14694: Charles: Re: 14679: 1816 visit to Haiti of Quaker missionary and hurricane -- Charles asks and Corbett replies

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Philippe Charles <pcharles@us.ibm.com>


Bob:

Since I don't have the full context, I am confused by the following
statement made by Grellet regarding Petion's library:

    "He had lately placed in it a considerable number of valuable
     books, that he wished should supersede the many deistical
     and immoral ones they had before."

What kind of deistical and immoral books (written by whom) was
Petion collecting before? What books were the new valuable ones?

--philippe
========================

Corbett replies:  Philippe, I have no more data than you.  I gave you
the full citation from the book.  He doesn't say anthing else.

However, I can made an educated guess.  In the mid to late 18th century
and early 19th century Deism was very popular in Europe.  This view did
noat believe in a PERSONAL God, as does Christianity,  Judaism and Islam,
but in a much more impersonal transcendental creating force.

Such a concept would have been anathama to Stephen Grellet and his
conservative CHristianity.  Thus he would have found such books as
"immoral" and he would have wanted to replace them with more conservative
Christian theology, which surely he would have regard as "valuable."

HOwever, as to exactly which book Petion may have added to the state
library,
well, that I haven't a clue.

Bob Corbett