The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-10-16
Our Paris Correspondence.

OuI NOETespOnOcnCcs
PARIS, Sept, 10, 1913.
State of France The Death Pemalty-Ihe Clergy
Gen. Cass.
Many people profess to believe that the present
condition of things cannot last long IN France.
Paris in state of siege, and the press subject to
be suppressed at any moment, and the city made
military camp, say they They say that they do
not know what the change may be-"it may be
Henri Cling, the red republic, or socialism-but it
will be something different before long" Such
are the sentiments of some very intelligent French
citizens of Paris. am not prepared to contradict
them; but do not see the evidences of change
so clearly; on the other hand it appears to me that
the government is gaining strength, and the people
becoming more quiet under the present regime,
which is pretty stringent, to be sure, but not
whit more 80 than is necessary for the security of
the city. To allow a few such men as Grardln and
Proudhon the free license of an outrageous PRESS
daily, exciting the more ignorant people, would
be folly-madness; it would be more-lt would
be cruelty and inhumanity, for they would make
the blood flow In streams the streets of Paris
AS well might the government let loose so many
public assassns, to slay all they might meet IN the
streets. Whether these men and their associates
are wicked or mad, is not material, the effects
produced by these presses are the same-civi var
and bloodshed-and they must be restrained, or
peace cannot be established in Paris.
The Assembly have decided, by a vote of 49S to
PIG, against the abolition of capital punishment in
criminal cases, although there Is a manifest re-
pugnance to resortlng to it in any case but that
OF absolute necessity. There are some men, i'm
every nation, who fear the halter and the scaffold
more than any other punishment, and whom no
terror, short OF that, restrain from committing
depredations upon society, and the lives of assas-
SINS are worth little to the world. France Is not
in condition to remove this restraint from before
the eyes OF the desperate to do so, would be to
invite murder, IN the present state Of society and
offer, as il were, premium to assassins.
France still reserves, in her constitution, the
principle OF paying the clergy out of the funds of
the State. No country, but our own, has learned
the fact, that the fostering care of the State cor
rupts religion and its professed disciples that
there is no security for either Church or State
but IN a perfect separation; that the touch
contaminates both, and paralyzes their healthy
action. Even Protestant England makes her
church an instrument, OF, oppression, corrup-
benefit from 1t, while they are burthened with
taxes to support it, There is that Is arbitrary
IN the church OF your city, than any other part
OF the United States; but free institutions check
the encroachments of the clergy, beyond a certain
point But there Is great liberation and liberality
IN France, now, for a Catholic country Protestant
churches can be established in any part OF France,
and the clergy are amenable to the criminal code,
like other people. To those who have been accus-
toned to see the priests exempt from the control of
oil civil law, and TO commit murder and rape with
lmpunity, ms appears to be great advance to-
wards civilization.
There is to be new contest for the election of
President of the Assembly. These elections
come along monthly, and they try the strength of
the parties generally. Hitherto the club PoitIen
have been defeated but they are now making
preparations to make great effort to carry La