DE CAUMONT
665
DECHAMPS
capital of the Decapolis, lay at the head of the plain of
Esdraelon, to the west of the Jordan, guarding the
natural portal from the sea to the great interior jilat-
eau of Basan and Clalaad. The other eitie.s were situ-
ated to the east of the Jordan on the great routes along
which passed the eommerce of the whole countrj'.
To-day the cities of the Decapolis, with the exception
of Damascus, are deserted and in ruins. Yet even in
their ruined state they offer a striking contrast to the
near-by cities of the Semites. Their temples, theatres
and forums built on a lavish scale, give even to this
day clear indication of the genius of the people who
built them.
.\mong the cities of the Decapolis of special interest are: Damascus, so often referred to in the Old and New Testament ; Gadara, on the Sea of Galilee, whose inhabitants were the Gerasens of the Evangelists — - the raSopjji'iii' of one reading of Matt., viii, 28 — whose swine were driven by the devil into the sea ; and Pella, the city in the valley of the Jordan to which the Chris- tians withdrew at the first siege of Jerusalem.
Smith in Encuc. Bibtica (.\ew York, 1S99), 1. and Historical Geography of Holy Land (1896), c. 28; Conder, Handbook to the Biblf: JosEPHUs, Autobiography t 65, 74; Idem, History of the Jiwish War, ix, 7.
Joseph V. Mollot. De Caumont, Armand Nompar. See La Force. Deceit. See Fraud.
Dechamps, Adolphe, Belgian statesman and pub- licist, brother of Cardinal Dechamps, b. at Melle near Ghent, 17 June, 1807, d. at Manage, 19 July, 1875. He entered public life about 1830 and soon became popular through his brilliant contributions to several Catholic newspapers. Having foimded with his friend de Decker "La Revue de Bruxelles", he advocated in that paper a system of parliamentarj' government which was termed "government of the centres". The ministries were to be composed of Catholics and Lib- erals and to be supported by the moderate elements of the two parties. The scheme was not without merit under the circimistances, and it worked sucessfully for some years, but no great political shrewdness was needed to foresee that, unless the Catholics were will- ing to surrender their principles, they must sooner or later part company with the Liberals. In 18-34 De- champs was elected to the Chamber of Representa- tives, where his talent as an orator and his practical sagacity soon secured him a prominent position. In 1836 he participated ver>' actively in the discussion of the bill on the organization of the communes, and in 1839 he opposed the treaty with Holland. The great Powers had imposed that treaty on Belgium and Hol- land in 1834, but the latter had delayed accepting it in the hope that .she miglit eventually obtain better conditions. Dechamps, with many otliers, held that by this delay Holland had forfeited her right to the advantages granted her by the Powers and they urged the Government to appeal to arms rather than to sur- render any jiart of Belgian territory. This warlike policy, however, would have been unwise in view of the opposition of the Powers, and peace was finally signed with Holland.
The most remarkable event of Dechamps's political career is perhaps the leading part he played in the pa.ss- ing of the bill on elementarj' instruction. Up to 1842 there had been no elementarj- public schools in Bel- gium, although there were numerous schools organized under the direction of the clergy. One of the pro- visions of the new bill enacted that religious instruc- tion was to form an essential part of public education and to be under the control of the clergy. The bill was pa.ssed almost unanimously by the votes of both Catholics and Liberals. From 184.3 to 1848 Dechamps was a member of several ministries and showed him- self a competent administrator, .\fter the defeat of his party in 1848 he became the leader of the Catholic
minority in the Chamber of Representatives and re-
tained that position for several years. In 1864 he
retired from politics and engaged in financial enter-
pri.ses, but his ventures proved imfortunate. The fol-
lowing are his most important works: "Le second
Empire" (Brussels, 1859); "Le second Empire et
l'.\ngleterre" (Brussels, 1865); "Jules C&ar; I'em-
pire juge par I'empereur" (Brussels, 1865); "La
France et r.\llemagne" (Brussels, 1865); "La Con-
vention de Gastein" (Brussels, 1865); "Les partis en
Belgique et le nouveau regne" (Brussels, 1866);
"L'ecole dans ses rapports avec I'Eglise, I'Etat et la
liberte" (Brussels, 1869); "Le prince de Bismarck et
I'entrevue des trois empereiu-s" (Brussels, 1873).
Hymans. Histoire Parlementaire de la Belgique (Brussels, 1878-82); Goblet d'Alviella, Cituiuante ans de liberte. La vie politique (Brussels, ISSO); Thonissen, La Belgixjue sous Leopold ler (Louvain, 1861); KtUKfls, La Belgique Contempo- raine (Brussels, 1884).
Pierre Marique.
Dechamps, Victor Acgu.stin Lsidore, Cardinal, Archbishop of Mechlin, and Primate of Belgium; b. at Melle near Ghent 6 Dec, 1810; d. 29 Sept., 1883, at Mechlin. He and his brothers made rapid progress in science under their father's direction. One, Adolphe, entered on a political career. Victor pursued his ecclesiastical studies first at the seminary of Toumai and then in the Catholic University begun at Mechlin and afterwards transferred to Louvain. Ordained priest 20 Dec, 1834, he entered the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1835, and made his vows 13 June, 1836. The next four years he spent at Wittera as prefect of students and lector in dogmatic theology. In 1840 he began his missionary life and in 1842 was nominated rector at Liege. He took an active part in the founding of the Confraternity of the Holy Fam- ily, which he considered his most salutary work. In the historic jubilee of Liege he had a large share both by his " Le plus beau souvenir de I'histoire de Liege", and by his preaching (1845-46). He visited England and saw the wonderful effects of the Tractarian move- ment. In 1849 he was nominated consult or general of his congregation, and took up his residence at Pagani near Naples just when Pius IX was in exile at Gaeta. He had several audiences with the pope and was instnimental in arranging the transfer of the superior general from Pagani to Rome. This was not effected till 1855, when Pius IX invited Father De- champs to the first general chapter held in Rome. The question of his appointment to the See of Li^e was considered in 1852, but the pope, touched by his personal appeal, did not insist. In IStio Dechamps became Bishop of Namur, whence he was transferretl in 1875 to the Archdiocese of Mechlin and made primate. At all times devoted to the Church and the pope, he took an active part in the formation of the pontifical zouaves, and persuaded General Lamori- cierc to offer his .services to Pius IX. But his promi- nence in the history of his country .and of the Church is due to his battle for Catholic schools and his defence of papal infallibility before and during the Vatican Council. Manning and Dechamps were indefatigable; and they became cardinals in the same consistory, 15 March, 1875. Dechamps worked to the very end. He said Mass on 28 Sept., 1883, and died the day fol- lowing in the arms of a Rcdemptorist who happened to be present. He was buried, .as he had desired, by the side of Venerable Pa.s.'ierat at Rumilliers.
The complete works of Dechamps, revised by him- .self, were published in seventeen volumes at Mechlin. In iiresenting fourteen of the seventeen volumes to Leo XIII on 7 Feb., 1879, the author writes: "There is one thing that consoles me. Holy Father, in sending you ray poor works: they are all consecratefl to the truths of our holy Faith. . . . Volume I is consecrated to the truths of faith; II to Our Lord Jesus Christ; V to the Blessed Virgin Mary; III and IV to the
