulême. The French journalists, who never publish a line but under the inspection of the agents of the Government, have made this judgment the ground of an unworthy triumph over" the Philanthropists of England," and some of the English journalists, rivalling their free brethren of Paris, have exhi bited this act as decisive proof of the truth of all the libels which they have cast on the Protestants, and the apologies which they have framed for their murderers. The following history of the transaction will, however, display its real character. "The judgment of the 11th of July has filled the Protestants with horror, and the Catholics with proportionate delight. Eleven persons have been accused, nine men and two women; ten were Protestants, and one was a Catholic: six men and two women have been condemned to death, four to be executed at Nismes, and four at Arpaillargues; one is condemned to the galley for life, and two have been acquitted;-the Catholic is one of the two acquitted, and one of the magistrates was known to say, that they would not have acquitted one Protestant, but for the sake of the Catholic; but to acquit him (the Catholic) alone would appear too partial. "The trial was held in the Hall of Assize, and the Catholic ladies, dressed, filled the most prominent and elevated seats. The Hall was filled by the fanatical populace—no Protestants dared venture to be present at the trialnor were there any Protestants on the Jury; but while the Jury were sitting fifteen or sixteen hours on the various cases, hundreds of the fanatics, who had pillaged and assailed the Protestants, surrounded the house all night, crying out for their condemnation and their death. "By a perversion worthy of the parties who are thus carrying on their system of exclusive punishment, these wretched beings have been judged as though they had assassinated a person on the highway, while all the world knows, that the affair in which they were engaged was tumultuous, and occasioned by the alarm of the poor unfortunate villagers, and the misconduct of the Royal Volunteers. "After the capitulation of the Duke D'Angoulême at La Palud, his followers dispersed, to return to their homes, and it has been said, that on their route they were cruelly treated and murdered by the Protestants. Let it he observed, however, that from La Palud to Nismes the population is Catholic, and that the Protestants were every where restrained from shewing themselves by the dangers which threatened them. On the great road, and par 2 FRENCH PROTESTANTS. ticularly at Pont St. Esprit, there were only troops of the line; and if the peasants, being Catholic, robbed and injured the Volunteers, it cannot be ascribed to Protestants, even supposing that they did nothing to provoke ill treatment, as they certainly did at Arpaillargues, Contrary to the capitulation, they presented themselves in a hostile manner at several Protestant villages at a distance from the great road, and Arpaillargues, almost entirely inhabited by Protestants, was one of these. They were 'met on the road by a man on horseback, who suspecting their designs, rode back and informed the inhabitants, that the Micquelets were approaching to pillage; the country people, in such a moment of exaltation, ran to arms-they seized all sorts of weapons-muskets, pistols, forks, spades-one Micquelet was killed; another, wounded, was carried to Uzés, where he died. In the frenzy of the conflict, it is not unlikely, with the weapons which the villagers had, that acts of cruelty were' committed; but there was nothing political, nothing personal, nothing preconcerted. Whether right or wrong, they thought they were fighting to save their lives and properties. If, indeed, justice only were to be respected, why have none of the assassins been brought to trial? wretches who for months murdered and plundered Protestants on system? Trestaillon, Quatretaillon-hated names! Trufème, who, after having exulted in the murder of many Protestants, was seized by General La Garde on the awful night of the sixteenth of October, has not only been acquitted, but is now in the National Guard. “Thus murderers and robbers are supported in their crimes. If they are brought to judgment, and their victim escapes them, he escapès not the unjust rigour of the tribunals. What a scandal !" Much additional information of the past injuries and the present sufferings of the Protestants, had been prepared for the press; but the Committee have been induced to suspend its communication, from an anxiety to insert the important proceedings and resolutions of their friends in Edinburgh. A second General Meeting in the Merchant's Hall, Edinburgh, held to receive the Report of the Committee appointed at the former Meeting, was numerously and respectably attended. Sir HENRY MONCREIFF WELLWOOD was again called to the Chair, and the Rev. Dr. M'Crie, Convener, read a long and very interesting Report, which had been prepared for the Meeting, and which contained a statementOf the sources from which the Committee had derived their information;—of the nature and extent of the sufferings which the Protestants in the south of France have endured; and, of the distress under which they still labour. THOMAS H. MILLER, Esq. then addressed the Meeting in an energetic speech, and took occasion to state a variety of authentic faots, which had not been specified in the Report of the Committee, and to obviate some of the objections which had been entertained by a considérable number of persons, to our attempting any interference with the events that have taken place, or making any exertions to relieve the distresses which our Protestant brethren in France have endured. He then proposed the following Resolutions for the consideration of the Meeting, and moved that they should be adopted: 1st, That the Report of the Committee be printed, and every exertion FRENCH PROTESTANTS. be used to enforce this powerful appeal to Christian benevolence and phi lanthropy. 3 2d, That having now obtained sufficient information, as to the character and extent of the sufferings of our Protestant brethren in France, subscriptions be immediately opened, for the purpose of affording them pecuniary relief. 3d, That the Committee of the Dissenting Ministers of the Three Denominations in London having already opened channels for the distribution of pecuniary relief among the sufferers in France, the fands collected in virtue of these Resolutions be from time to time remitted to the said Committee to be applied under their direction. 4th, That a Committee be now appointed to carry these Resolutions into effect, in the manner which shall appear to them most expedient, consistently with the spirit thereof-to watch over the interesting object of our Meeting-and to call another General Meeting, if they shall judge it necessary. The motion for the adoption of these Resolutions having been seconded by the Rev. HENRY GREY, in a most forcible and impressive speech, was unanimously agreed to, and the former Committee appointed to carry the Resolutions into effect. The Rev. D. DICKSON, junior, then moved, that the thanks of the Meeting be given to the Committee who had prepared the Report-which had 'been read, and to Dr. M'Crie, the Convener, who had bestowed so much labour in the cause; and he took the opportunity of stating, that, although ' at the time of the former meeting he felt much hesitation and doubt on the "subject for which it had been called, his scruples were now entirely removed, and he not only gave his cordial assent to the Report and Resolutions "which had been adopted, but was persuaded, that the persecution of the "Protestants in France had been truly a persecution on account of their seligion. This motion was unanimously agreed to. The thanks of the Meeting were then given to Sir H. MONCREIFF WELLWOOD, for his conduct in the chair. The Report is published, and its object is recommended to the Public in the following Circular: "Edinburgh, 10th July, 1816. "The Committee appointed by the Meeting of Inhabitants of Edinburgh, held in Merchants' Hall, January 21, and June 24, to take into consideration such measures as may appear conducive to the relief of those persons in the South of France who have suffered by the massacre of their relatives, or as fugitives for conscience-sake, beg leave to întreat your attention to the >Report concerning their sufferings, read and adopted at their last Meeting, now printed, and in general circulation. They are persuaded, that the body of evidence referred to and compressed in it, is such as will satisfy every attentive and impartial person, that the calamities endured in the Department of the Gard, and in the city of Nismes in particular, have been 'occasioned, not by the political of imprudent conduct of the sufferers, but · have been inflicted entirely on account of their religious profession. They are satisfied also, that the interposition of those persons in Great Britain who have expressed their sympathy with them, and who have remitted money for their relief, 'has been attended with the best effects, which would have been still more extensive and important if it had been more general. There is also sufficient proof, that no redress has been hitherto obtained; 4 FRENCH PROTESTANTS. and it is to be feared, that no protection from, or relief of, their wrongs, is to be expected from the government of France. But the Committee are of opinion, that their exertions will materially strengthen the hands of that government, in any relief they may afterwards extend to our unoffending and afflicted brethren. In such circumstances, they trust that an appeal to all those who respect the sacred rights of conscience, and are awake to the dictates and duties of humanity, will be effectual, and will lead them to furnish the means of sending them pecuniary relief without delay. This has been the uniform conduct of Great Britain, and of this city in particular, in former periods of French persecution; and they trust, that the present generation will not shew less interest in such a cause, nor be more deaf than our forefathers, to such affecting claims. Collections and Donations received since the last Publication. Do. 1 1 0 Leith 0 10 6 Edinb. 2 2 0 Do. 1 0 0 Do. 1 1 0 Mr. Thomas Miller Edinb. £1 1 0 Do. 1 10 Do. 0 10 6 Do. 1 1 0 Do. 1 10 Mr. Hugh Auld, Banker Do. 0 10 6 110 110 110 0 10 6 John Donaldson, Esq. Edinb. 1 1 0. A.H. per Dr. M'Crie 00 050 Do. 1 1 76 050 FRENCH PROTESTANTS. IN a former paper it was the duty of the Committee of DISSENTING MINISTERS, to state the circumstances under which eight Protestants, six men and two women, had been condemned to death by the Court of Assize at Nismes; and they have no doubt, but equal horror and indignation were excited, by those proofs of systematic and merciless persecution. What then must be the feelings, awakened by the fact which they have now to record!-THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN to NISMES of the notorious TRESTAILLON; or as he is called in the Provençal language, TROIS-TAYONS. As for the Committee, it appears that the propriety of their efforts and their perseverance will be sufficiently proclaimed by the crimes of the persecu tors, and the conduct of their protectors. "This wretch, Trestaillon, whose real name is Lafont, was the leader of those murderous bands, which for months destroyed, at pleasure, the Protestants of the Gard. In the early period of the persecution, he boasted of the number of his victims, and was apprehended by the civil authorities; but shortly after he was liberated. From that time he pursued his career, till 16th October last. On that day, the plan was formed of a general massacre; and General La Garde, who had the knowledge that a list of 500 citizens had been made, whom they intended to immolate, found it necessary to make every effort to prevent this horrid sacrifice. He took the precaution to order a cart to be in waiting with post-horses, not far from the Square, where hundreds of the fanatics were assembled. Trestaillon, who endeavoured to fire on the General, was seized, with some others, and sent to Montpellier. The hotel of the General was surrounded all night by the multitude, demanding the liberty of the assassins. Trestaillon remained quietly at Montpellier, where he ought to have been tried, till January last, when he was removed to Lyons. Some refugees from Nismes, covered with mourning for their parents and friends, torn from their affection by the bloody hand of a monster, whom they saw surrounded by gend'armes, seized, on his appearance, with a feeling of horror perfectly natural, had the imprudence to say to him, "You will not escape the heavy and the just punishment that awaits you." He answered them, "That he feared nothing-that he had good papers." Many times he was heard to pronounce these words, "They will not dare to condemn me, because I shall speak." The Protestants, who allowed themselves to address Trestaillon, were arrested, and have not been liberated, but by the force of solicitations, and after a considerable time." "Trestaillon was not judged at Lyons, any more than at MontpellierHe disappeared." At length he returns in triumph to the theatre of his unparalleled crimer, |